Fans were “left weeping” after the emotional tribute to late judge Jock Zonfrillo during the MasterChef Australia 2023 finale.
The Scottish chef was found dead in Melbourne on May 1, the same day the show’s 15th season was set to air.
After the finale on July 16, Channel 10 played a heartfelt montage of the restauranteur’s most iconic moments, sending emotions high for fans all around Australia.
After a compilation of MasterChef recaps and behind-the-scenes clips, the tribute ended with a photo of the entire cast with “Give it up for Jock Zonfrillo” written across it, which is the phrase he famously uttered to eliminated contestants.
Viewers took to social media to express their feelings about the emotive montage.
“Well, the end was tough to watch, but beautiful. Far out, Jock will be missed in every conceivable way. Gorgeous man gone too soon,” one person commented.
“I couldn’t stop crying. So so sad,” another fan wrote.
“Still so hard to comprehend. Much love to all who knew and loved him,” a third fan penned, whilst another user said they were “left weeping” after the Finale.
Brent Draper wins MasterChef Australia 2023
After cooking up a storm for the past two months, Brent Draper was crowned the winner of MasterChef Australia 2023, taking home the jaw-dropping $250k cash prize.
“What a journey,” the 32-year-old gushed after winning the cooking show.
“From the first season to now, MasterChef has been such a big theme of my life. It changed my life, put me on a different pathway, made me learn new things about myself and I’m just so proud.”
Brent first appeared on the show’s 13th season in 2021 but had to withdraw to look after his mental health. At the time, Jock gifted Brent a set of worry beads.
“I actually reckon for three weeks… I didn’t go anywhere without [the worry beads], and they literally helped me relax and calm down so many times,” Brent told Woman’s Day on May 15.
Brent later sold the worry beads to raise money for Beyond Blue.
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