Benjamin Knack

 

“

The dish that we did was a beautiful dish. The pork was fucking gorgeous... I mean, I would've made love to it right there!

”

Hometown/Residence	Season 7: Elmont, NY Season 17: San Antonio, TX
Occupation	Culinary Instructor
Culinary Education	New York Institute of Technology
Culinary Inspiration	Gordon Ramsay
Statistics
Signature Dish Challenge Score	1 out of 1
Blind Taste Test Score	1 out of 4
Challenges Won	8
Services Won	6
Times as BoW/Announcer	3
Times Nominated	2
Placement	3rd
Episode Eliminated/Withdrew	4 Chefs Compete Part 2
Signature Dish Challenge Score	5 out of 5
Blind Taste Test Score	3 out of 4
Challenges Won	8
Services Won	6
Times as BoW/Announcer	1
Times Nominated	0
Placement	Runner-up

Benjamin Knack was a contestant on Seasons 7 and 17 of Hell's Kitchen. On Season 7, he ranked in 3rd place, and on Season 17, he was the runner-up.

Season 7

Episode 1

Main article: Episode 701 - 16 Chefs Compete

During the Signature Dish Challenge, Benjamin was the second person from the blue team to have his dish judged by Ramsay and went up against Holli. He served his lobster agnolotti with a butter-poached lobster and truffle sauce and confirmed Ramsay when the latter asked him if he made the pasta from scratch. After tasting the dish, Ramsay deemed it delicious, congratulated him, and he won the round over Holli.

The blue team won the challenge 4-3, and they were eventually rewarded with a breakfast in bed prepared by the red team the next morning. Back in the dorms, the men felt more pressure while studying the menu for the opening night, and when they received the lessons from Ramsay by television, Benjamin acknowledged that they were really helpful and Ramsay would be proud of them.

During dinner service, Benjamin was on the appetizer station with Salvatore. When he was working on his first risotto, Ramsay asked him to taste his food, but after he did, he put his spoon back in the pan. Ramsay caught him, was dismayed, and schooled him on how he did it in front of customers in the dining room. He acknowledged his mistake, and Ramsay ordered him to start over. On the last ticket of appetizers, he was caught cooking a risotto without rice, he got schooled by Ramsay, who asked how it was possible to cook risotto without rice, and reminded him he had to put the rice before the stock. That mistake made Salvatore question his position as a chef, and when Ramsay asked for a time, neither him nor Salvatore answered, and because of that, they were kicked out of the kitchen after Ramsay summoned Jay into the kitchen calling him a "Smurf." Back in the dorms, Maria told them to not feel that bad, and when Mikey was kicked out, he asked the latter if the service would be completed. The blue team won the service.

Episode 2

Main article: Episode 702 - 15 Chefs Compete

Back in the dorms, when the men were talking about their problems during the opening night, Benjamin accused Mikey of being the downfall of the team because of his lack of communication.

The next morning, at 5 am, the chefs were awakened by an alarm clock amplified all over the dorms by Sous Chefs Scott and Andi. During the Egg Relay Challenge, Benjamin was paired with Jason, and they were the last pair to compete for the blue team. They succeeded to score three points, and the blue team won the challenge 11-10, and they were rewarded with a helicopter tour of Los Angeles, and lunch with Ramsay on top of a building.

During dinner service, Benjamin was on the fish station. He was not seen much, except at one point when he urged Mikey to take his time while acknowledging he was a young kid despite knowing he deserved to get his ass kicked for not serving the proper food. At another point, he expressed dismay over Jason not properly cooking the chicken, saying that he was rushing it, that it was not even ready, and that he totally fucked the team. Both teams were named joint-losers, and they were asked to nominate one person each.

He was not nominated for elimination.

Episode 3

Main article: Episode 703 - 13 Chefs Compete

While going back to the dorms, Benjamin was upset as he wished Jason would have been eliminated instead of Mikey. The next morning, the chefs went to the dining room, where Ramsay introduced the Marching Band Lunch Service Challenge while revealing they would be serving the marching band of the University of Southern California. During the challenge, he was not seen much, but at one point, he helped Jason to dress the salads, and because of his help, Jason succeeded to send his first salad bowl to the dining room.

The blue team lost the challenge, and they were punished by cleaning a section of the Los Angeles River to help the Heal the Bay organization while wearing yellow jumpsuits. During the punishment, Benjamin revealed that he thought they would go to an actual river and not a cement river, and told that it sucked. At the end of the day, he said that it was a rewarding punishment as they worked as a team all day, wished that they would work like that during service, and added that he did not want to wear the yellow jumpsuit again. The next day, during prep, he was very happy to see Jason smiling again and working as a team member, despite being nominated the previous night.

During dinner service, Benjamin was on the meat station. At one point, he wondered why Jason could not cook the garnishes properly as it was very easy, and was praised by Ramsay for cooking the Wellingtons perfectly. Later, when Salvatore brought back a dish that was supposed to be medium-well, he was urged to refire another one, but Ramsay did not blame him for that mistake because Salvatore did not wrote the requested temperature on the ticket first place. After that, when he was working on his beef, Scott tried to interfere with his job, but he was annoyed and aggressively pushed him away, while telling that he was working for Ramsay and that if Scott was doing the same thing, they would have a better service. He was praised once again for perfectly cooking the beef, was congratulated by Scott as well, and customers were satisfied.

When both teams were lined up, Benjamin was called the lucky star of the blue team by Ramsay, who praised him for his strong performance. The blue team won the service.

Episode 4

Main article: Episode 704 - 12 Chefs Compete Part 1

The next morning, the chefs went downstairs, where Ramsay introduced the Craps Challenge. When Ed chose Salsify, Benjamin was very happy about that as he found it a great vegetable that would balance the dish. He was the fourth person to roll the dice for the blue team, landed on C, and chose crab. During the cooking, he was not seen at all, the blue team won the challenge, and they were rewarded with an indoor skydiving activity. During the reward, he was the first person who tried it and said that he enjoyed it and that they really needed to relax while doing it.

During dinner service, Benjamin was at the dessert station. He was not seen much, but near the end, he helped the blue team to complete the service by sending out the desserts. Both teams were named joint-winners, and for the blue team, Salvatore was named "Best of the Best".

Benjamin was not nominated for elimination, and said goodbye to Scott, who was transferred to the red team, while welcoming Autumn as a new teammate.

Episode 5

Main article: Episode 705 - 12 Chefs Compete Part 2

The next morning, the chefs were woken up by Sous Chefs Scott and Andi, who gave them butchering outfits to wear for the Pork Creation Challenge. During the first part, Benjamin was the third person from the blue team to grab his pig, and during the second part, he was paired with Ed, and they were the first pair from the blue team to have their dish judged. He presented their pan-roasted pork loin with thyme and baby Bok choy while being very happy about it and even stating that he would have made love to it on-the-spot. The dish was deemed absolutely delicious by Ramsay, and he and Ed won the round over Nilka and Fran.

The blue team won the challenge 2-1, and they were rewarded with a spa day at the Glen Ivy Hot Springs Spa, in Corona, while wearing brown bathrobes. During the reward, Benjamin went to the grotto with Jay, Ed, and Salvatore, they were all painted in a substance crusted with seaweed by four women, sat down, rubbed themselves, and took a shower together. The next day, during prep, he joked about the fact that he would open a barbecue place after the competition, which made his teammates laugh.

During the Barbecue themed dinner service, Benjamin was a waiter during the first seating, and on the appetizer station with Jay during the second. He was not seen much, but at one point, he tried to communicate with Salvatore without success, and at another, he wanted to tell Jason to shut the fuck up and not talk back to Ramsay the way he did, while wondering what was going on in his head. The blue team won the service.

Episode 6

Main article: Episode 706 - 11 Chefs Compete

The next morning, everybody went to the dining room, where Ramsay introduced the Mother Sauce Challenge, and Benjamin worked with the béchamel sauce. He was the last person from the blue team to have his dish judged, went up against Scott, and served a John Dory with a lemon béchamel sauce and roasted potatoes. It was deemed lovely by Ramsay's mother, but Ramsay's wife deemed the fish dry and under seasoned. Despite that, he won the round over Scott.

The blue team won the challenge after a tiebreaker at 2, and they were rewarded with a day at the British pub Ye Olde King's Head, in Santa Monica, being taken there in a double-decker bus, and a gift of brand new cookware. During the reward, they played a little game of darts, but Benjamin's dart did not stick to the board and fell to the ground. When they came back from their reward, they noticed that the mood on the red team was very tense, and he added that he wanted a very strong service and kill the red team, as they were a bunch of losers.

