Jock Zonfrillo’s wife, Lauren Fried, has taken to Instagram to share a heartbreaking, candid message about her late partner, who died in Melbourne on April 30, aged 46.
In an Instagram video, Lauren touched on the massive impact the Jock’s passing has had on her and the family, admitting that the grief process is something she will be living through for a while.
The pair married in 2017 after dating for over three years, and share two young children together, Alfie, 6, and Isla, 2. Zonfrillo also has two children from a previous marriage.
“It’s been a month since we lost Jock, and I put a line in the sand thinking that at the one month mark, I would turn some sort of a corner,” Fried said in the clip. “Obviously, that hasn’t happened.”
While endless tributes have honoured the Scottish-born chef, including messages from colleagues and fans worldwide, this is the first time Fried has spoken out publicly about her loss.
She took the opportunity to thank everyone who has supported the family over the last month, including Zonfrillo’s online following of nearly 400,000 people.
Watch the full clip above (article continues below)
“I really wish that he knew how loved he was, that he knew the impact he had on so many people,” she added.
Fried also explained that Zonfrillo had not been idle while filming MasterChef, and that he actually had a lot of work in the pipeline, which he was finishing off when he passed.
She asked fans as to what they thought of releasing some of this “hard” work prior to his death.
“He had behind the scenes photos and interviews from MasterChef, books, a fashion range, he’s got spirits ageing in a distillery in Tasmania,” she said, getting emotional.
“He’s got a TV show he filmed in Italy last year with the family,” she said, adding that she would poll fans on his social media accounts about how much of this material they would like to see posthumously.
It’s clear that it will be a difficult road for the Zonfrillo family, who have appeared stoic and close throughout their loss.
Zonfrillo’s funeral was held in the middle of May, giving his family the opportunity to say goodbye. Fried was in attendance alongside his four children and MasterChef judges Andy Allen and Melissa Leong. Zonfrillo’s coffin was adorned with Royal Banner of Scotland, in reference to his heritage.
Zonfrillo’s final series of MasterChef season 15, is currently being aired on Network 10 but was delayed a week in the wake of the TV star’s passing.
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