Friends and colleagues of MasterChef AU celebrity chef, Jock Zonfrillo have paid special tribute to the late star, and let me tell you it’s a real tear-jerker, so grab your tissues before we dive in.
Jock was found to have suddenly passed just hours before the new season of MasterChef was meant to premiere.
The season was delayed for a week out of respect for the chef/judge. Before the season aired on Sunday, 'The Project AU' hosted a special episode to pay tribute to Jock, with friends including Andy Allen, Gordon Ramsay, Jamie Oliver and more sharing their fondest memories of the chef.
Andy Allen, a fellow MasterChef judge and close friend of Jock's, held back tears as he remembered their last three-hour lunch together.
The MasterChef AU judge said they chatted each other's ears off, and Jock was in such good spirits.
“I’m struggling to realise he’s actually gone.”
He added that he felt guilty that he was able to spend so much time with Jock when his wife and children couldn't - they were on vacation in Rome at the time of Jock's passing.
“Part of me … just feels guilty that it wasn’t them … I just wish that it was them sitting there having lunch with Jock. I’d give anything to swap positions.”
Andy said Jock was a mentor to him, and he taught him to be vulnerable and show his emotions.
Andy also shared a special message from Jock’s family to the public, thanking everyone for their love and support.
Gordon Ramsay also made an appearance and spoke highly of Jock.
He said the ripples of Jock's passing have been devastating, and no one's going to get over it quickly.
Other celebrity chefs, including Maggie Beer, Curtis Stone, Jamie Oliver, Matt Moran, and Shannon Bennett, shared the one last message they would want their friend Jock to hear.
Melissa Leong, the third MasterChef judge, was absent from the episode as she was grieving Jock's death.
It's clear Jock was extremely loved and admired by many. He had a heart of gold and touched the lives of those around him.
Jock's cause of death is yet to be determined by an autopsy, however, police have confirmed his death is “not being treated as suspicious”. According to Daily Mail, police believe the father-of-four died of natural causes.
Jock is survived by his wife and four children.