During the Family Night dinner service, Benjamin was on the garnish station. When Scott and Siobhan went to the kitchen to know who was cooking the pasta, he told them that it was the garnish station because spaghetti was a garnish, and later, when Salvatore lied about a mistake he did, he was told to keep an eye on the latter as he was a liability, while he acknowledged that he should not lie to his chef and fellow cooks. Near the end, he took vocal leadership of the team, saying that he was a natural-born leader and that he liked to lead by example. His mashed potatoes were deemed very nice, he continued to motivate the team by telling Jason what was on order for him, and because of his strong leadership, entrées were being served at a good pace to the blue diners, and they succeeded to complete the service.

The blue team won the service by a mile, and at elimination, Benjamin was transferred to the red team, with Ramsay saying that they desperately needed leadership, and urging him to step up. While being dismissed, he was determined to bust his ass for the red team, while declaring that he would whip the blue team's asses in the kitchen.

Episode 7

Main article: Episode 707 - 10 Chefs Compete

While going back to the dorms, Benjamin was not happy to be on the red team as he knew they were so fragmented, even stating that it was a joke. All the members from the blue team gave him hugs, and on the patio, Nilka apologized to him because she knew that he was not happy about that decision. Then, he joked that they would all die before the next service, and left the conversation by jokingly saying that he would hang himself.

The next morning, the chefs went to the dining room, where Ramsay introduced the 50th Wedding Anniversary Planning Challenge, where they would update three dishes served at Sal and Marcy's wedding reception 50 years ago. During the challenge, Benjamin was on his own, worked on the trout Almondine dish, and emerged as the definite leader, making sure that everybody knew what they were doing, much to Siobhan's praise. Also, he was feeling better about the red team and added that the women could be strong. He was the last person from the red team to have his dish judged and went up against Jay. He presented his trout with mint purée, almonds, and vanilla, and it was deemed mild by Marcy, but good by Sal. Eventually, he won the round over Jay, and clinched the victory 2-1 for the red team.

They were rewarded with a day at the World Famous Frisco's Carhops diner, while wearing red shirts from the 1950s, and being driven there in 1950s style convertibles. While being dismissed, Benjamin was compared to Lebron James by Nilka, and when he entered the convertible, he really felt like he was back in the 1950s. At the diner, when he saw the girls in their tiny skirts, he thought of his wife, while adding that he would get in trouble. Before entering, he reminded Fran that she and himself were already married, and urged her to get something to eat inside. Arrived inside, a group of girls with roller skates came in, invited all of them to line dance, and he told that it was nice to be the only man as he was getting a lot of attention, while sarcastically asking if they really thought he was looking at their roller skates. Later, he revealed how better he was feeling than the previous night while adding that he felt really close to the women at that moment.

The next day, during prep, Benjamin continued to lead the red team, and when he entered the blue kitchen to grab something, he was allowed by Jay to take whatever he wanted as the latter jokingly said he would need it. Moments later, he was concerned when Jay cut his finger, and asked him if he was okay.

During the 50th Wedding Anniversary dinner service, Benjamin was on the fish station. His challenge-winning trout Almondine was featured on the menu, and the first crab cakes that he served were raw in the middle. He was berated and ordered to start over by Ramsay, he acknowledged that he screwed up on the crab cakes, and called it embarrassing when Ramsay was yelling at him. Then, he sent his second attempt, but they were overcooked, much to Siobhan's dismay, he was berated once again, and when Fran offered her help, he told her that he did not need anything. Then, Nilka also wanted to help, but he aggressively pushed her away, much to her annoyance. Later, he had to start his trout over because of Holli's mistake, and after that, he thought that Fran was over her head as she was disregarding safety because she was busy. Under his leadership, they succeeded to serve the last entrées and the desserts, but after both teams went in the dining room to give a standing ovation to Sal and Marcy, the red team lost the service, and they were asked to nominate two people.

While being dismissed, Benjamin was not happy as everybody felt they had a good service, and during deliberation, he was considered by Fran, but he reminded her that she had a hard time on garnish. She retorted that it was her first time on that station, but he was still convinced that despite that, she should be nominated, without giving a valid reason. After, he agreed with nominating Holli despite telling her that she still did a great job, and moments later, he told that she was not the worst cook on the red team when Jason asked that question. Then, he suggested to talk about their decision one more time, so the red team went in the dorms, and he acknowledged that Holli was a strong cook and nominating her might not be the best decision. When Siobhan arrived in the dorms, he targeted her for being nervous and unsure of herself because he thought she did not have the technique nor passion, much to her frustration. She reminded him that she did not have a bad service, which he agreed but added that Holli was a stronger cook.

Benjamin was not nominated for elimination, and when Ramsay asked why Siobhan was nominated, he answered that she lacked technical skill and passion, thinking that she was second-guessing herself because of that. While being dismissed, he still thought that the blue team was stronger than the red team despite being one member down, and arrogantly added that he was sick of Siobhan and Fran as the garbage can in front of him was probably a better cook than them.

Episode 8

Main article: Episode 708 - 9 Chefs Compete

While going back to the dorms, Benjamin told Siobhan that she needed to stop talking and just work, much to her annoyance by that comment, and on the patio, he told to his teammates that he did not want to hear them saying that services were easy. After Siobhan left the conversation, he became extremely negative by saying that she was lacking technical skills and passion, that she talked too much, and that she was lucky to be there, much to Holli's annoyance. Finally, he was convinced that Siobhan would go down.

The next morning, Benjamin answered Sous Chef Scott's phone call, and he was told to get everybody down to go to one of the oldest and most famous French restaurants in Los Angeles. The chefs went on a field trip to the Philippe's restaurant, in Los Angeles, where they tasted the classic French dipped sandwich with Ramsay, and after the tasting, he introduced the Gourmet Sandwich Challenge. On their way back to Hell's Kitchen, he was psyched to cook his own food, was confident that his sandwich would be awesome, and during the cooking, he asked if anybody was looking for the tuna, which Siobhan responded that she had her tuna already. Then, he reminded her to cut the bloodline off, and when Fran was looking for the challah bread, Siobhan had it all for herself, and he told that because of that, the latter was driving him nuts.

Before the judging, the red team was asked to drop one of their sandwiches as they had one more member, and they quickly agreed on Siobhan, with Benjamin adding that he would be pissed and would like his money back if he would order it in a restaurant. He was the first person from the red team to have his sandwich judged and went up against Ed. He presented his pan-seared Ahi tuna sandwich with watercress and spicy olives, which was praised for the tuna being cooked perfectly, and tied that round with Ed. After a tie at 3, Siobhan's sandwich was used as the tiebreaker, but he was angry about that because he had no fate she could pull it off. However, because her sandwich was deemed better than Fran's, the red team lost the challenge as they made a poor decision.

They were punished by making peanut butter and jelly from scratch, by grinding 50,000 peanuts by hand, for an amuse-bouche that would be served during the next service. Back in the dorms, Benjamin condescendingly told Siobhan to work as a team, that her sandwich was not good, and that he would not serve it in his restaurant. Siobhan responded that it was his personal opinion, but he corrected her by saying it was his professional opinion and added that she did not have the experience that he had and that she needed to ask for help if needed. He continued by saying that he did not regret his decision and that her ingredients were not going well together, despite her reminding that it went well on her sandwich. He concluded that he was brutally honest to her like Ramsay was, and she left the conversation. During the punishment, he was annoyed by Siobhan continuing to think that her sandwich was better than Fran's and gave the excuse that she would not have beaten Jay anyway. When the blue team came back from the reward, he went on the patio along with Jay, saw Holli, Siobhan, and Ed in the hot tub, and dared the latter to get naked, while thanking God that he had his goggles on.

The next day, during prep, Benjamin knew that they had an advantage over the blue team as all of them were having hangovers while wanting to send the message that they were not untouchable. During dinner service, he was at the dessert station. When Siobhan was kicked out of the kitchen to eat her mistake, he was relocated to the fish station for a few minutes, declared that he just wanted to get the food out while Siobhan fucked up the fish station, and when she came back, she wanted to get her station back, but he ordered her to stay on desserts, which she reluctantly accepted. Then, she wanted to help, but he became rude, pushed her away while taking the scallops she had in her hand, and after a few seconds, he aggressively told her to fuck off his station, much to her anger. Later, when Fran sent a salad that was not dressed, he thought that the latter was talking a lot despite being a shit cook. After a lot of mistakes, the red team was kicked out of the kitchen, and back in the dorms, he threw his apron in anger and was dismayed that they got kicked out because there were losers on his team.

Both teams were named joint-losers, and they were asked to nominate two people each. During deliberation, Benjamin quickly considered Siobhan as he would have thrown her out of the kitchen himself, but she was annoyed because he was classically French-trained.

He was not nominated for elimination.

