ISLAMABAD: Jock Zonfrillo, MasterChef Australia host and award-winning chef, died unexpectedly at age 46.
Before founding his own restaurant in Australia, the Scotsman worked in renowned restaurants worldwide. His death was announced by Network 10 on the day the 2023 season premiere of MasterChef was scheduled to air.
Zonfrillo is survived by four children and his wife, Lauren Fried, who stated that their hearts were “shattered”.
Zonfrillo was discovered dead at a Melbourne home during a welfare check in the early hours of Monday morning.
According to Victoria Police, the death is not being investigated as suspicious. His death has sparked grief from culinary and entertainment figures. Celebrity chefs Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay and a host of former Masterchef contestants led the tributes.
Oliver, who was due to appear in the season opener, shared a photo of himself on set with Zonfrillo and the other two judges, Melissa Leong and Andy Allen, on Instagram. He wrote that he was completely shocked to wake up to Jock’s abrupt demise.
He remarked that they had a great experience working together on this year’s MasterChef. Zonfrillo’s charisma, passion, and wicked sense of humor, according to Network 10, inspired a nation of home cooks. According to the network, MasterChef, which is pre-recorded, will not be aired this week.
Zonfrillo, who was born in Glasgow in 1976, began working in kitchens at the age of 12. At 15, he became one of the youngest apprentices ever to work at The Turnberry Hotel, a luxury Scottish resort. Two years later, he began working with Michelin-starred British chef Marco Pierre White at his iconic Hyde Park Hotel.
Despite his promising career, Zonfrillo claims he was destitute, homeless, and addicted to heroin as a teenager. In his 2021 memoir, Last Shot, he spoke extensively about his drug addiction issues. He said that after moving to Australia in 2000, he turned a new leaf and went on to open multiple eateries. His most successful venture was the award-winning Restaurant Orana in Adelaide, which opened in 2013. In 2019, the presenter was confirmed as part of an all-new MasterChef Australia host lineup. However, Zonfrillo’s career was not without controversy. Last Shot was criticized as inaccurate by former colleagues, notably Marco Pierre White when the company collapsed in 2020 with debts in the millions of dollars.
