MasterChef judge Melissa Leong has broken her silence on the tragic loss of her co-star Jock Zonfrillo, who died on Monday aged 46.
Taking to Instagram in a lengthy post, Leong wrote a heartfelt message on the impact her co-star had on her life.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Celebrity chef Jock Zonfrillo remembered by friends and family.
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“Four years ago, the three of us stood on a precipice and leapt together,” she wrote, sharing a throwback image from their first season as MasterChef judges back in 2019 along with Andy Allen.
“I could never have guessed how much of an impact your arrival in my life would have, or that we would be saying goodbye to you so soon.
“You were always supposed to be the bulletproof one who outlived us all.
“In that time, you showed me what true excellence looks like both in the kitchen and outside of it; your kindness and generosity, the many lives you’ve lived, the way you carried far more on your shoulders than most could ever know.
“Thank you for challenging me daily, for making me better, my work buddy and friend, purveyor of excellent morning coffees, hater of pears, okra and nasturtiums.
“This all feels too raw too process still, I suspect it will for some time.
“Such is the impact of a life lived so large, with so much levity and entirely on your own terms.
“My heart goes out to your family, who were and are your life.
“A wee dram for you today, and always.”
Zonfrillo was found dead in a Melbourne hotel room in the early hours of Monday morning after police were called to perform a welfare check.
The father-of-four’s cause of death has not been confirmed.
Fans of both Leong and Zonfrillo flooded the comments section of her heartfelt post with condolence messages.
“Life is so, so precious,” wrote one.
“Been thinking of you. So sorry for your massive, shocking loss,” wrote another.
“I’m so sorry Mel. Heartbroken. A life lived large indeed. I’ll be having a wee dram too,” food writer Kate Gibbs said.
“The pain runs deep. Much love to you Melissa & the whole MasterChef family,” added newsreader Narelda Jacobs.
“A beautiful tribute during heartbreaking loss. Thank you for sharing him with us,” added Benjamin Law.
“Beautifully articulate even in grief,” one follower said.
“Mel, I am so sorry to you and the entire MasterChef family.
“A life lived large and gone too soon. Sending so much love to you.”
Earlier on Tuesday, fellow MasterChef judge Andy Allen reacted to the death of his close friend.
“When I met you five years ago I knew our lives were about to change forever,” he wrote.
“What I didn’t realise is how close Alex and I would become outside of the kitchen with you, Lauren and your kids,” he said, mentioning his fiancée Alex Davey.
Allen called Zonfrillo an “inspiration” and someone who became an “important part of our lives”.
“Sure, you’ve taught me so much about food, but it’s the lessons I learnt about what it means to be a great father, husband and friend that I’ll take away from our time together and will last forever,” he continued.
“I’ll miss the way you mentored me and every contestant that walked into the MasterChef kitchen, I’ll miss you ordering the entire menu no matter how many dishes deep and making me eat every last bite, I’ll miss your morning on-set coffees that made me shake from the amount of caffeine you were able to extract out of every individual bean, I’ll miss the morning FaceTimes with Loz, Alfie and Isla, but overall I’ll miss you looking out for me every single day.
“Thanks for making me constantly laugh and being there when I needed to cry,” he went on.
“You really were the complete package mate and life will never be the same without you.
“I know you’ll be looking down on Loz, Ava, Sophia, Alfie & Isla. Give it up for Jock Zonfrillo ❤️,” his tribute ended.
The new season of MasterChef featuring Leong, Zonfrillo and Allen was set to premiere on Monday night but has since been postponed in the wake of Zonfrillo’s shock death.
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