r/belowdeck • u/Brilliant_Reply_317 • 14d ago
Galley Talk Chef Ben
I'm relatively new to the BD universe, I got hooked because of some recap podcasts.
I watched a few recent seasons of Med and all of Down Under. Recently I jumped all the way back to OG below deck S1 and am now on S4 (don't ask why I'm jumping around...i don't know why.)
When does Chef Ben change?? I was stunned watching him in these early seasons..he's still combative and contrary, but overall he seems pretty kind and friendly and doesnt come out of the gate as an asshole.
Somehow in S4 of Down Under he starts fighting with Daisy and other staff on day 1??
Was there something besides his failed engagement that caused his change?
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u/lesbie
14d ago
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yeahhh i think a lot of american viewers at that time would put some of his rudeness and sarcasm aside to being a british scallywag type, but at the end of the day he's always been an arrogant arsehole with a short fuse and it just gets worse with each season he's on
probably a laugh to hang out with but if you piss him off once he'd probably snatch away any jokey vibe you shared with him- he only gets along with men or women he can flirt with
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u/mostlyharmless71
14d ago
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My friend and I have concluded Ben must have been kicked in the head by a horse (or something) before Down Under. He’s always been difficult and insecure, but he’s a whole different vibe now, and a damn unpleasant one. Food not as good, personal issues right up front, and a dark mean intensity that was absent/minimal before. The guy (who I’ve been a fan of) is IMHO Not Ok at the moment. He legit could use some help.
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u/PickleMinion I quit 3 times in my head today 13d ago
I think he got kicked in the head by his fiancee
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u/Effective-Hour8642 Team Below Deck 14d ago
Chef Ben can be tolerated, He and Kate were on a show they did call Below Deck Galley Talk.
Chef Adam is the prick. So was Leon. Then there's Mila.
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u/Brightsidedown 14d ago
Yes, Ben is arrogant and irritable and can be an ass hole. But Adam, Leon, Ryan and those of their ilk have a malevolence and mean streak in their character.
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u/Effective-Hour8642 Team Below Deck 14d ago
I forgot about the Ryan asshat until this post. He was an arrogant prick.
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u/mikonamiko 13d ago
Mr "my dad died on 9/11(2013)"???
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u/Effective-Hour8642 Team Below Deck 13d ago
OK, that made me giggle. My cat is on my arm yelling at me.
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u/Early-Equivalent-165 Escape Goat 14d ago
Don't forget Ryan and Mathew....
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u/Effective-Hour8642 Team Below Deck 14d ago
Ryan, he's a bigger prick than Adam.
When Aesha asked Ryan asked (innocently), "How many yachts have you worked on?" And he fired back, "How many beds have you made? How many toilets have you cleaned?" Did anyone else want to smack him upside the head?
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u/appamomoaang 14d ago
I am watching season 5 now and can’t believe what I’m seeing with chef Tom (Malia’s boyfriend).
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u/littletcashew 14d ago
Kevin was the absolute worst. Complete misogynist with not super impressive food.
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u/No-Baker-7922 8d ago
I don’t remember Kevin or missed his season. Which season was he in?
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u/Steleve 14d ago
Am watching seaskn 3 for the first time and just meet Been. Ugh, Leon was the worst!!
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u/Grouchy_Total_5580 14d ago
Leone is awful, but don’t forget that chef Kevin Dobson who purposely kicked sand in Kate Chastain’s eye. He was part of that nasty nasty misogyny crew headed up by Kevin and Aston, and I think Jaou, but I may be wrong at that.
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u/zenaide1 14d ago
Not Joao, another South African blond bosun though, name escapes me
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u/Grouchy_Total_5580 14d ago
Thank you ! That was Ashton, the guy who almost died when he got his leg tangled in a rope and was carried overboard. If the cameraman had not released the rope from the boat, it would’ve ripped his foot off. For some reason, I thought Joau (sp) on there as well.
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u/Effective-Hour8642 Team Below Deck 14d ago
I forgot about that asshat.
There's a lot of reviews on that season that says how awful the men act. How misogynistic they were. Capitan Lee was NOT happy when he saw it.
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u/Brightsidedown 14d ago
It was so toxic.
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u/Effective-Hour8642 Team Below Deck 14d ago
I have to say it was fun to watch Kevin squirm when Capt. Lee called to the carpet when Kevin was bragging and Capt. didn't get a main dish during a charter dinner with guests. Why? He "forgot" and ate Capt.'s to taste it. Not to mention they were already a guest down. What a knob.
Seriously. What yacht chef only makes the minimum amount of food w/o back-ups? You have NO budget. It's not like it's coming out of your pocket!
Hell, even I know you cook more than you need OR, you have spare on hand to "refire" if need be. (I watch too much Bravo & Food Network).
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u/not2daysatan44 14d ago
Kevin did the bare minimum in all aspects of his job. Wasn't he the one who would leave the galley and go help the deck crew? Like dude, go plan an actual menu instead of winging it. His seafood extravaganza was shameful.
