Wife of MasterChef's Jock Zonfrillo in difficult move two years after his death: 'Catastrophe'

Jock Zonfrillo's wife Lauren Zonfrillo has announced her new book Til Death Do Us Part, describing the book as her "lived experience through traumatic loss" after Jock's shock death in 2023.

"I am no psychologist — I am not even a writer. But I have written a book, Till Death Do Us Part. This is a book of my lived experience through traumatic loss, the kind of support that I was reaching out for in the shadows of grief, and being homesick for a life that didn’t exist anymore," Lauren said on Instagram.

"And for those going through loss, I am writing this book so that your hands can land on it when you are reaching out in the darkness for something, anything, that might give you stability."

Masterchef star Jock Zonfrillo's wife opens up about grief

Posting a video, Lauren candidly admitted that some of the book writing progress probably "undid some progress" when it came to her healing and said it wasn't 'cathartic'.

"The kids and I have been surrounded by so much care, so many people felt the loss of Jock. It's been really hard for me to explain how we got from absolute catastrophe to the new version of our life," she said.

"I re-read journals from some very dark and broken places and probably undid a bit of my progress to be honest... and it did make me think deeper about some really complex parts of grief and so I wrote about my spirituality and my connection to Jock now and living a life with intention and urgency."

RELATED:

• MasterChef fans 'heartbroken' after surprising tribute to Jock Zonfrillo: 'Wasn't expecting that'

• Jock Zonfrillo's widow honours their wedding anniversary in heartbreaking post

• Jock Zonfrillo's daughter celebrates first birthday without him: 'Unfair'

Lauren also said she's had physical effects of grief that has impacted her mind, body and memory

She called the journey "overwhelming and lonely" as she navigated parenting her two young kids who were only five and three at the time of Jock's passing.

"By building a bigger life, I was able to make grief a small percentage of that and that created space for happiness and that's where we're at now"

Celebs share messages of support for Lauren Zonfrillo

Friends and fans left messages of support for Lauren, with the book to be released May 6, 2025.

"Proud of you and in awe," Chantelle Otten said. "❤️❤️," Jackie O Henderson commented. "You are remarkable. Your openness and willingness to share your experience of loss and grief has helped endless people - those who are grieving and those who want to know how to be there for them. Your book is a gift I’ll be reading and sharing," someone else said.

"You’re an inspiration! Thank you for sharing your truth. So proud of you!" another said.

SHOP:

• Simple way to avoid common school shoe mistake: 'Save money, last longer'

• $500 off summer essential that saves you more than 100 hours a year

• Free product that could help increase your home's value by $112,000

Jock Zonfrillo's death

The MasterChef star, 46, was found dead in a Melbourne hotel room on April 30, 2023, leaving behind his wife Lauren and four children.

A cause of death was never publicly stated, although sources close to the family said the chef died of natural causes. Earlier this year, a spokesperson for the Coroner’s Court of Victoria told 7News that Zonfrillo’s death was still under investigation.

Want the latest lifestyle and entertainment news? Make sure you are following us on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok and don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter.