The Scottish-Australian Celebrity chef, and one of the three judges of ‘Masterchef Australia’, Jock Zonfrillo Passes away at the age of 46.
The chef, author and philanthropist, Jock Zonfrillo died on 30th April, a day before the premiere of the new season of the show with guest judge Jamie Oliver was set to take place, confirmed his family sources to foreign media outlets.
His death was confirmed by Channel 10 in a statement this afternoon.
In an official statement on Instagram, the Zonfrillo family wrote, “With completely shattered hearts and without knowing how we can possibly move through life without him, we are devastated to share that Jock passed away yesterday.”
“So many words can describe him, so many stories can be told, but at this time we’re too overwhelmed to put them into words. For those who crossed his path, became his mate, or were lucky enough to be his family, keep this proud Scot in your hearts when you have your next whisky,” the statement read further.
“We implore you to please let us grieve privately as we find a way to navigate through this and find space on the other side to celebrate our irreplaceable husband, father, brother, son and friend.”
Chef Zonfrillo leaves a wife, Lauren Fried, and four children.
Tributes poured in for the late chef from his co-judges, past contestants of ‘Masterchef Australia’ and chefs from all over the world.
Moreover, the channel also took to its Twitter handle to mourn the loss. “Network 10 and Endemol Shine Australia are deeply shocked and saddened at the sudden loss of Jock Zonfrillo, a beloved member of the MasterChef Australia family. Jock passed away in Melbourne yesterday. MasterChef Australia will not air this week,” the post read.
Remember that, chef first joined the show in 2019. In 2020, he joined it as the judging trio with former winner Andy Allen and food writer Melissa Leong.
Jock Zonfrillo was Born in Glasgow in 1976 and learned his trade from some of the world’s most celebrated chefs.
His career in the kitchen began in the United Kingdom, where he worked in London under chef Marco Pierre White, whom he later credited with saving his life.
He hosted a number of cooking programs, including “Nomad Chef,” which gave an insight into cuisine in some of the world’s most remote communities, as well as “Restaurant Revolution” and “Chef Exchange.”
But perhaps his most high-profile role was on the Australian series of “MasterChef,” the incredibly popular television program, that in recent years made him a household name in the country.
He won the prestigious Basque Culinary World Prize for championing Indigenous culture and culinary traditions.
