MasterChef's Andy Allen shares emotional tribute to Jock Zonfrillo: 'Sinking in'

Andy Allen has shared an emotional tribute to his friend and fellow MasterChef judge Jock Zonfrillo days after the celebrity chef's final episode of the show aired on Sunday following his shock passing on May 1.

Sharing several photos from their time on the show together, including Sunday night's finale, Andy wrote, "I feel like there will continue to be these moments along the way where it feels so real and gets even harder to comprehend your loss."

He continued, "This week has been one of them. Like many things, you were a master at the mentor game and knowing that we won’t be standing side by side, doing our dance together anymore is really sinking in. Love you @zonfrillo."

Andy's followers flooded the comments, with one user writing, "He seemed so kind towards the contestants & I found this incredibly refreshing in a world that seems to thrive on negativity & pulling people down.."

"This is so bloody sad," another said. "It’ll never stop being sad. Whether the show continues on without him or not, his absence will always be felt."

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"I never knew Jock or met him in person, but his passing genuinely feels like a personal loss," a third said. "Jock is such a real person with his own struggle and the fact that he shows his vulnerability on cam, showing kindness plus his cheeky jokes, he was such an admirable person."

"My heart is shattered into a million pieces," someone else commented. "Watching you guys season after season was like actually having each of you in our homes. Undoubtedly Jock was my favourite due to his boldness, his laughter, his smile, the immense influence and positivity he brought with him, and shared.

"After each episode, I am reminded that he is no more and the hurt is all the same again. It's hard to believe that the world is short of a person like @zonfrillo because he indeed made it a better place just by being in it."

'Always been there for me'

A week after Jock's shock passing, Andy appeared on The Project to speak about the loss of his friend, saying he was 'struggling' to come to terms with it.

"He's just always been there for me, and I'm just struggling to realise that he's actually gone," he told host Sarah Harris.

Andy went on to say that he and Jock went for a three-hour lunch together on the Saturday before the celebrity chef died, revealing Jock was excited about the new season of MasterChef, which was supposed to air the day he passed.

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“It was so normal. He was in such good spirits,” Andy said, revealing that they “talked each other’s ear off”.

An emotional Andy said part of him feels “guilty” that he got to have lunch with Jock that day instead of his wife Lauren and their two young kids, who were in Rome at the time.

“I'd give anything to swap positions. You know, in saying that, it was still so nice to see him one last time.”

The MasterChef judge said he wishes Jock would have been around to see him become a dad and told Sarah Harris that he didn’t realise how much Jock would become like “family” when he signed up to do the show.

While Andy said it would be hard to watch this season of MasterChef, he'd do it "for him”.

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