Ben comes from Talking Ben the Dog, an interactive app released by Outfit7 in 2011 as part of the Talking Tom and Friends series. In the app players can feed Ben, poke him and hear him repeat phrases in a deep, deadpan voice, which made his eating noises a favourite clip to record and share. The sounds spread through YouTube compilations, gaming videos and meme soundboards in the 2010s, and Ben later returned as a wider internet meme, keeping the short eat clips in regular use for food jokes.