Ben Atkins is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Brett Cousins. He made his first appearance during the episode broadcast on 9 April 1997. He departed on 22 May 1998, before making a two-episode guest appearance the following month.

Cousins had previously appeared in a 50-word guest role not long after he graduated from Deakin University in 1996. Several months later, he went up for the role of Ben and admitted that he "could hardly believe it" when he was told he had the part of Ben, the illegitimate son of Ruth Wilkinson (Ailsa Piper). He told Caron James of TV Week: "It's a big jolt. I've been used to leading a student's life until now. But I enjoy it so much. I can get up at 5 am with a smile on my face, and I sail into work every morning." He made his first appearance as Ben on 9 April 1997.

Cousins became "a local hero" following his casting, as the show is filmed in his home city of Melbourne. He developed a close bond with Piper, and he described her as his surrogate mother. He explained: "When I got the part, everyone told me how vicious and cut-throat the TV industry was. But when I arrived at the studio on my first day, Ailsa ran up to me, gave me this huge hug and said 'Welcome!'. It was definitely a great start!" In a 1998 interview with a reporter from The Weekly News, Cousins revealed how winning the role of Ben left him feeling under constant pressure. He found it difficult to cope with the fame and recognition. He also had to quit his job of teaching abseiling because his work on Neighbours took up too much of his time.

Following his arrival, Ben moves into Number 30 Ramsay Street and he hides a secret, which has something to do with Ruth Wilkinson (Piper). It was later revealed that Ruth was Ben's biological mother. Piper was surprised by the development, saying "I'll never forget the time they told me I was going to have a 21-year-old son and I'd been pregnant at 16. I'd been hiding it all this time." Piper liked that the storyline led to some "meaty scenes" between Ruth and Ben, and that another side to her character was finally shown.

Cousins later explained that Ben's introductory storyline inspired a young female fan to get in contact with her real mother. He said, "It was very sobering to me to know that as an actor you can have that sort of impact on people's lives. I'm really moved by this girl's letters. They're a reminder to me that for every difficult thing that Neighbours brings you as a cast member, it brings 10 times more rewards."

Ben's younger sister Caitlin Atkins (Emily Milburn) was later introduced to show. Caitlin causes various problems for Ben with her troublesome behaviour, such as making up stories about his childhood and spending a number of nights "out on the town." Cousins sympathised with his character, as he has two younger sisters himself. He used his experiences to aid his research for the scenes with Milburn. He also admitted there were "quite a few similarities to the Caitlin thing", but his sisters were not as bad as her.

The last episode to air in Australia before the show's annual Christmas break saw Ben involved in "a horrific car smash" during a motor race. The stunt was the most expensive scene in the show's history at the time. Cousins thought it was a great end to the year, and was grateful that his stunt double took over during filming. As viewers were left with a cliffhanger, Cousins had to deal with people asking him what the outcome for Ben would be. He later visited the UK just as the same episode aired there, and had to deal with the same questions for a second time. Ben is left in a coma following the accident. After he wakes up, Ben is discharged from the hospital, but it takes time for him to fully recover and "piece his shattered life back together."

While he was in the hospital, Ben was visited by a stranger, who Ruth realises is his father Geoff Burke (Andrew McKaige), the man who left her when she fell pregnant. Piper commented that Ruth wants to hit him, as he has never taken an interest in Ben until now. Ruth refuses to let Geoff tell Ben who he is, as she thinks Ben will relapse. The storyline marked Ben's departure from the show, as Cousins filmed his final scenes in April 1998. He leaves for Sydney with Geoff, but later returns to Erinsborough for Ruth and Philip Martin's (Ian Rawlings) wedding. Of his departure, Cousins stated "I was sad to leave the show. I've made some great friends, who I think I will stay close to for the rest of my life."