Episode 9

Main article: Episode 709 - 8 Chefs Compete

Back in the dorms, Benjamin trash-talked about Fran, saying that she was a nightmare and a mess, added that he did not feel that she was even trying, and thought that she would be the next eliminated. The next morning, the chefs went to the kitchen where they tasted chicken gorgonzola prepared by Ramsay, and during the tasting, he praised the taste of the spices. However, it was revealed that the dish was actually frozen, and Ramsay introduced the Blind Taste Test, which excited everybody. Before the challenge, he raised his hand when Ramsay asked who had the best palate, and laughed when Fran said she did.

During the challenge, Benjamin was the third person from the red team to compete and went up against Jason. He only scored one point out of four for correctly identifying fennel, and he acknowledged that he could not be perfect all the time. The red team lost the challenge 3-4, and they were punished by taking part in Delivery Day. During the punishment, he tried to motivate his teammates but complained that his teammates were complaining all day long despite him wanting to have a positive attitude. When the second delivery arrived, he took control of the paperwork and dedicated the box carrying to his teammates. Later, Jean-Philippe informed him that the wine was supposed to go to the London West Hollywood, but he refused to take responsibility for his mistake or apologize for it.

When the blue team came back from their reward, the red team opened their box from the special delivery, and they had to create their own menu that would go against the blue team's. During the menu creation, Benjamin proposed a lot of dishes that Nilka did not know about. He was concerned about that, and later, he took total control by shutting down all of his teammates' ideas. Then, Fran told that rainbow carrots had too many colors, but he told to not worry about it as he was a professional and all of his dishes would have a good presentation. When Nilka proposed to serve rice as a side, he rejected it as he thought rice was poor food, which she called fucking crazy. Ramsay was not satisfied with the menu, except for the desserts, and he praised Holli for doing a great job with them. They decided to stick with their original ideas anyway.

During dinner service, Benjamin was on the appetizer station. At one point, a pasta appetizer returned to the kitchen for being undercooked, and he was asked to start over by Ramsay, while not responding to his teammates' time request, much to Fran's annoyance. He was frustrated because he did not want any help from his teammates, while adding that he did not trust Nilka's experience. Eventually, Ramsay Nilka to help him, so he reluctantly accepted her help, but when she was plating the salad, he pushed her away, which she did not appreciate. So, Ramsay told him that despite him not liking his teammates, he had to communicate. Later, he lost all confidence in Fran's cooking skills with the chicken, and at another point, he called her fucking crazy as everything she touched turned into a disaster. When the desserts were served, he praised Holli's good job, even adding that she had the best service for the red team.

Both teams were named joint-losers, and they were asked to nominate one person each. During deliberation, Benjamin was targeted by Nilka for rejecting all of her inputs on the menu, but he still did not want to take responsibility for his bad dishes ideas and left the conversation by saying that he was done dealing with his teammates.

Benjamin was not nominated for elimination, and he and his teammates welcomed Autumn back in the red team, as a new teammate. While being dismissed, he cheered about Fran's elimination, and added that he was happy about that.

Episode 10

Main article: Episode 710 - 7 Chefs Compete

Back in the dorms, Benjamin considered Autumn as a big step forward for the red team as they went from Fran to her, and thought that the blue team would find her departure tough while adding that he would shoot himself in the head if they would lose again.

During the 10-Pound Lobster Challenge, Benjamin and Nilka wanted to work with the tail, so he tried to split it between themselves, but he ripped it, much to her dismay. When the guest judges were introduced, he felt it was an honor as he wanted to have Michelin stars himself since he was 18-years-old. He was the last person from the red team to have his dish judged, went up against Jay, and presented his poached lobster tail with parsnip purée to Josiah Citrin. It was criticized for the sloppy presentation and not having a lot of finesse, he acknowledged that he was rushing, and thought that he was screwed because Jay's dish was immaculate. Neither of them scored a point for their teams.

The red team won the challenge after a tiebreaker at 1, and they were rewarded with a caviar tasting experience at the Petrossian Paris and a $1000 shopping spree at Kitson. Back in the dorms, Benjamin congratulated Holli for having the winning dish, and during the reward, he wanted to buy something for his wife, while adding that it was nice to spend Ramsay's money.

When both teams were lined up, Ramsay announced that they would cook in the red kitchen together with a two and a half hours time limit. During dinner service, Benjamin was at the dessert station. He was not seen much, but at one point, he comforted Nilka, who was panicking, and moments later, he called her a mess and fucking crazy. After Nilka's elimination, he was relocated to the fish station, and when she came back to beg for another chance, he was asked by Ramsay to get her out for him, which he did. Both teams were named joint-winners, and they were asked to nominate two people together.

Benjamin was not nominated for elimination, and he received the fifth black jacket.

Episode 11

Main article: Episode 711 - 6 Chefs Compete

While going back to the dorms, Benjamin and Ed hugged each other, and in the dorms, the chefs celebrated with some champagne.

During the Presentation Challenge, Benjamin wanted to show that he had good techniques, but Jay informed him that one of his pans was on fire, and he succeeded to take it off. After the first part of the challenge, his dish was deemed as one of the two best, along with Ed's, and he participated in the second part. When he presented his pan-seared halibut with bouillabaisse, fennel, confit tomatoes, olive oil, and basil to Tanya Steele, it was praised for the combination of the ingredients and the spectacular colors, and in the end, he won the challenge.

Benjamin was rewarded with a photoshoot for Epicurious, where he and his dish would be featured, and a haircut, facial, manicure, and pedicure. He was excited as he called Epicurious another notch of the ladder after he was featured in Bon Appétit, New York Times, and Boston Globe. While getting ready, he knew that winning the challenge would show everybody that the competition was on, and that almost everything on his dish was close to perfect. When he walked by the dining room, he jokingly told Jay that he would think about him the whole day after the latter wished him luck on his fang day. Arrived at the photoshoot, he was greeted by Tanya Steele, who introduced him to the stylists, he jokingly told them they had a lot of work to do, and was excited about getting a haircut despite his wife liking his hair long. After having his haircut, he was excited and enjoyed his new look as he told it was time for him to have short sexy hair, before some hair from his eyebrows got removed. But, he did not like it as it hurt, and even admitted that he cried. When he revealed his new look, Steele told that he looked like a rock star, and they moved on to the photoshoot, with him telling that it would help him to open more doors, and acknowledging that some people would kill to be there.

When Benjamin came back from his reward, everybody was impressed by his new look, he told that he would head upstairs while saying that he felt great in his skin, and Jay told that he should get his money back. The next day, during prep, Sous Chef Scott informed him that his dish would be featured on the menu during the next service. So, he gave clear instructions to his teammates on how to make his dish, and despite knowing that his dish was difficult, he believed that everybody could do it. However, everybody was worried because his dish had too many components. When the chefs were lined up, he felt that he knew what Ramsay was looking for without sounding arrogant or cocky.

During dinner service, Benjamin was on the meat station. When Autumn tried to help him, he did not communicate at all, Ramsay was furious because Autumn was doing nothing, and he was berated for being about to sink the night, before he was urged to open up and start talking. When he sent his beef to the pass, the gratin was missing, and he was furious with himself as he knew he was getting flustered while being upset about disappointing his idol. Ramsay told him that having a haircut did not mean losing his brain, sent an incomplete order, and after, he slipped on the floor while dropping his chicken, much to Autumn's amusement. Later, he helped Ed on fish as the latter was struggling to keep up, told him that he had to sear the halibut, and believed that he would have handled it better than Ed if he was cooking fish, while wondering what was going through Ed's head. After, when Autumn was cooking halibut on appetizers, he was annoyed as he thought she was trying to do as most little work as possible and added that he did not trust her. Then, he sent his beef to the pass, but it was not hot enough, he was ordered to put them back in the oven, and he put the blame on Ed for making them rest waiting for the halibut. He was berated by Ramsay for not taking the lead while supposed to, he acknowledged that he had to talk more, but also, he found it difficult to talk while focusing on his food, and compared it to talk while painting. Then, Ramsay confirmed that he could not lead despite being able to cook, he acknowledged it, and declared that he almost cried because he knew they were fucked. So, Ramsay urged him to lead, and the latter started to communicate to Jay and Ed. Moments later, he sent the entrées for the next table, which dismayed Ramsay as nobody was focused, and he was told that he ruined the night, before being kicked out of the kitchen, along with Ed. Back in the dorms, he knew that he had a bad service as he told that even though Ed was flustered, he could have carried him through but did not.

When the chefs were lined up, Benjamin was told that he confirmed he could not lead, and they were asked to nominate two people based on overall performance. During deliberation, he quickly considered Autumn because he felt she was not working during prep, was not passionate and did not want the head chef job, which she disagreed with.

Benjamin was not nominated for elimination, and while being dismissed, he was not happy as he knew he did not do a good job, was determined to show Ramsay what he was made of, and declared that he would just cook and stop overthinking.

