Wife, kids of Jock Zonfrillo returning to Australia after celebrity chef’s shock death

The wife and children of the 46-year-old have cut their Italian holiday short to return home in the wake of his sudden death.

The wife and young children of a MasterChef Australia judge, found dead in a Melbourne hotel, are heading back to Australia after learning of his death.

Jock Zonfrillo’s body was found at a hotel on Lygon St, in the inner-city suburb of Carlton, about 2am Monday.

Victoria Police are yet to determine the cause of death, but have deemed it not suspicious.

Jock Zonfrillo and wife Lauren, who had been on holiday in Rome before Mr Zonfrillo had to return to Australia for MasterChef duties. Picture: Facebook

Jock Zonfrillo and wife Lauren with their young kids Alfie and Isla. Picture: Facebook

Mr Zonfrillo’s wife Lauren is heading back to Australia from Rome, where she had been holidaying with the couple’s two children Isla, 2, and Alfie, 5.

Mr Zonfrillo had been in Italy with his family but had returned to Australia on his own due to commitments with MasterChef.

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.
MasterChef Australia will not air this week. pic.twitter.com/cmtDuJr19P

— MasterChef Australia (@masterchefau) May 1, 2023

Speaking to Channel 7’s The Morning Show on Tuesday, entertainment reporter Peter Ford said he felt for the celebrity chef’s wife.

“Can you imagine that flight? That poor lady having 24 hours of being in the air, just imagining what she’s coming back to,” said Mr Ford.

He said Channel 10 did a good job in getting on top of the news in the hours following the discovery of Mr Zonfrillo’s body.

This one hits hard. We’re shocked and devastated by the sudden passing of our mate Jock Zonfrillo. A true legend and much loved member of the Mo family. We’ll miss that wicked sense of humour so much.

Our hearts go out to Jock’s family, friends, and fans all over the world. pic.twitter.com/AAFzJbnV7z

— Movember Australia (@MovemberAUS) May 1, 2023

“Channel 10 and the producers of MasterChef knew they probably had six to eight hours to do the things they needed to do before the story was going to leak out,” said Mr Ford.

“They kept it under wraps, they cancelled all media for all the judges.

“I had a lot of radio producers moaning to me saying, ‘Oh the MasterChef judges have dropped out’, so little did anybody know the severity of what was unfolding.

“They closed down the social media for all judges because they had a lot of stuff preloaded that was going to drop at certain times.

Jock Zonfrillo and Jamie Oliver. Picture: Facebook

“And obviously first and foremost they wanted to get Lauren and the two kids on a flight heading home because, to be realistic, they are now the subject of a lot of paparazzi interest.”

Tributes have flown for Jock Zonfrillo, who also leaves behind two adult children, Ava and Sophia, from previous marriages.

Originally published as Wife, kids of Jock Zonfrillo returning to Australia after celebrity chef’s shock death