MasterChef Australia judge Jock Zonfrillo has died suddenly at the age of 46.
A statement from the Scottish presenter and TV chef’s family was posted on his Facebook in the early hours of Monday morning, confirming he had died the previous day.
“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,” they said.
“So many words can describe him, so many stories can be told, but at this time we’re too overwhelmed to put them into words. For those who crossed his path, became his mate, or were lucky enough to be his family, keep this proud Scot in your hearts when you have your next whisky.
“We implore you to please let us grieve privately as we find a way to navigate through this and find space on the other side to celebrate our irreplaceable husband, father, brother, son and friend.”
A tribute was later posted by the network and production company behind MasterChef Australia, which read: “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.”
“Jock’s charisma, wicked sense of humour, generosity, passion and love for food and his family cannot be measured,” they concluded. “He will be greatly missed.”
Jock took over as both host and judge of MasterChef Australia in 2019, having previously appeared as a guest on the show’s previous two seasons.
In the early years of his chef career, he worked under Marco Pierre White before making the move to Australia.
His additional TV credits included the “extreme adventure cooking series” Nomad Chef and the reality show Restaurant Revolution.