Andy Allen paid a moving tribute to his old friend Jock Zonfrillo on Wednesday’s episode of MasterChef.
With tears in his eyes, the 36-year-old fan favourite announced to the remaining five contestants on the cooking show that Jock was his ‘food hero’.
Fighting back his emotions, Andy added that he learnt ‘so much’ from the late chef, who died suddenly in April, 2023 at age 46.
‘When you first applied to be part of this competition you named someone that you considered to be your food hero,’ Andy began.
‘And all of you… you named a family member. For me, although I loved growing up on burgers, unfortunately, it’s not my mother. But it’s our late, great mate Jock.
‘The time that we spent cooking in this kitchen and creating an energy where people like you could just reach for the stars and succeed with everything you do, I learnt so much about that from Jock,’ he went on.
‘He taught me so much more, probably, about being a good husband, being a good son, um, and hopefully, one day, me being a good dad.
‘I miss him a lot,’ he added as fellow judge Poh Ling Yeow wrapped her arm around him.
Andy Allen paid a moving tribute to his old friend Jock Zonfrillo on Wednesday’s episode of MasterChef. Andy and Jock are pictured at the Melbourne Cup in 2022
Fighting back his emotions, Andy said he learnt ‘so much’ from the late chef, who died suddenly in April, 2023 at age 46.
It comes after Andy recently revealed what it was really like returning to the show for season 16 after the tragic death of mate Jock.
Andy appeared on The Project in April and said that he almost didn’t return to MasterChef this year, but is now ‘so glad’ he decided to push through the grief.
‘It was tough. I didn’t know if I was going to do it. I’m so glad that I did, I really am, but it was hard,’ he told the panel.
‘The first scene [of the show] is just me in the kitchen alone, all dark, just me… that got me going good.’
‘I miss him a lot,’ added Andy. Pictured: Sofia Levin, Poh Ling Yeow and Christophe Novelli
Andy went on to say everything changed ‘once the contestants came in, once the new three judges came in’, and he found himself getting ‘swept up’.
‘It was just business. That whole MasterChef thing, the spirit, the passion, it just sweeps anyone up, and it did the exact same thing to me,’ he added.
Jock was found dead at Zagame’s House hotel in Carlton, near Melbourne’s CBD, at about 2am on April 30 last year.
The chef was laid to rest in a private funeral in Sydney surrounded by 200 family and friends. Pallbearers included his wife Lauren and MasterChef co-host Andy Allen.
