Jock Zonfrillo, a “MasterChef Australia” judge, died on Sunday in Melbourne, the day before the season debut. He was 46.
Channel 10 in Australia confirmed the “sudden loss” and postponed the broadcast, which would also include famous chef Jamie Oliver. There was no mention of a cause of death.
“With completely shattered hearts and no idea how we will move forward in life without him, we are devastated to share that Jock passed away yesterday,” his family wrote in a statement, according to Deadline.
Jock Zonfrillo
“There are so many words to describe him, so many stories to tell, but we’re too overwhelmed right now to put them into words.” Keep this brave Scot in your hearts when you next have a whiskey, for those who crossed his path, became his friend, or were lucky enough to be in his family.”
Kennedy, who will appear with Zonfrillo in the forthcoming season, posted on Facebook that he was “in total shock.” “We had the best time working together,” Kennedy said.
Gordon Ramsay, who previously collaborated with Zonfrillo, described his passing as “devastating.”
According to Deadline, Zonfrillo was awarded the sexiest chef in Australia in 2018 by The Australian, five years after launching the popular Adelaide restaurant Orana. The restaurant closed its doors in early 2020.
[ “Covid had closed our doors,” he explained. Bistro Blackwood, another of his Adelaide locations, closed in 2019.
Infamy accompanied Zonfrillo from the start of his career. According to the Mirror, he set fire to the pants of an apprentice cook in 2002, injuring the man’s hands and losing him months of labor. Zonfrillo, who claimed it was a practical joke gone wrong, was ordered to pay $50,000 to the victim.
Lauren Fried, Zonfrillo’s wife, and their four children survive him.