Ben Chessell was born in Australia, where he read ecology and medieval history at Melbourne University. His attention then turned to filmmaking, and he graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts in 2001. Several well-received short films provided Chessell with the opportunity to both write and direct the 2005 telefilm Heartbreak Tour. He scripted an episode of Marx And Venus in 2007 and, the following year, he joined The Elephant Princess on a directing attachment. Chessell began directing series television in 2010 with installments of Dance Academy and, later, the likes of Doctor Doctor and The Family Law. He both directed and wrote for Rush and Offspring.

Chessell began to establish an international profile with the 2013 sitcom Camp, an American programme which was shot in Australia. His first feature film was 2015's Sucker, which he also co-scripted. In 2019, Chessell earned his first credit in British television, directing for Giri/Haji. The Twenties saw him divide his efforts between domestic and foreign productions, including The Great, Surviving Summer and Deadloch. Having made the acquaintance of Doctor Who executive producer Jane Tranter some years previously, Chessell directed episodes of the show which are scheduled for broadcast during 2024.