Episode 12

Main article: Episode 712 - 5 Chefs Compete

Back in the dorms, Benjamin was wondering why Autumn was still there as he did not notice her improvement, and added that she was annoying and staying out of as much work as possible.

The next morning, the chefs rode in the SUVs to the Owen's Market, where Ramsay introduced the Budget Challenge. During the shopping part, Benjamin declared that he liked to cook fresh and simple food, and decided to go with a lamb loin dish. He was the third person to have his dish judged and presented his seared lamb loin chop with potatoes, spinach, artichokes and red wine vinegar. When Joaquim Splichal asked him if it was a ratatouille idea from southern France, he answered "Oui", but the dish was criticized for having undercooked vegetables and for them not being cooked together. The three guest judges gave it an average of $25, but he did not think his dish was that bad, and eventually, he ranked in fourth place, losing the challenge to Holli.

Benjamin was punished by participating in Laundry day, along with Autumn and Jason, and during the punishment, he was annoyed about Autumn's constant chatter, even when they were given spam sandwiches for lunch. When Holli and Jay came back from their reward, he knew that there was something going on between both of them as they were single.

When the chefs were lined up, Ramsay announced that they would constantly switch stations. During dinner service, Benjamin began on the garnish station. On the first switch, he was relocated to the fish station, and he was determined to have a good service, but when he sent the tuna, it was way overcooked, leading Ramsay to ask Holli if that was how she cooked it for the challenge. She answered not, told him that it had to be barely seared, and he was pushed by Ramsay to pull it back together. On the second switch, he was relocated to the meat station and gave clear instructions to Jay. On the third switch, he was relocated to the appetizer station, where he joined Jason, and on the fourth one, Jason left him, and he was joined by Jay. At one point, he went to the fish station, tried to steal Holli's job by cooking some scallops, much to her annoyance, and when he sent his scallops to the pass, they were rejected for not being seared properly. Ramsay urged him to properly cook them with respect and care, which he did, and his second attempt on the scallops was accepted. On the last switch, he returned to the garnish station. He did not send his tuna garnish in time, without communicating about it as well, much to Ramsay's dismay, and he was convinced that he was trying hard to communicate, but added that he was hustling on garnish. Ramsay was still angry at his lack of communication but still managed to send his halibut garnishes moments later. After that, Ramsay had to leave the kitchen for a few moments, so Sous Chef Scott led during that time, but when he tried to steal the latter's job by calling out the following order, Sous Chef Scott was very angry. He was aggressively told by him that despite being a good cook, he was a shitty leader, Sous Chef Scott became more and more furious by asking him if he should leave and let him run the hot plate, which he answered not, and finally, Sous Chef Scott came two inches away from his face, and yelled at him to never try to steal his job ever again. Then, Sous Chef Scott ordered him to get back to his station, and he told that the latter ripped his asshole very big, while adding that it sucked. Eventually, all the orders were being served, and the service was completed.

When the chefs were lined up, Benjamin was thrown under the bus by Jason, who thought that switching stations was making him reset his mind and clamming up, and after, they were asked to nominate two people for elimination. During deliberation, he told that he got fucked up on appetizers because they were not pulled, and also called the garnish station a mess, but Jason started to lose his temper and confronted him for being nit-picky. Then, he considered Autumn for no apparent reason, before being considered by her and Holli.

Benjamin was the first nominee for elimination, with Jason being the second. During his plea, he admitted that he was overthinking cooking when he was getting busy, and when Ramsay reminded him that he clammed up when he was under pressure, he still thought that he did a good service, which Ramsay did not believe. He survived elimination, and while being dismissed, he was relieved but determined to kill the next service.

Episode 13

Main article: Episode 713 - 4 Chefs Compete Part 1

Back in the dorms, Benjamin was told by everybody that they were happy he was still there, even himself, and believed that he stayed over Jason because he had much more passion. He continued by saying that he was sure he could win the competition as he just had his second win, that he wanted to bury the girls, and he and Jay agreed to make them look bad and have them on their toes. Finally, he was convinced that he was a better cook than Holli and Autumn, and that he was the only one who could beat Jay.

The next morning, the chefs were greeted by Ramsay in the kitchen, who decided to cook a grilled monkfish dish to them, before introducing the Cooking School Challenge, where each chef would teach the dish to one good-looking bachelor. During the challenge, Benjamin explained to his student what they were doing, told that he liked teaching to new people, but was annoyed by his student's constant questions. Also, when his student revealed that he did not wash his hands, he ordered him to as he always had to do it. He and his student were the third pair to have their dish judged, and he was confident as he thought his student did a good job. However, the dish was criticized for having raw pepper and overcooked pancetta, Ramsay reminded him that he was a culinary teacher, and when Ramsay asked his student how he came across, the latter told that he just followed his directions. He did not appreciate as he felt he was thrown under the bus and told that he did not fuck his student, but that his student fucked him. In the end, he lost the challenge to Jay.

Benjamin was punished by participating in Maintenance day, cleaning and sweeping the parking lot, and prepping for the next service, along with Autumn, while wearing maintenance outfits. On the patio, he told that he was bumped about not being picked by Jay, but added that he would never sleep with him, and during the punishment, he told that being with Autumn was the biggest punishment as he did not think she had the passion or wanted the job at the Savoy and that she only wanted to be on the show because she was pretty. Later, they started to work outside of the restaurant, and when the airship containing Jay and Holli was seen above them, he did not think they were a mile high, and thought they were only a half-mile high. When both of them entered the kitchen after coming back from their reward, he and Autumn gave them the cold shoulder, and he was still thinking that he was a better cook than Holli, while not noticing her passion, and thinking that she was lucky to still be there.

When the chefs were lined up, Benjamin was annoyed by Holli's joke about finding a house in London with Jay, even calling her a tramp. Also, they were allowed to choose their own stations for the first time ever. During dinner service, he was on the meat station. At one point, he was seen being amused when one of Holli's John Dory orders was rejected, and when the kitchen moved on to entrées, he expressed determination to perform well as he knew his last service was bad. But, he failed to communicate with Holli on several occasions, dismaying Ramsay, who urged him to talk, and then, he asked Ramsay to repeat the order as he did not understand it. Autumn recalled the order, Ramsay urged him to talk to his teammates while telling that time was running out for him, but despite that, he was still not communicating with Holli. He wanted to communicate but clarified that it was hard with Ramsay yelling at him as he knew he had to do it, and Ramsay urged him to open up. Moments later, when Ramsay went to Holli's station to cook for her, he believed that she was in over her head for thinking that she was better than himself or Jay, and later, he struggled to slice his Wellingtons, until it fell apart. Ramsay reminded him to slice them with a carving knife, and when he sent his Wellingtons to the pass, they were raw, with Ramsay reminding him that he should not send them if they were not ready. He put his Wellingtons back in the oven, and then, Jay came over while he was pushed by Ramsay, before he informed the latter that the Wellingtons were not done. After, he asked Jay to keep an eye on the beef while he went to the convection oven, which the latter did while calling the following ticket, which he appreciated. After that, everybody was communicating well, food was being sent out at a good pace, and despite a minor fire erupting on his station, the service was completed and he gave a high-five to Ramsay.

When the chefs were lined up, they were congratulated for having their best service yet, and Jay was named "Best of the Worst". During deliberation, Benjamin targeted Holli by saying that he was a better cook and leader than her, that he did not have respect for her, and that he did not believe she could run the restaurant at the Savoy, much to her annoyance. Also, he reminded that she had not won the most challenges, but Holli reminded that she won most of the latter ones.

Benjamin was Jay's second nominee for elimination, with Autumn being the first. During his plea, he recalled his experience, his passion, and knew that his performance was not showing what he could do, before asking for another chance to improve his communication. He survived elimination, and moments later, was visited by his wife and one-year-old daughter. He was holding up tears as he missed his family and thought about them all the time between challenges and services, and after his family left and while being dismissed, he was determined to push himself to win as the success was lying between himself.

Episode 14

Main article: Episode 714 - 4 Chefs Compete Part 2

Back in the dorms, Benjamin was told by Holli that his daughter was beautiful, and he started crying, declared that he was there for his wife and daughter, but also because he loved cooking and wanted to push himself.

The next morning, the chefs woke up and they were told to dress nicely as Ramsay had a surprise for them. Benjamin decided to wear a suit for the occasion, and in the dining room, everybody had a chance to taste some dishes from the Savoy. He was determined to be the chef there as he would be considered a part of history, and then, Ramsay introduced the Taste It Now Make It Challenge, where they had to recreate one of the dishes they just tasted. During the challenge, he chose venison as his protein, apple as his purée, and pancetta as his purée base. He was the second person to have his dish judged by Ramsay, and it was deemed one of the two bests, along with Holli. So, he was called down a second time for Ramsay to taste it, but he lost the challenge to the latter as his sauce was slightly watery, and he still thought that he should have won because he thought he was the best chef.

