Ben Robinson Explains Why His Below Deck Mediterranean Return "Needed to Happen"
Here's what the chef's new crew members really think about him.
When Ben Robinson decided to depart Below Deck after Season 4, we weren't sure when (or even if we'd ever) see the chef back in the galley. But the stars aligned for Season 4 of Below Deck Mediterranean. The chef made his triumphant return to the Below Deck franchise in Monday night's episode.
Ben explained why now was the perfect time for him to come back in the Below Deck Mediterranean Season 4 After Show, above. "It was really good timing because I have a catering company. I don't think I had a whole lot going on at that point," he said. "It was very serendipitous. It was a good thing. It needed to happen."
Of course, Ben was exactly what the Sirocco crew needed as well. After Captain Sandy Yawn let Mila Kolomeitseva go earlier this season, and Anastasia Surmava stepped down as chef to return to her original position of third stew, the crew was in desperate need of someone who could help them finish out the season strong. "Well, because I'm an actual chef, so people call upon me when they're in a lot of trouble. It's happened a couple of times," Ben said in the After Show of why he was the right person to come to the rescue. "When I was 28, I was the head chef on one of the biggest yachts of the world. So it's kind of my schtick. I get it."
He added, "There's a freelancing aspect to the yachting industry, and if you're a freelance chef, you will rescue either the boat, change a boat, or save them from their crazy chef."
But even after appearing in five seasons of Below Deck or Below Deck Med in total, Ben still thinks serving as chef on the series is "the hardest job there is." "You're on your own and you're in charge of provisioning, budgeting, it's a tiny little space, you have no help," he explained. "A good chef will be able to rise above it, but it's tough. It's a tough gig."
As you can see, Ben was happy to be back on Below Deck Med, but did his fellow crew members feel the same? Press play on the above clip to find out.
Catch a sneak peek of what's to come for Ben in an all-new episode of Below Deck Med Monday at 9/8c, below.
