Jock Zonfrillo, award-winning chef and a judge on MasterChef Australia, has died at the age of 46. Mr Zonfrillo's family confirmed his death on Monday, calling him "our irreplaceable husband, father, brother, son and friend" in a statement, as per The Guardian. No cause of death has been given but the Victoria Police said it was not being treated as suspicious, the outlet further said. The police also said that a report on Mr Zonfrillo's death will be prepared by the coroner's office.
The latest season of the popular reality TV show was set to debut in Australia this week. However, Network 10 and Endemol Shine Australia have chosen not to air the new episodes following Jock'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," they said in a joint statement.
“Jock was known to Australians as a chef, best-selling author, philanthropist and MasterChef judge but he will be best remembered as a loving father, husband, brother and son. Determined and talented and with plenty of grit, Jock was born in Glasgow to an Italian father and a Scottish mother, which meant his formative years were heavily influenced by two strong cultures and it was his obsession with food and desire for a new pushbike that at just 12 years old fuelled Jock to knock on kitchen doors looking for a job (sic)," it further read. Zonfrillo is survived by his third wife, Lauren Fried, and his four children: Ava and Sophia, from his first two marriages, and Alfie and Isla, with Fried.