Benjamin was punished by participating in Moving day, and cleaning the dorms from sixteen beds to four, along with Autumn and Jay. Back in the dorms, he was still convinced that he should have won as he thought Holli was not passionate and wanted more to have fun and drink than to cook, but he agreed with Jay that it was better losing to her than losing to Autumn. Also, he wanted to destroy Jay's fancy food, before adding that he would still be further than Holli three years from then, even if she would win the competition. When the latter came back from her reward, he was furious about the fact that she spent time with her loved ones, and called it bullshit that she won the challenge over him. He angrily grabbed a box while declaring that he did not give a shit anymore, and continued to complain that he could have spent four hours with his wife and daughter.

The next morning, Benjamin was not feeling good as the punishment made damage to his back and shoulders, and decided to sit out of prep for the next service, which the other chefs reluctantly agreed with. So, while they were prepping, he stayed in his bed, sleeping for a long time, and after, he went in the hot tub, but revealed that was not helping his condition as he became short of breath. So, he decided to see a medic, who he told his problem to, as well as revealing how upset he was that he could not cook, and because his condition was not getting better, he requested a chiropractor, who helped him to stretch his body. After the session with the chiropractor, the latter told him to not give up, but he did as he told he could not cook like that on the line. So, he went on the patio, and congratulated everybody by shaking their hands goodbye, much to their relief. After, he decided to go to Ramsay's office to officially announce his departure, and arrived there, he informed Ramsay about his condition and his departure, but the latter told him that he might regret that decision as they were at the final hurdle. When he stepped out of Ramsay's office to go back in the kitchen, he announced to the other chefs that he would participate in the next service, much to their frustration. While getting ready for the service, he was determined to push through his back pain as talking with Ramsay was inspiring.

During dinner service, Benjamin was on the meat station. During Jay's turn at the pass, he managed to help the latter serve some entrées by perfectly cooking his duck and his Wellingtons, and moments later, he acknowledged that Jay was a natural leader, but still thought that he was the only one who could beat him. During Holli's turn, he thought that she sucked despite being a good cook, and was seen being amused when she called Jean-Philippe to show him a mistake he made. He was the third person who ran the pass, and called his first tickets with great assertiveness, but when Sous Chef Scott delivered lamb and venison Wellingtons, he failed to spot the mistakes. Ramsay pulled him to the blue kitchen to show him the mistakes, and when he came back in the red kitchen, he asked Sous Chef Scott for another Wellington. When the latter sent his filet to the pass, he noticed it was still rare, but failed to spot that it was a New York strip instead. Ramsay reminded him to keep his eyes open, and when he tasted Autumn's garnishes, he ordered her to add more salt in it, much to Ramsay's praise. After, he told that he did not even think of his back, thought that his performance was good, and he continued to send unacceptable food back on his last tickets. During Autumn's turn, he was annoyed by the sound of her voice, telling that even though she liked it, nobody else did. When Ramsay returned on the hot plate, the chefs rallied to send the last couple of tickets, with him cooking his meat beautifully, and the service was completed.

When the chefs were lined up, they learned that two of them would be eliminated, before being asked to nominate two people for elimination. During deliberation, Benjamin still thought that he was a better cook than Holli and Autumn, and told that the latter did not deserve to be there. When she reminded that he missed prep, he reminded that he busted his ass from the beginning to that point. He added that it was because he felt miserable, that he bounced back and had a great service, which Jay agreed with, and he asked how many people had great services, before considering Holli and adding that he thought he was the only one who could beat Jay.

When Ramsay asked why he deserved to be in the finals, Benjamin told that he was the best chef at that point, passionate, a hard worker and that he bounced back from his tough day. He was the second person to be eliminated, following Autumn, but before he left, Ramsay asked him to promise to push himself and not give up, which he did, and he received a retrospective montage of his run during his exit interview.

Ramsay gave no comment on Benjamin's elimination, and he did not receive the coat hanging and burning picture sequence.

Episode 15

Main article: Episode 715 - 2 Chefs Compete

When he came back for the final dinner service, Benjamin was the fifth person who entered the kitchen. He was Jay's first pick, followed by Jason and Fran, and the first pick overall. He was still upset about losing to Holli as he still thought he was a better chef than her, and added that he would do all it would take to make sure that Jay would win. Back in the dorms, he was writing the menu items on the board instead of Jay, already trying to establish himself as the team's leader over the latter. The next day, during prep, he was very vocal and told that despite not being able to compete against Jay, he would at least compete with him.

During dinner service, Benjamin was on the garnish station. He plated the first amuse-bouche, pushed Fran to beautifully cook the scallops, and later, when Jason sent undercooked lamb, he told that if he was Jay, he would cuss at him and call him an idiot. Because the lamb was still undercooked, he jumped on meat to help Jason, and the third attempt was accepted. Later, he was seen dressing the salads that Fran was supposed to do and acknowledged that Jay was not being as vocal as she should have been, so he decided to lead himself by calling out the next ticket, being called the Sous Chef by the latter. He helped Jay to rally the last tickets by asking for times to Jason and Fran, and eventually, the service was completed.

When both teams were lined up, Benjamin was thanked and hugged by Jay for the great service, and he was dismissed, along with the other returning chefs. Eventually, Jay lost the finals to Holli.

Nomination history

Week 1	Win
Week 2	Safe
Week 3	Win
Week 4	Safe
Week 5	Win
Week 6	Win
Week 7	Safe
Week 8	Safe
Week 9	Safe
Week 10	Safe
Week 11	Safe
Week 12	Nominated
Week 13	Nominated
Week 14	Eliminated

Season 17

Episode 1/2

Main article: Episode 1701 - All-Stars Arrive

Main article: Episode 1702 - Raising the Bar

Benjamin was one of the five chefs shown in the opening that accepted Ramsay's invitation, but while he told the latter that he will be there, Ramsay hanged up on him as he had no time for that. He was the fourteenth All-Star to arrive at Hell's Kitchen, but everybody struggled to remember him due to his new look, along with a grown beard.

During the Signature Dish Challenge, Benjamin received salmon as his main protein, was the eighth and final person from the blue team to have his dish judged by Ramsay, and went up against Robyn. He made a seared salmon with a brown butter caper sauce, Ramsay praised the salmon for being beautiful, having the right spice and acidity, and after he admitted that he did not care who he was up against just as long as he won, he scored a perfect 5. During Robyn's turn, he was given a piece of her dish by Ramsay, and he agreed with the latter that it tasted extremely salty. The blue team won the challenge 28-27, and they were rewarded with a trip to the sky slide in downtown Los Angeles, and dinner at Wolfgang Puck’s WP24 restaurant. During the reward, he called it the best dinner in his entire life.

During the Bar Menu Challenge, Benjamin could not help Jared out on the latter's dumplings. He lost the challenge as he was not called up for the top four for the blue team, and he disappointingly said that he thought his dish was good.

During prep, Benjamin revealed that he still used his knives from Season 7 after he received his new knife kit as the quality was that good. During dinner service, he was on the garnish station. He was not seen that night, and the blue team won the service.

Episode 3

Main article: Episode 1703 - Tower of Terror

During the Seafood Tower Challenge, Benjamin went up twice as the blue team was down a member. During his first turn, he was paired up with Jared, they were the second pair from the blue team to compete, and they got their first attempt accepted. During his second turn, he was paired up with Milly, and they were the final pair from the blue team to compete. They got their first attempt at Ramsay first, it was accepted, and the blue team won the challenge. They were rewarded with a seafood lunch at the Ocean Club in Malibu, and playing soccer with Alyssa Naeher and Julie Johnston. During the reward, he stated that his daughters idolized the two, and called it a great experience.

During dinner service, Benjamin was on the appetizer station with Nick. At one point, he got his appetizers accepted, and the blue team eventually won the service after completing the red team's tickets.

Episode 4

Main article: Episode 1704 - Just Letter Cook

During the Chance Challenge, Benjamin called out Maraschino cherries during the M round, and he admitted that he had no idea where that came from. During the cooking, he gave the blue team some ideas of what they could use the Maraschino cherries for. He was the third person from the blue team to have his dish judged by Ramsay, and presented his wagyu strip steak with a maple bacon glaze. It was praised for looking beautiful, the glaze lightening up the earthiness of the steak, and he scored a perfect 5. The blue team lost the challenge 25-26, and they were punished by taking in deliveries of potatoes, sorting through garbage, and eating a smelly fish sandwich. During the punishment, he wondered how much on the level of suckness it was.

