Channel Ten’s decision to air the new season of MasterChef following the death of Judge Jock Zonfrillo has divided the cooking show’s viewers.
The fifteenth season was due to start on May 1, but was postponed after the Scottish chef was found dead at 2am Monday in a Melbourne hotel.
Ten announced on Wednesday that the new season will premiere on Sunday, May 7 at 7:30 p.m.
Some fans praised the network for continuing with the season with the family’s blessing, while others said it would be hard to watch in light of Zonfrillo’s death.
“This is going to be so hard to watch, but I will. His family will be in my thoughts,” one viewer wrote on Instagram.
Channel Ten’s decision to air the new season of MasterChef following the death of judge Jock Zonfrillo (center, with Melissa Leong, left, and Andy Allen, right) has divided viewers
“While it will be sad knowing this is the last we’ll see of Jock, it will be a great honor to see him out in his final work on TV,” said another.
“Oh man, it’s going to be an extremely tough watch, but I wouldn’t want to miss it,” a third viewer commented.
“I was so excited for this season to start, but it’s going to hurt when it ends. Give it up for Jock Zonfrillo, everyone,” another wrote.
One fan said, “Man, this is going to be hard to watch. I don’t know if I can.’
“Watching this season will be heartbreaking. Still in disbelief. I can’t imagine how his family must feel,” another said.
The fifteenth season was due to start on May 1, but was postponed after the Scottish chef was found dead at 2 a.m. Monday in a Melbourne hotel.
Production on the 62-episode season wrapped up last month at MasterChef’s Melbourne headquarters in Flemington.
The new season reportedly cost “millions” to make, and producers are now looking to make a special “tribute” episode to Zonfrillo before confirming his replacement.
Zonfrillo is survived by his third wife, Lauren Fried, and his four children: adult daughters Ava and Sophia, from his first two marriages, and six-year-old Alfie and two-year-old Isla, with Fried.
A Victoria Police spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia: ‘Police went to an address on Lygon Street for a welfare check and found a dead man at around 2am on 1 May.
The death of the 46-year-old man is not considered suspicious. A report is being prepared for the coroner.’
Zonfrillo filmed season 15 alongside fellow judges Melissa Leong and Andy Allen, who both withdrew from their scheduled media interviews following his sudden death.
Allen and Leong were locked in for several TV and radio appearances this week to promote the launch of the culinary contest.
The publicity blitz had already begun Monday morning hours before the network and production company Endemol Shine learned of Zonfrillo’s death.
Some fans praised the network for continuing with the season with the family’s blessing, while others said it would be hard to watch in light of Zonfrillo’s death.
Angela Bishop, the Channel 10 entertainment reporter, was a guest on Monday night’s The Project — where Zonfrillo was set to appear before his death — and said she’d heard his co-stars were struggling to process the news.
“It’s a loss of a family member here at age 10… (He was) only 46. That’s why this is such shocking news,” Bishop said.
“As you say, together they would work 16 hours a day for MasterChef. You could not find closer colleagues and confidants.
“They’re devastated. ‘Broken’ is the word that describes me. They are trying to process this news.’
Zonfrillo’s MasterChef colleagues didn’t seem to know he died until shortly before the news broke on Monday afternoon, as the publicity machine for the new season wasn’t moving until 11:30 a.m. when Leong posted a countdown to the premiere on her Instagram account.
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Zonfrillo is survived by his third wife, Lauren Fried, and his four children: adult daughters Ava and Sophia, from his first two marriages, and six-year-old Alfie and two-year-old Isla, with Fried