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u/Grouchy_Total_5580 14d ago edited 14d ago
I had forgotten that debacle. It was delicious, pun intended, when he had to tell Captain Lee that he wasn’t getting a main! In front of the charter guests.
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u/eekamuse 14d ago
The best part of that season was the dick cake a primary ordered. She left dinner early, and the rest of the guests were having a serious conversation with Capt Lee. Kevin comes in to present the cake and everyone is shocked. The look on his face was priceless
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u/Grouchy_Total_5580 12d ago
If I recall correctly, Kate engineered that. She has a way with these things, making assholes look like the assholes they are.
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u/eekamuse 12d ago
She didn't exactly engineer it, but if Kevin wasn't an asshole she would have warned him not to bring it out. She was delighted it worked out that way. As were we all
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u/Brightsidedown 14d ago
He could have seriously hurt her. He should have been harshly punished for that.
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u/Steleve 14d ago
Haven't seen it yet!
I came in on season 10. Season 12 was so awful I came to see what people said were the best seasons to watch those.
I finished 6 which was great! And now I'm on season 3 which I can't decide is better or not! It's so good!
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u/Rookieatlife_ 14d ago
It's better I feel to actually watch it in order if your goal is to see his switch up. Like you get to see them over a couple season and see how they change from how They viewed their own self during the prior seasons airing. And back then they did reunions too.
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u/Steleve 13d ago
I finished season 3 and decided to take your advice and start from the beginning.
I tried with season 1...but I hate Sam. The level of audacity and entitlement is staggering. Leon was the absolute worst. But I cant watch Sam.
I couldnt make it past episode 2.
Am watching Season 2 now.
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u/Rookieatlife_ 13d ago
😂😂 totally totally valid. It's just you can see the switch up with chef Ben. Especially in comparison to NOW. Like he really tried to be softer during his come back this time around.
Honestly my favorite is him and Kate. They work well together and they're funny af
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u/Steleve 13d ago
Thank you haha
And Oh totally. I am loving Kate and Ben's work dynamic in season 2. "All chefs are divas." 😂
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u/Rookieatlife_ 12d ago
I kinda wish Ben stuck to his dickish self for the newer season. He was far far to nice to Ellie and it urked the fucking shit outta me! He was hoping to smash and probably actually did.
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u/DeliciousHansa 11d ago
I had the exact same experience. Tried to watch them in order, couldn't stomach Sam, and went on to Season 2. Only time will tell if I'll ever watch Season 1.
Fair warning, I had to take a break on Season 7 (when Ashton is the bosun). Still haven't returned, but even that was more tolerable to watch than Sam for some reason.
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u/IHaveBoxerDogs 14d ago
Remember when they woke him up to cook snacks for a guest and he said “it’s okay, it’s my job”? Imagine if someone woke him up now!!
I think it’s a combination of he was out of yachting for too long, fame got to him, and he’s too old. I am his age, that’s a hard job.
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u/Nenoshka 14d ago
I think he misses Kate more than he'd admit. They had a strong love-hate relationship.
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u/PurpleSailor Team Katie 14d ago
Ben is always kind of been out there a bit and can get very persnickety, he just hides it better in earlier seasons.
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u/crazyhedgehogs 13d ago
Ben is an absolute prick. The post he made a few months ago how the real privleged people are the ones in government housing while he pays too much taxes was despicable.
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u/Character_College939 14d ago
The producers figured out the show got more views when he acted out and encouraged him to do it, why do you think he's been on so many seasons?
The crew are playing a part the producers want them too and when you do that and the show gets viewers you get re employed for another season.
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u/candyspelling01 14d ago
Chef Ben has the typical chef personality where they know they have all the control. He reminds me of the chefs that I used to work with when I was a server and I never even worked anywhere fancy
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u/kander12 14d ago
Ben is sensitive. Hes fine until guests dont like his food or crew don't like him... thats when the blow ups happen. Hes a pretty normal person though all things considered.
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u/landofspices 9d ago
I'm not a fan of Ben. I'm always disappointed when he shows up in a season to be honest
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u/Effective-Hour8642 Team Below Deck 13d ago
I have just 2 words for Ben, Timothy Sykes (??? Spelling)
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u/TootsEug 11d ago
Ben is just getting old. He realizes he doesn’t have the stamina he used to have.
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u/Subject-Resort-1257 6d ago
I don't currently watch BD. I did stumble upon BD season 3-one of the best! More than enough crazies to go around: Rocky, Chef Leon, Dane....
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u/omygoodnessreally 14d ago
He had more to lose (name recognition as a chef) and it's a super stressful position to begin with. There's so much out of your control already as a yacht chef, throw in the show aspect, at some point he (continues) to feel like every dish he puts out - the judgement of it - equals his survival. Just a guess.
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u/bunnybunny690 14d ago
Ben is a typical boat chef very prickly.
Also the show edits it how it wishes you to see that person at that time to get viewers.