Known for his feat in Masterchef Australia, Scottish chef and television presenter Jock Zonfrillo passed away yesterday. He died in Australia's Melbourne at the age of 46. The reason for his death has not been disclosed yet. A spokesperson for Victoria Police said that there was no indication of a suspicious nature in the death.
Confirming his untimely demise, his family released a statement saying, "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."
Taking to their Twitter handle, team MasterChef Australia also commented on the chef's death, "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."
Jock was raised by two powerful culinary cultures because he was born in Glasgow to an Italian father and a Scottish mother. At the age of 12, Jock started looking for jobs in restaurants because he was obsessed with food.
Since then, he has worked with well-known chefs and in restaurants all across the world. After relocating to Australia, he opened Bistro Blackwood and Restaurant Orana. The latter won the unique distinction of three hats for two years consecutively (2019 and 2020), while the chef was awarded the famous Basque Culinary World Prize.
In 2019, he joined MasterChef Australia as a judge. With his generous heart and wicked sense of humour, he quickly became a favourite of the contestants he coached and of audiences across the world.
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