The widow of Jock Zonfrillo has shared a heartbreaking tribute to the MasterChef Australia star, three years after his tragic death. Lauren Zonfrillo took to Instagram on Friday to remember her late husband with a sweet throwback image.
The photo showed Lauren and Jock, with their backs to the camera and arms around each other, looking out over the coastline on Ventotene Island in Italy. Captioning the post, Lauren admitted that, despite the passage of time, she was still struggling to accept his death.
'Three years. Still no closer to accepting you’re not here with us. 04.08.1976 - 01.05.2023,' Lauren captioned the post. The post was met with an outpouring of support from friends and followers.
Jane Barnes, the wife of iconic Cold Chisel rocker Jimmy, wrote: 'Sending you Love and Courage.' Another follower commented: 'I think I can speak for the whole world when I say, we really loved you Jock.' A second wrote: 'Sending so much love. I was such a huge fan of his and always will be.'
Another summed up the sentiment of many with a heartfelt message: 'I am so so sorry. He'll be with you forever. The love y'all shared will always be there.'
Jock's Tragic Death
Jock was found dead in his Melbourne hotel room about 2am on May 1, 2023, after police were called to conduct a welfare check on the 46-year-old. Lauren spoke on Seven's Spotlight program for the first time in May last year about the moment she learned the Scottish-born chef had died.
In a raw and tearful interview with Liz Hayes, Lauren revealed the harrowing moment police contacted her in Italy – where she had recently moved with their two children, Alfie and Isla – and delivered the devastating news. 'I was hysterical,' Lauren recalled, her voice trembling.
Lauren had been trying and failing to reach Jock, so she called his hotel and requested they check his room. Flying home to Australia, Lauren later viewed Jock's body and had a surreal moment where it felt like he was still with her.
'He was still there. I could smell his aftershave and hair product. It looked like he was just sleeping,' she said through tears. 'I told him that it'll be okay, that I've got this. That I will make sure the kids live big lives. And that, no matter what, we would be a family.'
Cause of Death Remains Private
When asked to disclose Jock's cause of death, which has never been revealed, Lauren remained protective of her husband. 'A lot of people want to know the answer to that – I'm really aware of that. I've had a lot of experiences with people coming up to me, all strangers, and asking how Jock died, and it's very unsettling,' she said.
'Jock was very open in what he was willing to talk about. And I now don't want to make those decisions, because I don't know what he does and doesn't want to talk about.'
Funeral and Legacy
A fortnight after Jock's death, his wife led about 200 mourners who gathered for a funeral at Macquarie Park Cemetery and Crematorium at North Ryde on May 13. Among those who attended the service were celebrity chefs George Calombaris, Matt Moran, Colin Fassnidge, Manu Feildel and Shannon Bennett, as well as Jock's co-stars Andy Allen and Melissa Leong.
Lauren delivered a eulogy before Jock's friend and fellow Scotsman, Jimmy Barnes, sang Amazing Grace with his daughter Mahalia.
Before his death, Jock had been preparing for the launch of MasterChef's 15th season, which was set to premiere the night his body was found. He was also in the early stages of planning a new restaurant and had started working on a cookbook prior to his death.
Jock and his wife, who married in 2017, had put their four-bedroom Carlton terrace up for rent ahead of a potential permanent move to Italy, where his father was born. Lauren also candidly opened up about life after Jock in her 2025 memoir, Till Death Do Us Part.
