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MasterChef Australia alum Andy Allen recently appeared in a documentary interview with Liz Hayes, posted on 7 News Spotlight's YouTube channel on May 5, 2025, to reflect on co-star Jock Zonfrillo's death. In the video, titled MasterChef host Jock Zonfrillo's widow breaks silence | Full Documentary, Andy reminisced about the moment he received news about Jock's passing and said:
"I still remember that the call that I got from Loz [Jock's wife] in the early hours of that morning, saying that Jock had passed and grief hit me straight away."
MasterChef Australia fame Jock was found dead in a Melbourne hotel room in May 2023 at the age of 46, when his wife Lauren and their children were Italy. However, the cause of his death has never been disclosed.
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The interview further revealed Andy had met with the late celebrity for lunch just hours before his death. Andy continued, saying that he rushed to the bathroom after hearing about Jock and threw up, unable to process the grief. Andy and Jock were co-panelists on MasterChef Australia from 2020 up until the latter's demise.
"It was so sudden" — MasterChef Australia alum Andy Allen reflects on Jock's death
When interviewer Liz asked Andy if he had sensed that there was something wrong during his last meeting with the late celebrity chef, Andy said:
"I've got hairs standing up already. That's the thing that hurts the most 'cause it was so sudden."
He clarified that there were no signs or indications that would prompt him to assume Jock's life was in danger. It was one of those factors that upset Allen the most because had he known something was amiss, he would have tried to intervene.
While talking about Lauren, Jock's widow, Andy said that she not only "lost her best friend," "her life partner," but also the "thing that she loves the absolute most." It was then shared that Andy and his wife, Alex, were "never far from Lauren," noting how losing Jock had been a "painful" experience for everyone.
"I always think of him, and I miss him. I miss him so much, Liz. Like, I miss him-- It's crazy that that never goes. That being reminded of him wherever I go and no matter what I do, it is still as strong as the day he passed two years ago," Andy expressed.
Lauren, in her new book, Till Death Do Us Part, published on May 6, 2025, narrated how supportive Andy and his wife had been since Jock passed away. She wrote that Andy and Alex cooked for her on Mother's Day, which was two weeks after her husband's passing and a day after his funeral.
"For them to do this for me, even to cook me a meal after the day we had all just had, was really special. But it was even more special to me that they had missed Mother's Day with their own mums so they could be there for me," Lauren wrote.
On May 1, 2025, Andy took to Instagram, sharing a throwback photo of himself with Jock, holding strings of sausage with a hook. In the caption of the post, he wrote:
"2 years since we lost the great man @zonfrillo. I miss him more than ever."
In the comment section under the image, Jock's widow, Lauren posted a love heart emoji, and so did celebrity chef Darren Robertson.
However, opening up about Jock's death and grieving him in the public eye was not an easy job for Andy before. While speaking on the Carrie and Tommy Show on April 22, 2024, Andy admitted that he was unsure about returning to MasterChef Australia. Andy confessed that it felt wrong to do it without him, recalling how much they enjoyed their time in the kitchen.
"I just didn't know if I'd be able to do it justice, to give the show what it needed because there was so much grief attached to that kitchen," he added.
However, he said he mustered the courage, filmed the show, and did it for Jock.
The late celebrity chef is survived by Lauren and their children. Despite speculations, Lauren kept the cause of Jock's death a secret and did not disclose it when asked by Liz in the documentary.
MasterChef Australia is available to stream on Tubi.
