MasterChef Australia judge Jock Zonfrillo and his family had reportedly moved to Italy to start an exciting chapter of their lives before his death.
The family had been in Rome before the 46-year-old chef and restauranter returned to Melbourne for the launch of the new series of MasterChef Australia 2023: Secrets and Surprises, and sadly passed away.
Victoria Police confirmed Jock was found dead on May 1 in Zagame’s House on Lygon Street in Carlton.
The hotel is just metres from his former four-bedroom home which was listed for rent at $3,000 a week in April.
It was first reported Jock, his wife, Lauren Fried and their two young children, Alfie, five, and Isla, were holidaying in the Eternal City.
However, entertainment reporter Peter Ford has since said “Jock had actually moved to Rome to live” in what “was to have been an exciting new chapter for the family”.
Jock was intending to rejoin them after his MasterChef duties for the launch of season 15.
The family’s neighbour told 7NEWS they “left three weeks ago”.
It’s understood Jock’s family have now flown into Melbourne after receiving the devastating news and will begin the process of planning the next steps after his death.
Jock Zonfrillo’s family board a flight from Italy to Melbourne after the MasterChef judge’s death
Speaking on Channel Seven’s The Morning Show on May 2, Peter confirmed Jock‘s family had boarded a plane.
“As we speak his wife Lauren is now on a flight coming back from Rome with the youngest kids,” he said on the program.
“Can you imagine that? That poor lady having 24 hours of being in the air, just imagining what she’s coming back to.”
Peter Ford sheds light on how Channel Ten handled the situation
Peter also shared his insights on how Channel Ten would have reacted to the unprecedented situation.
He praised the network for doing a “good job” of ensuring the news of Jock’s death didn’t leak.
He said Ten’s priority would have been reaching out to Jock’s family and making arrangements for their travels home.
“They were in Rome so you can imagine the grief of being in a strange country and being told that Jock was dead,” Peter said.
“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.
“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’s family and Channel 10 confirm his death in a statement
Jock’s family and Ten broke the news of the TV personality’s death in the early afternoon on May 1.
It was also announced that MasterChef Australia: Secrets and Surprises would not air this week as planned.
A TV insider has since told Yahoo! Lifestyle it’s unclear whether the show will go to air. However, a source told The Daily Telegraph it will be broadcast. it’s just a matter of when.
“Channel 10 and Endemol were thrown into crisis meetings, with bosses unsure if it’s appropriate to still air the new season,” they said.
“Word is that the show will continue, it really is a matter of what, how and when so that it is appropriately respectful to the family and to viewers,” they told the outlet.
“There is talk of a tribute special.”
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