MasterChef Australia choose Andy Allen has delivered an emotional tribute to late colleague Jock Zonfrillo throughout a particular episode of The Sunday Project on Sunday night time.
The episode aired one week after Zonfrillo’s loss of life on the age of 46. His physique was found by police in a Melbourne lodge room within the early hours of Monday morning, along with his loss of life introduced that afternoon – simply hours earlier than the brand new season of MasterChef Australia was set to air.
As Zonfrillo’s household, followers and colleagues reeled on the news of his sudden loss of life, the season premiere of his present was pulled from the schedules and as an alternative debuted at 7:30pm tonight on Ten.
Speaking with The Project co-host Sarah Harris, Allen revealed he had loved a three-hour catch up over lunch with Zonfrillo the day earlier than his loss of life.
“We just talked each other’s ear off for three hours. It was so … It was so normal. He was in such good spirits,” he mentioned.
“He was so excited about the show launching.”
He added that he felt “guilty” that Zonfrillo’s spouse Lauren and younger youngsters, who had been abroad on the time of his loss of life, weren’t there for that closing lunch.
“Part of me … just feels guilty that it wasn’t them … I just wish that it was them sitting there having lunch with Jock. I’d give anything to swap positions,” he mentioned, including that Lauren was “the strongest woman I have ever known”.
“She’s lost her best friend. You know … Jock’s got three daughters, and it’s things like never being able to walk them down the aisle … They’re the things that are hurting her the most.”
Allen shared that in addition to being his finest mate, Zonfrillo additionally acted as a mentor, and mentioned Zonfrillo and his spouse “were family” to him.
“Being 10 years younger than him, I still have so many things to learn. That was one of the things that he taught me, was to be vulnerable and show your emotions,” he mentioned.
“And he’d probably be up there now going, ‘I did an all-right job ‘cause you’re a mess’.”
Allen mentioned his mate’s loss of life had hit him “like a tonne of bricks”.
“I want to say I’m OK, but, um … Yeah, I am not great,” he mentioned.
“He’s just always been there for me, and … I’m just struggling to realise that he’s actually – he’s gone.
“The hardest thing is … I can’t get [Zonfrillo’s son Alfie’s] little voice and face out of my head saying, ‘You’re my best friend, poppa’. He said it every day.
“I am gonna miss everything that this guy has brought into my life. He couldn’t wait … for [Allen’s wife] Alex and I to have kids as well. Yeah, he couldn’t wait for that. He always said I was gonna be a great dad. And I just wish he was around to see that.”
A slew of different movie star cooks additionally shared tributes to Zonfrillo, together with Gordon Ramsay, Curtis Stone, Shannon Bennett, Marco Pierre White, Maggie Beer and Jamie Oliver, in addition to an extended listing of Australian celebrities akin to Grace Tame, Rebecca Gibney, Jimmy Barnes and Tommy Little.
“He lived for his passion, for food, for his kids. He was a legend. He was. He always will be,” an emotional Tame mentioned.
Ramsay additionally broke down whereas talking about his buddy.
“The ripples have been devastating. No-one’s gonna get over this quickly. If there’s one thing that we’ve done as chefs is we’ve united and we’re talking about the good times. So … Yikes.
… Sorry. It’s just so painful,” he mentioned.
Former The Project co-host Tommy Little additionally shared a touching reminiscence concerning the final time the pair spoke.
“The only regret I have is the last time I saw him I interrupted his dinner. Lauren … he didn’t tell me to go away, but had I known you had so few dinners left with the love of your life, I never would have come over,” he mentioned.
“I love you, mate. I miss you.”
The episode ended with Barnes singing a transferring rendition of the basic Scottish tune Loch Lomond in honour of his countryman.
In an announcement this week, Ten mentioned the choice to proceed with this season of MasterChef after a one-week delay comes “with the full support of Jock Zonfrillo’s family.”
As followers wrestled with the truth that it is perhaps fairly tough to observe this season, which was filmed in its entirety earlier than Zonfrillo’s loss of life, one fan on social media advised viewers elevate a glass in tribute to Zonfrillo when the present airs tonight.
“I propose a toast to Jock on Sunday 7th at 730pm and hope everyone will join me!” they wrote, a put up that has attracted lots of of likes as others vowed to do the identical.
Zonfrillo’s loss of life left followers and people within the trade shell-shocked, and among the many most heartbreaking public tributes to this point have come from Allen and their fellow MasterChef choose, Melissa Leong.
“This all feels too raw to process still, I suspect it will for some time. Such is the impact of a life lived so large, with so much levity and entirely on your own terms,” Leong wrote in a transferring Instagram tribute to her colleague.
“Thanks for making me constantly laugh and being there when I needed to cry. You really were the complete package mate and life will never be the same without you,” wrote Allen, earlier than paying tribute to Zonfrillo’s spouse Lauren and 4 youngsters.
“I know you’ll be looking down on Loz, Ava, Sophia, Alfie & Isla. Give it up for Jock Zonfrillo.”
Source: www.news.com.au