During dinner service, Benjamin was on the meat station with Jared. When it came time for the twelve top table, Ramsay told him and Jennifer to get their entrées ready in eight minutes. However, he and Jared sent up a raw duck, and Ramsay berated him for pouring hot sauce over it in a failed attempt to cook it more. Later, he sent up his Wellingtons, but they were raw, and that resulted in the blue team getting kicked out of the kitchen. The blue team lost the service, and were asked to nominate two people for elimination. During deliberation, Josh blamed him for being the reason they got kicked out, but he argued that everything got them kicked out that night.

Benjamin was not nominated for elimination, and after the pleas, he told Ramsay that after seeing Josh throughout the day, they felt that the latter was the weakest link of the blue team. While Josh disagreed with that notion, the rest of the blue team agreed with him after Ramsay asked them. Later, he said goodbye to Josh as the latter was reassigned to the red team, and welcomed Robyn as a new teammate.

Episode 5

Main article: Episode 1705 - Josh Josh Josh

Before the Wood Plank Cooking Challenge, Benjamin said that he wanted to cook with the lamb until the challenge was revealed. He was paired up with Jared, they were the second pair from the blue team to have their dish judged, and went up against the pair of Barbie and Manda. They made a hickory-smoked wahoo with salsa verde, it was praised for the balance on its acidity, having a spot-on flavor of the wood, and they tied that round with the pair of Barbie and Manda. The blue team won the challenge after a tie at 3, and they were rewarded with a horseback ride at Apex Ranch.

During dinner service, Benjamin was on the fish station. At one point, Ramsay caught him putting oil in a nonstick pan for the scallops, and was reminded that they were not frying the scallops that night. Then, he responded to Ramsay’s calls with “oui chef”, much to Nick's annoyance. Both teams were named joint-winners.

Episode 6

Main article: Episode 1706 - A Little Slice of Hell

During the Pizza Fusion Challenge, Benjamin went up against Michelle, and their country was France. He was soon joined by Giovanni. After the cooking, the blue team chose to sit out his dish as Giovanni's pizza had a better presentation. But, when Giovanni's pizza was heavily criticized, he felt that the blue team should have gone with his pizza. The blue team lost the challenge 2-3, and they were punished by ironing the tablecloths ahead of night’s Italian Night dinner service, and prep the oils and Parmesan cheese for each table.

During the Italian Night dinner service, Benjamin was on the appetizer station with Milly. At the start of service, he knew that he had to keep the blue kitchen flowing as they were working with a new menu that night, but he did not tell Robyn when to drop her scallops, much to Ramsay’s annoyance. Despite that, his appetizer was accepted. The blue team lost the service, and they were asked to nominate two people for elimination. During deliberation, he told Robyn that he wanted to focus on just that night, and even told her to chill out.

He was not nominated for elimination.

Episode 7

Main article: Episode 1707 - Trimming Fat

During the Last Chef Standing Challenge, Benjamin was the final person from the blue team to leave the kitchen. The blue team won the challenge 5-3, and they were rewarded with a trip at a rock climbing gym, and having lunch at Bourbon Steak at Americana with the Sous Chefs.

Benjamin was not nominated by Nick and therefore did not have to compete in the Cook For Your Life Challenge. Back at the dorms, he asked Michelle what would happen if Elise survived.

Episode 8

Main article: Episode 1708 - Welcome to the Jungle

During the Cave Meat Challenge, Benjamin was paired up with Robyn on the elk, they were the final pair from the blue team to have their dish judged, and they went up against the pair of Barbie and Michelle. He made a Juniper marinated elk loin, it was criticized for being underseasoned, and he did not score that round for the blue team. The blue team won the challenge 2-1, and they were rewarded with a trip to Hummingbird Nest Ranch and got to sample caviar supplied by Petrossian. During the reward, he called it the best caviar he has ever tasted in his life.

During prep, Benjamin felt very confident after the blue team’s challenge victory. During dinner service, he was on the meat station. At one point, Ramsay praised him for presenting a beautiful lamb, and he admitted how impressed he was with the entire blue team working together. The blue team won the service by a mile.

Episode 9

Main article: Episode 1709 - Catch of the Day

During the Fishing Challenge, Benjamin received Arctic char, he was the fourth person from the blue team to have his dish judged, and went up against Dana. He made an arctic char with peas and pancetta, it was praised for having a great presentation and being a beautiful dish, and he tied that round with Dana. The blue team won the challenge 4-2, and they were rewarded with an overnight trip to Las Vegas by a private jet, got to stay at Caesars Palace, and received a ride on the tallest Ferris wheel, the Link High Roller. During the reward, he wanted to become the Head Chef of the Hell’s Kitchen restaurant.

During dinner service, Benjamin was on the appetizer station. He was not seen much, except for pointing out that there were thirteen other steaks on Milly's station he could have used. Both teams were named joint-losers, and they were asked to nominate two each. During deliberation, he considered Van and Milly for elimination.

He was not nominated for elimination.

Episode 10

Main article: Episode 1710 - It's All Gravy

Before the Blind Taste Test, Benjamin called the camel gorgeous but quickly retracted it by saying that his wife was more beautiful. He was the third person from the blue team to compete, went up against Barbie, and admitted that while he could not remember what he scored back in Season 7, he knew that it was not a good performance. He was able to correctly guess mustard, black truffle, and parmesan, saving Nick from any punishments. During Milly's turn, he received the cannon punishment. The blue team won the challenge 8-2, and they were rewarded with lunch at Roy Yamaguchi’s Hawaiian Fusion lunch and received Vitamix blenders. During the reward, he commented that they could fully appreciate the taste due to their strong palates.

During the Charity Night dinner service, Benjamin was in charge of the beef filet Rossini, was beginning to start plating his course, called himself a born leader, and refused to have anybody go out of line. Then, he rejected Milly’s froi gras for being cold, the former got the refire acceptably, and he was able to serve his course. The blue team won the service.

Episode 11

Main article: Episode 1711 - Trying to Pasta Test

During the Budget Challenge, Benjamin decided to take the lobster tail for $10.99 as it added to the dishes value. After Milly's dish received the lowest value yet, he accused the former of digging a big ditch for the blue team. He was the final person from the blue team to have his dish judged, went up against Elise, and presented his lobster pasta with pecorino Murano. It was praised for looking the most thought-out dish, having a lot of lift and lightness, and it scored $90. However, it was not enough, the blue team lost the challenge $313-$320, and they were punished by cleaning up the racks in the pantry rooms.

During dinner service, Benjamin was on the garnish station. After Robyn sent up a cold Wellington, he said that she should be focused that night in order to have a good service, and when Robyn struggled to call back an order, he felt that it was diarrhea coming out of her mouth before not communicating with her on slicing times. When Robyn blamed him for screwing her timings up, he told her to go fuck herself in response. The blue team won the service.

Episode 12

Main article: Episode 1712 - Five is the New Black

During the first Black Jackets Challenge, also known as the Taste It Now Make It Challenge, Benjamin used sea bass, cauliflower and edamame, and turnips, celery root, apple, and fava beans in order to recreate Ramsay's dish. Near the end of the cooking time, he discovered that his sea bass was too brown, but hoped that it would be good enough. When Ramsay was judging the dishes, the former discovered that his sea bass was slightly toasted on the top. While he got the fish protein correct, he failed to get the purées correct, and lost to Milly. Then, he and Nick were tied as the closest on the hash as they each got four ingredients correct, but he lost to the latter as his sea bass was slightly overcooked. He was forced to compete in the second challenge, but while he was disappointed, he knew he was not giving up yet.

During the second Black Jackets Challenge, Benjamin used filet, cauliflower, Swiss chard, and truffles, and felt that the challenge was made for him as he was used to making special requests at his restaurant. He was the second person to have his dish judged by Ramsay, and presented his filet mignon with braised Swiss chard and cauliflower, with truffle toppings. They were praised looking beautiful, and the filet being nailed, with the only nitpick being that the sauce was not reduced enough. After Elise's dish was discovered to still have the shit sack still on, he mockingly said boop about her efforts. He won the fourth black jacket, knew that winning one showed that he was serious in the competition, and met with the other three black jacket chefs at the Black Jackets Lounge.

As the four black jacket chefs were watching the final challenge, Benjamin said that he would still beat whoever walk through those doors. Later, they welcomed Robyn to the lounge, and while they were celebrating their milestone, he knew that things were only going to get tougher now and that it would be a mad dash to the grand prize.

Episode 13

Main article: Episode 1713 - Stars Heating Up Hell

Continuing from the previous episode, Benjamin believed that being calm and focused helped Robyn in the end, but jokingly said that he was rooting for Elise to win a black jacket, making everybody laugh in response.

