Gordon Ramsay Got Emotional When Talking About This MasterChef Judge

Summary

• Gordon Ramsay's emotional tribute to MasterChef Australia judge Jock Zonfrillo touched many, showing a softer side of the tough chef.
• Jock Zonfrillo's sudden passing shocked fans, leaving many questioning the cause of death, a mystery that remains unsolved.
• Celebrity chefs, including Gordon Ramsay, paid heartfelt tributes to Jock Zonfrillo, showcasing the impact he had on the culinary world.

Ever since Gordon Ramsay rose to fame, the chef who has cooked for world leaders has had a reputation for being harsh. After all, Gordon has engaged in public feuds, called out a celebrity who insulted his food, and been involved in several notable scandals.

However, since Gordon's daughter is a sweet person and he was fun during his Hot Ones appearance, it has long been clear he has a softer side. Still, it was shocking to see Gordon display his soft side when he got emotional while talking about a MasterChef judge.

Gordon Ramsay Teared Up Over MasterChef Australia Judge Jock Zonfrillo's Death

A little over a year before MasterChef premiered in America with Gordon Ramsay in a starring role, MasterChef Australia debuted. Highly successful, MasterChef Australia has been a television staple ever since 2009.

Due to MasterChef Australia's longevity, the show has had several judges come and go over the years. During Seasons 9 and 10 of MasterChef Australia, Jock Zonfrillo served as a guest judge. Then, Jock was promoted and became one of the show's main judges from Season 12 to Season 15.

Tragically, the world learned that Jock lost his life just before Season 15 of MasterChef Australia premiered in May 2023. After Jock passed away, Gordon spoke about him on camera and the usually hard-nosed chef was shown getting visibly emotional.

After Jock suddenly passed away, Australia's The Sunday Project, which airs on Network 10, aired a tribute show to him. That show featured interviews with several famous chefs praising Jock and talking about their relationships with him.

Several other celebrity chefs paid tribute to Jock Zonfrillo during the tribute episode of The Sunday Project. For example, Nigella Lawson, Marco Pierre White, Jamie Oliver, and Maggie Beer all expressed their love for Jock during the tribute episode.

As an article from The Daily Mail at the time revealed, Gordon Ramsay appeared during that highly emotional episode. While talking about Jock, Gordon showed his emotional side that he typically keeps hidden away. As Gordon spoke, he had to take a second to collect himself as he apologized for starting to tear up during the interview.

"S**t. Sorry. It's just so painful. That's all."

During the same tribute episode, Gordon spoke about what he found so exciting about watching Jock rise to prominence. Based on Gordon's comments, he believed that Jock was the perfect person to inspire the next generation of chefs as one of MasterChef Australia's judges.

"Watching his delight and watching him grow in stature. He put a spell on these home cooks. He lit up that kitchen."

It makes sense that Gordon was so emotional about what happened to Jock. After all, the two famed chefs repeatedly hinted at their history that goes beyond their MasterChef connections.

How much older was Gordon Ramsay than Jock Zonfrillo, according to Famous Birthdays?

For example, one Facebook video that MasterChef Australia uploaded in April 2020 showed Jock talking about what it is like to be around Gordon in the kitchen. In the video, Jock gave tips on how chefs should handle themselves around Gordon in the kitchen.

"Two things that these guys are going to need to bear in mind if they're going to keep up with Gordon Ramsay. One, don't panic. And believe you me, when you're trying to keep up with a chef like that, three Michelin stars, you're going to naturally start to panic. Second thing is to cook with conviction and confidence. If they don't, they're going to lag behind, and they're not going to get it finished within 10 seconds of him."

In a separate video that MasterChef Australia uploaded to Facebook in April 2020, Gordon and Jock can be seen reminiscing about their shared history. While sitting at the MasterChef Australia judges' table, Gordon asked Jock if it felt like old times for him.

"Bringing back memories when we were together back in Chelsea?"

After Jock made it clear the situation was taking him back, Gordon asked if they were good or bad memories. "Memories or nightmares?" Jock then made Gordon laugh as he answered that question by saying, "Both."

In the funniest and most revealing part of the short video, Jock explained the one thing that would make it really feel like it was old times.

"The only thing that would that more authentic is if you would start yelling at me while I was eating."

Jock Zonfrillo's Cause Of Death Remains A Mystery More Than A Year Later

In May 2023, The BBC reported the shocking news that Jock Zonfrillo had suddenly passed away. A man who was only 46 years old at the time, Jock seemed to be in good health when he took his final breath, so fans wanted to know what happened.

According to The BBC's report, Jock was survived by his four children and his wife, Lauren Fried. The outlet also revealed that it was Jock's wife who led the police to discover that the celebrity chef had passed away.

After not being able to reach Jock, his wife reportedly reached out to the police to do a wellness check, which led to them making a tragic discovery.

The BBC's report stated that the police didn't believe there was any foul play involved in Jock's passing. However, that is all the outlet could reveal about what happened at that time.

Months later, in March 2024, 7 News reported that the cause of Jock's passing was still being investigated roughly a year later. Since then, there haven't been any public reports about the cause of death being revealed.