“MasterChef Australia” host Jock Zonfrillo died suddenly at the age of 46 on the eve of the cooking show’s new season, according to a statement from Australia’s Network 10.
The Scottish presenter died in Melbourne, according to the statement, which did not give a cause of death. Zonfrillo joined the popular cooking competition in 2019 and was due to star in the premiere of the new one tomorrow alongside guest judge British chef Jamie Oliver. Network 10 said in its statement that the episode was taken off air.
Zonfrillo, who was born in Glasgow in 1976, learned his craft from some of the world’s most renowned chefs. His cooking career began in the UK, where he worked in London with chef Marco Pierre White, whom he later credited with saving his life.
Zonfrillo had tried heroin as a teenager in Glasgow and, according to his memoir “Last Shot”, the drug addiction stayed with him for years as he built on his early success, which was published the previous year. The book’s description reads, “For years, he balanced a career as a rising star among renowned chefs with a crippling drug addiction that led him down many dark paths.”
Zonfrillo left the UK in 1999 and settled in Australia as head chef at Restaurant 41 in Sydney. He then opened his own fine-dining establishment, Restaurant Orana, in Adelaide, which won culinary acclaim in 2019 and 2020, before closing.
He hosted several cooking shows including “Nomad Chef”, which provided insight into cooking in some of the world’s most remote communities, as well as “Restaurant Revolution” and “Chef Exchange”.
In 2016, he established The Orana Foundation with a mission to highlight the virtues of Australia’s indigenous food. And in 2018, he won the prestigious Basque World Culinary Award for defending indigenous culture and culinary traditions.
But perhaps his most prominent role was in the Australian series “MasterChef,” the wildly popular television show that made him a household name in the country in recent years. Zonfrillo is survived by his wife, Lauren Fried, and four children.
In a statement shared by Red 10, Zonfrillo’s family said they are devastated by his passing. “So many words could describe it, so many stories could be told, but right now we are too overwhelmed to put them into words. For those who crossed his path, became his companion or were lucky enough to become his family, keep this proud Scotsman in your hearts as you sip your next whiskey.
