Australia was shocked and saddened by the sudden passing of beloved MasterChef judge Jock Zonfrillo in 2023, and friends, family and colleagues mourned the loss of a wonderful man.
His fellow judge Andy Allen not only worked with Jock, but also found a best friend in him as well. More than a year on from his passing, Andy shared an emotional tribute to his late friend on a recent episode of MasterChef.
The five remaining contestants in the 2024 season of MasterChef Australia were asked to speak about who their food hero was, and Andy chimed in with an answer of his own.
“And all of you, you named a family member. For me, although I loved growing up on pine burgers, unfortunately it’s not my mother, but it’s our late, great mate, Jock,” he shared.
“The time that we spent cooking in this kitchen and creating an energy where people like you could just reach for the stars and succeed with everything you do – I learnt so much about that from Jock.
“And he taught me so much more, probably, about being a good husband, being a good son, and hopefully one day, me being a good dad. So, I miss him a lot.”
Andy’s tribute to Jock unsurprisingly had the entire MasterChef kitchen in tears, and viewers at home shared their thoughts on the emotional moment too.
“Wasn’t expecting that ❤️💔 Never heard a more honest word spoken xxox,” one fan commented on Instagram.
“Jock. Fondly remembered,” another said, while a third added, “Most heartbroken moment this season 😢❤️.”
“Oh Andy we miss Jock too. He had such a big presence ❤️.”
“Jock is truly missed but love to see Andy stepping up and being his own leader for the show… ❤️,” another wrote.
Andy has often spoken about his grief and how he is trying to carry on Jock’s legacy.
On the one year anniversary of Jock’s passing, Andy shared a beautiful dedication to his late friend.
“One year ❤️ All I can say is we miss you mate.
“I miss chewing the fat with you about all things food. I miss the early morning on set FaceTime calls to Loz and the kids. I miss your Carbonara and Negronis. I miss your infectious energy, smile and laugh.
“I miss trying to beat you on any par 3 for a bottle of whiskey. I miss your hatred for pears and cinnamon. I miss you overordering every time and when I get full you say ‘come on Andy…’ I miss you laughing at me when my pants don’t fit halfway through a season of filming. I miss watching you teach and pass on your knowledge and wisdom.”
In an interview with Carrie Bickmore and Tommy Little in April 2024, Andy confessed that he was originally unsure whether he would return to the MasterChef kitchen or not.
“It’s nearly a year [since Jock died]. Sometimes it feels like yesterday and other times it feels like it was a long, long time ago. It was hard. It was really hard. I didn’t actually know if I was going to do [MasterChef] again,” Andy shared.
“It just felt so wrong to do it without him, because we just loved it so much together and walking back into that kitchen was huge. It was… there was just this weight of grief over me.”
He added that he found the first scene of the 2024 season to be the hardest to film.
“I just didn’t know if I’d be able to get through it. I just didn’t know if I’d be able to do it justice, to give the show what it needed because there was so much grief attached to that kitchen. But I think it only lasted until… It was a hard first scene. I’m literally the only person in that kitchen. Just myself, no contestants,” Andy shared.
Jock passed away on 30 April 2023, and is survived by his wife, Lauren Zonfrillo, and his four children: Ava, Sophie, Alfie, and Isla.