During the Cooking School Challenge, Benjamin was paired up with NFL “Lights Out” Shawne Merriman. During the cooking, he felt honored to cook with Merriman as he was a huge NFL fan and caught Nick checking out the former. They were the final pair to have their dish judged and presented their smoked lamb loin and roasted cauliflower. Despite being praised for having a perfectly cooked lamb, Ramsay did not think that it was better than Michelle and Candice Parker’s dish, and he lost the challenge to the former. He was punished by participating in deep cleaning day, which included cleaning the front entrance carpet. During the punishment, he got annoyed when Milly was seen eating the leftovers.

During dinner service, Benjamin was on the meat station with Nick. At one point, despite claiming to be focused, he did not respond to a time call from Robyn, with Nick telling him to get it together, and an aggravated Ramsay reminding him and Robyn to communicate with each other. On their next ticket, Ramsay caught him once again not responding to a time order, and he once again annoyed everybody by saying oui chef. After he finally took control and communicated with Robyn, the entrée order was accepted.

After service, Michelle was named the Best of the Best. During deliberation, Benjamin spoke with Michelle first, he pleaded to Michelle that he was a strong chef that night. Despite Michelle reminding him how Ramsay was pushing him to be more open, he accused her of not wanting to go up against him, before arrogantly brushing off any weaknesses he had.

He was not nominated for elimination.

Episode 14

Main article: Episode 1714 - Families Come to Hell

The next day, Benjamin received a visit from his wife and daughters and said that his family was supporting him in winning that season. During the Holiday Dish Challenge, he made a chestnut crusted salmon with braised cabbage, the latter of which his mom made several times. After finding out that his wife would be judging the dishes, he knew that she would be a tough judge as she used to be a chef herself. He was the third person to have his dish judged, and presented his chestnut crusted salmon was next. It was deemed holiday-esque and praised for going together very well, even though his wife felt that the colors were very weird.

Benjamin won the challenge after a 3 tie with Michelle as Ramsay felt it had all the technical aspects of being a holiday dish. He was rewarded with some time with Ramsay as they drove through the canyons in the latter’s Ferrari and ate lunch at Saddle Peak Lodge. During the reward, he felt very good about winning the challenge as it meant spending some time with his idol, Ramsay, and admitted that he had a man-crush for the latter. As he and Ramsay drove through towards their route, he felt that things were going strong so far, and while the latter admitted that his cooking has been spot on, he felt that the next step was to find his voice to put the chefs in their place. Then, he felt that Michelle was his biggest competition so far as he deemed her very talented, but at the same time, felt that she could get flustered. When they arrived at Saddle Peak, he expected to spend some time with Ramsay, only to see his family waiting for them. While initially surprised by that, he got to reconnect with his family.

During dinner service, Benjamin was on the appetizer station. He was the first chef to run the pass, and immediately, he became vocal as he knew it was do or die that night, but also knew that his family supported him in his dream. His first test came as Sous Chef Christina sent up a carbonara with spaghetti instead of fettuccine, but he managed to catch that mistake immediately. As he continued to show a strong and composed leadership, he believed that the show was a microcosm of life. Then, his next test came as Sous Chef Christina sent up a risotto with carrot instead of butternut squash, but he did not notice it until Ramsay pointed it out and reminded him to taste everything. Later when Milly was on running the pass, he rejected Benjamin's carbonara for lacking salt. After seeing Milly reject the shrimp for the intended lobster tails, he said that it was not a hard mistake to notice. Later, his appetizers were rejected by Nick for lacking salt.

After service, Ramsay asked the final four to name one person that belonged in the finale. During deliberation, Benjamin admitted that he did not feel safe that night as everybody would not agree on a consensus and felt that Season 14 were bonded together. While he had equal opinions on the two as they were his former blue teammates, he struggled with Michelle due to not working with her for most of that season, before picking Nick. Then, he and Milly felt that Michelle did not have a busy performance in the previous service, with him remind her about the late halibut sauce and deemed her performance that night a disaster.

At elimination, Benjamin said that he wanted to face against Nick in the finale, and said that he himself has been a leader in services who has found his voice. After Milly's elimination, he was named the second finalist after Nick, with Ramsay praising him for being the strongest chef that night. He was soon followed by Michelle, and while being dismissed, he believed it would be a tough competition, before deeming himself the strongest of the three.

Episode 15/16

Main article: Episode 1715 - Final Three

Main article: Episode 1716 - All-Star Finale

Back at the dorms, the final three found Vacmasters waiting for them, which Benjamin commented would normally cost $3000. He was paired up with Chef Keisha, and even though he never met the latter before, he was confident that she was on his side. When discussing his menu, he described his French-Texas menu to Keisha.

During the Final Menu Challenge Part 1, Benjamin decided to change his tuna dish from seared to cubes, knew that a great chef had to adjust, and had no plans on going home that day. When Michelle's dishes were judged, he deemed her a tough competitor for breathing cooking, before admitting that he wanted a strong competitor like the former. He was the second person to have his dishes judged and felt he was the strongest chef in the competition. His ahi tuna with ponzu and chili oil was praised for being refreshing, his shrimp and grits for being elevated to the premier league, and after the rest of his dishes were praised, Ramsay praised his dishes for screaming Vegas, on top of being decadent and near perfect.

After the judging, Benjamin felt that he was in a good place, Ramsay announced that it was a three-way tie for the winner and announced that they were going to the Calumet Ranch for the 7th annual Culinary Award Ceremony. As the final three went back to the dorms for that night, he said that he never been to an award show and was happy to relax for the night. Later that night, it was revealed that the Ceremony was fake, and Ramsay announced that it was time for the second part of the Final Tasting Challenge.

During the Final Menu Challenge Part 2, Benjamin was trying to focus on his dishes despite the loud crowd. During the cold appetizer round, his ahi tuna with miso ponzu purée was deemed beautiful and delicious, and he scored 8 points. During the hot appetizer round, his jumbo shrimp with poblano peppers and grits were praised for having a spot on polenta and scored 9 points. During the fish entrée round, his roasted halibut with smoked cherry tomatoes was praised for being full of flavor, and he scored 8 points. During the chicken entrée round, his heir lined chicken breast with pewee peas was praised for an amazing glaze, and he scored 9 points. Before presenting his dish for the beef entrée round, he knew that only the two best beef dishes would determine who had a chance for Vegas. After, his brown sugar-cured filet mignon was deemed delicious and tender. He was named the second person in the grand finale and was happy to have make it.

Benjamin lost to Michelle, and picked Jennifer, Van, and Robyn before it was revealed who was going to be his final pick, the episode ended in a cliffhanger.

Continuing from the previous episode, Benjamin was left with Barbie as his final pick, and although he called her a wild card due to not working with her in the past, he was glad he did not get Elise, whom he deemed bad energy. Back at the dorms, his team workshopped ideas to make his dishes better, and he felt good about his team as he was open to constructive criticism. During prep, as he never worked with Barbie before, he felt that she was a little off, he gave her clear directions on prepping her station, before saying that he wanted to show her and the rest of his team some respect after seeing Jay’s performance during the Season 7 finale. An hour before service began, he gave his team a pep talk as he wanted to dedicate his service to his family.

During dinner service, Ramsay reminded Benjamin about working with his standards, but he was confident that his team would work as a machine, before hoping on perfection as he rejected Jennifer's shrimp & grits for lack of salt, which continued until she had an acceptable serving. Later, despite Barbie missing the mushrooms and parmesan for her risotto, he told her that it still tasted good. On entrées, Jennifer’s sea bass was raw, and he told her to heat it up. When Ramsay complained that the blue team was in the weeds, he argued against that, pushed Jennifer, and her third attempt was accepted, with him finally able to serve his ticket. Later, Ramsay informed him that Robyn was scorching the filets now, and after seeing them, he told her to cook on a lower flame. After, Ramsay informed him that Robyn was flatlining, before warning him that he would intervene unless he did something. After Ramsay had Marino apologize to the waiting table, he admitted that he did not want to yell at Robyn at the risk of her imploding and hoped to see her bounce back. While Robyn's third attempt on the filets were good, her lamb was grey and cold, much to his dismay. After Robyn put the lamb chops into the same pan the filet came from, an irate Ramsay pulled her and him aside, kicked Robyn out of the kitchen, and he agreed with that decision as Sous Chef Jocky got the meat station rolling again. However, Robyn refused to leave service like that, pleaded with him to come back to the kitchen and complete service, and he reluctantly put her back with Barbie. After service, he said that despite the mistakes, he pushed hard that night.

Back at the dorms, he felt that he fought the hardest that night. Later that night, he and Michelle were called up to Ramsay's office, he had both of them stand in front of one door each and revealed that only the winner's door would open. After they nervously waited for Ramsay’s countdown, both turned their door handles, but his door did not open. He was named the runner-up, and despite being disappointed that he lost, he said that he fought hard that season, and learned a lot from his experience, before saying that he had no regrets.

