Ben Robinson & Kate Chastain Offer a Revealing New Look at Their Friendship Today

Ben Robinson and Kate Chastain have been friends for many years. The Below Deck Down Under Season 4 chef and Below Deck alum’s friendship has been through some major career and relationship changes, and is still going strong to this day. In fact, they are even appearing together on the Below Deck Down Under After Show for Season 4.

Kate spoke with The Daily Dish at BravoCon 2025, where she admitted that she’s still very good friends with Ben and shed light on how often they chat. “I definitely talk to Ben all the time,” she said.

She continued, sharing the secrets to the longevity in her friendship with the chef. “I would say that I’ve learned over the years, the secret to Ben and I’s friendship is distance,” she explained. “We just both have big personalities, and we do better when there’s enough space that both of our personalities have enough room. But I always love seeing him and we actually talk quite often…from a distance.”

Learn more about Ben and Kate’s decades long friendship and how they’re still connected today.

What season of Below Deck did Kate Chastain meet Ben Robinson?
Kate and Ben first met during Below Deck Season 2, which premiered on Bravo in August 2014. Ben was returning as he had been the chef on Below Deck Season 1. But, Kate was a newcomer, as Captain Lee Rosbach’s brand new chief stew. Ben and Kate proceeded to share a cabin and bunk together throughout Below Deck Season 2, growing closer in their friendship. The friends were a little flirty at first, with Ben calling Kate “very pretty” during a confessional.

What to Know About Below Deck Down Under Season 4
All aboard! Below Deck Down Under Season 4 has left the dock, with new episodes airing Mondays at 8/7c on Bravo and streaming the next day on Peacock.

Captain Jason Chambers is back at the helm, along with some very familiar faces from around the Below Deck universe, including Ben Robinson, Daisy Kelliher, and João Franco.​​​​​ They will be joined by Alesia Harris, Joe Caron, Jenna Woudberg, Mike Durrant, Eddy Hounsell, and Betul Yazici.

The crew finds itself on rocky waters, as the season kicks off with a historic crossover charter featuring The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Season 6 cast aboard M/Y Katina. As the yachties continue to set sail through Canouan in the Caribbean, they face crew drama, steamy hookups, and charter guest issues.

Want to watch in style? Check out exclusive Below Deck Down Under merch from Shop by Bravo.

Did Kate Chastain and Ben Robinson ever date?
Kate and Ben have alluded to being more than friends in the past. After experiencing tension during Below Deck Season 3, Kate appeared on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen in 2019, where she revealed that she might have hooked up with him.

Kate Chastain and Ben Robinson shed more light on dating speculation
In spite of continuously flirting with each other, both Kate and Ben continued to enter relationships with different people throughout their friendship. During a 2016 interview with The Daily Dish, Kate admitted that she never saw herself dating Ben. “No, I don’t think Ben and I will ever have anything serious besides a really amazing friendship because we rile each other up, which can be fun in small doses,” she said.

Both Kate and Ben appeared on the Unexpected Duos panel at BravoCon 2025, where they were asked about whether or not they ever got together. “Would you like to answer that?” Kate asked Ben “Not really. Thank you,” he bluntly replied.

During the same panel, Kate alluded to the fact that they’ve sometimes been more than friends. “Ben and I worked together. I think we work well together,” she explained. “And we’re great friends. Sometimes we’re not…friends.”

“We do disgraceful things with each other,” Ben added, joking.

Kate had previously shut down dating rumors between her and Ben during Bravo Fan Fest in Miami in 2024. “I mean, I wish,” Kate said when asked if she was dating Ben. “It would be convenient, but we’re just friends.”

Kate Chastain and Ben Robinson react to rumors he’s her baby’s dad
Kate gave birth to her son, Sullivan Cay, in May 2023. Kate has never shared the identity of her son’s father, but has joked about Ben being his biological dad. Shortly after giving birth, Kate took to X (formerly Twitter) where she denied that Ben was Sullivan’s dad. “For the record, the only thing this handsome guy has in common with any chef is the tendency to get emotional around meal times,” she wrote.

Ben himself denied the paternity rumors at BravoCon 2025. “I’m actually pissed off that it’s not my child because I’d like to be a part of that,” he told Entertainment Tonight. “I’m thinking about adopting the child. I don’t know if [Kate would] be OK with that.”

Why did Kate Chastain leave Below Deck?
After joining the crew in Below Deck Season 2, Kate remained chief stew until Below Deck Season 7. Following her departure, Kate has admitted to not wanting to return to yachting.

What Kate Chastain is doing now after Below Deck
Kate has toyed with the idea of continuing to work in the hospitality industry. “I love hosting, whether it’s on a yacht or in my own home, so I am toying with the idea of — and I’ve registered a few names on a web names, just in case — like a high end event planning company,” she told The Daily Dish in January 2025.

But Kate is also happy remaining in the Bravo universe. As mentioned, she is currently appearing on the Below Deck Down Under After Show, which airs after the Below Deck Down Under Season 4 episodes air, alongside Ben. Both Kate and Ben are sitting down together during the BDDU After Show talking about their lives and the drama going on throughout the show.

What seasons of Below Deck is Ben Robinson on?
Ben has appeared as a chef on several Below Deck franchises. He was the first ever chef on Below Deck and remained as the chef until Below Deck Season 4. He also appeared as the chef on Below Deck Mediterranean Season 1 and later joined the cast of the show on Below Deck Mediterranean Season 4.

Ben made his return to the Below Deck universe when he was called in to be the chef for Below Deck Down Under Season 4, which is currently airing on Bravo. “It’s been 11 years since I’ve done a whole season,” he told BravoTV.com. “I just wanted to push myself and challenge myself. It was a bit interesting to do it.”

What to expect from Ben Robinson on Below Deck Down Under Season 4
Ben joining the crew on Below Deck Down Under Season 4 came at a very big time in his life after changes in his personal life. “It’s odd when your future’s been solidified, for it all to vanish into thin air. [But] yachting was a big part of my formative life. It’s actually nice to come back to it,” he noted during the episode.

“They do say that to get over someone, you gotta find someone else,” he continued. “I think Katina can be my new girl.”

But, tensions are still high for Ben. According to an announcement for Below Deck Down Under Season 4, Ben “demands perfection. When Sous Chef Alesia [Harris] doubts her ability to meet Chef Ben’s relentless standards, she questions her future onboard and reaches her boiling point.” Ben will also be experiencing tension with chief stew, Daisy Kelliher, which threatens his friendship with second officer João Franco.

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