MasterChef Australia host Jock Zonfrillo passes away unexpectedly at age 46

​Jock Zonfrillo, an award-winning chef and MasterChef Australia host, has died suddenly, aged 46. He was found dead at a house in Melbourne when police conducted a welfare check in the early hours of Monday morning. His wife Lauren Fried and four children said their hearts were "shattered" by his death. Celebrity chefs Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay, as well as a host of former Masterchef contestants, led tributes to the star. Oliver posted a picture to Instagram of him with Zonfrillo and the two other judges on set. Ramsay wrote on Twitter: "Saddened by the devastating news... I truly enjoyed the time we spent together on MasterChef in Australia". Network 10 also paid tribute to the star, saying Zonfrillo's charisma, passion and wicked sense of humour had inspired a nation of home cooks. MasterChef, which is pre-recorded, will not air this week as planned. Born in Glasgow in 1976, Zonfrillo began working in kitchens at 12, becoming one of the youngest apprentices to work at The Turnberry Hotel. Two years later, he started working for Michelin-starred British chef Marco Pierre White at his famous Hyde Park Hotel. Despite his burgeoning career, Zonfrillo became broke, homeless and addicted to heroin in his teenage years. He moved to Australia in 2000 and opened several restaurants, including Adelaide's award-winning Restaurant Orana. In 2019, Zonfrillo was announced as part of an all new host line-up for MasterChef Australia. His career was not without controversy, with Orana closing in 2020 with debts of millions of dollars, and Last Shot being criticised as inaccurate by former colleagues.​