Nomination history

Week 1	Win
Week 2	Win
Week 3	Safe
Week 4	Win
Week 5	Safe
Week 6	Safe
Week 7	Win
Week 8	Win
Week 9	Win
Week 10	Win
Week 11	Safe
Week 12	Safe
Week 13	Safe
Week 14	Safe
Week 15	Runner-Up

Post Hell's Kitchen

• After his first appearance on the show, Benjamin returned to his previous career as a culinary instructor, before returning to Hell's Kitchen for the first All-Star edition, seven years later.
• After his second appearance on the show, he became a private chef.
• As of June 2019, he works at BMW of San Antonio as a Client Advisor and Associate.
• He now has two daughters.

Trivia

• He and Ariel (Seasons 6 and 18) hold the record for the least amount of nominations in two separate seasons while also making it to the black jackets both times, with a grand total of two.
• He holds the record for most challenge wins when combining both seasons, with a grand total of 17.
• He also holds the record for most rewards when combining both seasons, with a grand total of 17.
• He, Milly, and Nick (both from Season 14 and also 17), are the three male contestants that holds the record for most dinner service wins when combining both seasons, with a grand total of 12. However, he, Milly, and Nick aren't the most dinner service wins for overall.
• He was controversially named an “Honorable Mention" on Top 10 WORST Hell's Kitchen Contestants by WatchMojo.

Season 7

• He is the fourth male contestant who switched teams and made it to the black jackets, following Michael (Season 1), Matt (Season 4), and Giovanni (Season 5).
• He is the first contestant to switch teams that ranked in third place.
• He and Holli have the most instances of announcing the nominees in this season, with three, all in just normal nominee announcements.
• He is responsible for one of the greatest rivalries in Hell's Kitchen, along with Siobhan.

Season 17

• He is the fourth contestant who made it to the black jackets in two different seasons following Milly, Nick, and Michelle.
• He participated in the eighth different-gender finals of Hell's Kitchen, and the first-ever All-Star finals.
• He is the seventeenth runner-up and the tenth male runner-up of Hell's Kitchen.

• He is the second returning chef who made it to the finals without doing so in his original season following Jason (Season 12) and Nick (also from Season 17).
• Along with Michelle, he is the second contestant who participated in two different seasons and made it to the finals on his second appearance, following Jason (Season 12).
• He is the sixth runner-up, and fourth male runner-up, who completely avoided nomination throughout the entire season, following Kevin (Season 6), Jay (Season 7), Will (Season 9), T (Season 14), and Heather (Season 16).
• He is the third runner-up, and the first male runner-up, to score a perfect 5 on the new format of the Signature Dish Challenge, following T (Season 14) and Heather (Season 16).
• He is the only All-Star contestant who made it to the black jackets after scoring a perfect five during the Signature Dish Challenge.
• He is the fifth contestant who made it further in the competition on his second run, following Jason (Season 12), Robyn, Nick, and Michelle (all also from Season 17).
• He, Milly, Michelle (both also from Season 17) and Ariel (Season 18) are the only contestants to date who took turns running the past in both seasons.
• He and Milly (also from Season 17) won the most challenges in their season with 10, they also have the highest amount of challenges won for a male contestant.
• He is the only black jacket contestant to have never worn a red jacket in his second season.
• He is the fourth contestant with no nominations during their second run on the show, following Ben, Jennifer, and Nick (all also from Season 17).
• He is the second contestant at the age 40 and over to make it to the finals, following Petrozza (Season 4).

Quotes

Season 7

• "The dish that we did was a beautiful dish. The pork was fucking gorgeous... I mean, I would've made love to it right there!"
• (To Siobhan) "This is not my personal opinion, this is my professional opinion."
• (To Nilka) "I'm not a big fan of serving rice in restaurants because it's like poor food."
• "Autumn loves the sound of her voice. Unfortunately, nobody else does!"
• (About Sous Chef Scott) "You know, Scott ripped an asshole - you know, ripped into my asshole this big... that totally sucked."
• (After being eliminated) "Being in Hell's Kitchen lets you appreciate every moment. I gave it all, and either I was gonna show off, or I was gonna go down in flames because I was pushing it. The time that I've spent in Hell's Kitchen has definitely reconnected my passion. There's no way I can go back to teaching."

Season 17

• "Robyn, it's really simple. Go fuck yourself. No, seriously, go fuck yourself!"
• "Who doesn't love fucking truffles, they're beautiful! I love my dish."
• "I think I have a huge crush on Chef Ramsay."
• "Elise is just bad energy. Bad, bad, bad."
• "The camel's pretty gorgeous as far as animals go, of course. My wife's much more beautiful than the camel."
• "Oui, Chef!"
• (About Elise’s lobster poop sack) "Boop. That's what I think about Elise's lobster."
• (After being named runner-up) "It's not fun losing. But in the end, winning is not the most important thing. It's fighting as hard as you can, staying clear-minded, and being positive. You know, you learn from your mistakes. But if you regret them, you'll never be able to fight. You'll never believe in yourself. You'll never believe in people around you. So, I have no regrets."

Gallery

• Season 7
• Season 17

• Chef
• Dishes

Benjamin's Intro Spot

Benjamin in Blue Jacket

Benjamin's Confessional (Blue Jacket)

Benjamin joins the Red Team

Benjamin in Red Jacket

Benjamin's Confessional (Red Jacket)

Benjamin in Blind Taste Test

Benjamin in Black Jacket

Benjamin's Confessional (Black Jacket)

Jason and Benjamin Nominated

Autumn and Benjamin Nominated

Benjamin Eliminated

Benjamin as Returning Chef

Benjamin's Confessional (Returning Chef)

Benjamin's Signature Dish

Benjamin and Ed's Pork Creation Dish (Episode 5)

Benjamin's Mother Sauce Dish (Béchamel) (Episode 6)

Benjamin's Gourmet Sandwich (Episode 8)

Benjamin's 10-Pound Lobster Dish (Episode 10)

Benjamin's Presentation Dish (Episode 11)

Benjamin's Budget Dish (Episode 12)

• Chef
• Dishes

Benjamin in Blue Jacket

Benjamin's Confessional (Blue Jacket)

Benjamin in Blind Taste Test

Benjamin in Black Jacket

Benjamin's Confessional (Black Jacket)

Benjamin in Head Chef Jacket

Benjamin's Confessional (Head Chef Jacket)

Benjamin after being named runner-up

Benjamin's Signature Dish

Benjamin's Bar Dish (Not Judged) (Episode 2)

Benjamin's Chance Dish (Episode 4)

Benjamin and Jared's Wood Plank Cooking Dish (Wahoo) (Episode 5)

Benjamin's Pizza Fusion Dish (France) (Not Judged) (Episode 6)

Benjamin's Cave Meat Dish (Elk) (Episode 8)

Benjamin's Fishing Dish (Arctic Char) (Episode 9)

Benjamin's Budget Dish (Pasta) (Episode 11)

Benjamin's Black Jacket Dish (Round 1) (Episode 12)

Benjamin's Black Jacket Dish (Round 2) (Episode 12)

Benjamin's Cooking School-King of The Hill Dish (Episode 13)

Benjamin's Holiday Dish (Episode 14)

Benjamin's Final Tasting Dish (Cold Appetizer) (Episode 15)

Benjamin's Final Tasting Dish (Hot Appetizer) (Episode 15)

Benjamin's Final Tasting Dish (Fish Entrée) (Episode 15)

Benjamin's Final Tasting Dish (Chicken Entrée) (Episode 15)

Benjamin's Final Tasting Dish (Beef Entrée) (Episode 15)

External links

• Benjamin Knack on Instagram

References

Benjamin Knack's Navbox (Select One)
Season 7	Season 17
Hell's Kitchen Season 7 Staff Gordon Ramsay (Head Chef) • Scott Leibfried (Blue Team Sous Chef) • Andi Van Willigan-Cutspec (Red Team Sous Chef) • Jean-Philippe Susilovic (Maître d'hôtel) Contestants Siobhan Allgood • Ed Battaglia • Jamie Bisoulis • Salvatore Coppola • Jason Ellis • Andrew Forster • Scott Hawley • Nilka Hendricks • Fran Klier • Benjamin Knack • Autumn Lewis • Jay Santos • Stacey Slichta • Mikey Termini • Maria Torrisi • Holli Ugalde
Hell's Kitchen: All Stars Staff Gordon Ramsay (Head Chef) • Jocky Petrie (Blue Team Sous Chef) • Christina Wilson (Red Team Sous Chef) • Marino Monferrato (Maître d'hôtel) Contestants Robyn Almodovar • Jared Bobkin • Dana Cohen • Giovanni Filippone • Elise Harris • Van Hurd • Benjamin Knack • Barbie Marshall • Milly Medley • Ashley Nickell • Jennifer Normant • Manda Palomino • Nick Peters Bond • Michelle Tribble • Josh Trovato • Ben Walanka