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MasterChef host details horrendous first moments after finding out about the death of co-star Jock Zonfrillo-Laura Harman-Entertainment – Metro

‘It was the hardest time of my life.’

MasterChef host details horrendous first moments after finding out about the death of co-star Jock Zonfrillo-Laura Harman-Entertainment – Metro

Allen has spoken about(Picture: Andy Allen/Instagram)

MasterChef Australia host, Andy Allen has opened up about the death of his co-star Jock Zonfrillo as he admits to spending a full day crying.

In May 2023, it was announced that Zonfrillo had passed at the age of 46 after a private battle against bowel cancer.

His family confirmed his death in a statement that read: ‘With completely shattered hearts and without knowing how we can possibly move through life without him, we are devastated to share that Jock passed away yesterday.’

They added: ‘So many words can describe him, so many stories can be told, but at this time we’re too overwhelmed to put them into words.

His sudden passing shocked MasterChef fans who had appeared on the show as a judge from 2018 until 2023. His final appearance on the show in series 15 was released posthumously as it was pre-recorded.

Allen worked alongside the Scottish chef on MasterChef Australia from 2019 until his passing and formed a close relationship with the star. After his death, Allen even acted as a pallbearer at his friend’s funeral.

The Chef leaves behind his wife Lauren and four children (Picture: Sam Tabone/Getty Images)

Speaking about Zonfrillo’s passing for the first time, the chef told the Herald Sun: ‘It was the hardest time of my life. I had been quite lucky that I had not had someone close pass away. I had never had tragedy like that hit me so close. It was very uncharted waters and multiply that by it being in the public eye; it was really difficult. 

‘As soon as it happened I just wanted to be there for Loz (Lauren, Jock’s wife) and the kids, that was my focus. I don’t know if I gave myself the opportunity to grieve. I went overseas last year (around May) and I was in Sicily and I just had five of the most rotten days of my life. 

The chefs were close while they worked on the MasterChef series together (Picture: Andy Allen/ Instagram)

‘It was all around Jock’s birthday, we had won a Logie, there were three things in the space of a week and having that time to think, and not having distractions to keep me away from it, it really buckled me over there. I needed that to happen.’

He then revealed that the grief is still hitting him. ‘I spent a full day just crying, a full day, in a couple of hour increments, just having a good old cry. Then I would be quiet and then I would go again. I have learned that it (grief) is just going to hit me and that is OK. That real, heavyweight, it only really hit me twice in the last season we shot.’

The Chef admitted he is still struggling with his grief (Picture: Ten)

He revealed that one year on from his friend’s passing on April 30 2023, he is still grappling with his loss, but added that the tragedy has forced him to ‘grow’.

‘It would have definitely made me grow as a human. When times are hard you find out what you are made of. I don’t think those hard times are over, even Jock’s one year anniversary, it falls the day after my birthday every year so that, again, is another thing I grapple with.’

He ended the interview by revealing that he would ‘100%’ returning to MasterChef Australia.

Although, Allen admitted that he wasn’t always so certain. ‘I was just worried that I was not going to be able to give it everything that it needed because at that time I had just come back from Europe and I had just seen what grief can really do when it really wants to kick you in the guts.’

He added that he returned to the show to honour his late friend. ‘I did it (said yes to coming back) because I wanted to continue what Jock and I had started. I felt there was so much unfinished business, there was more to give and I am so glad that I did it.’

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