MasterChef Australia: Search begins for Jock Zonfrillo’s replacement

Network Ten is about to begin the search for Jock Zonfrillo’s replacement for MasterChef Australia, with “every celebrity chef” a contender.

Hit show insiders say casting talks have already begun following the beloved judge’s tragic death in the early hours of May 1, a day ahead of the show’s 2023 premiere.

The insider described it as a “dismal process” with everyone involved still mourning the enigmatic Scottish chef who joined the cast in 2019.

MasterChef’s 2024 season will enter pre-production soon, with the show’s filming set to begin in August after the spin-off Dessert Masters wraps.

It is clear that both well-known personalities and virtual strangers are considered for the role.

According to a production insider, the decision will ultimately be based on chemistry, with the new host having to find the right on-screen relationship with fellow judges Melissa Leong (left) and Andy Allen (center)

According to a production insider, the decision will ultimately be based on chemistry, with the new host having to find the right on-screen relationship with fellow judges Melissa Leong and Andy Allen.

“Obviously that will be the most important thing because it was something that originally really got Jock the position,” a source told Daily Mail Australia.

“You have to remember that when Jock was cast he was a dark horse… he was a renegade in the industry and he wasn’t what many expected in that role.

“But his chemistry with the others was great. And the new host will especially need that.’

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Channel 10 for comment.

Meanwhile, casting speculation in both TV and food circles is rife with a number of names already being touted for the coveted role.

MasterChef alum Dan Churchill (pictured) is believed to be on a shortlist of candidates

Josh Niland, who appeared as a guest chef on MasterChef in 2021, is a big contender

Sydney chef and cookbook author Danielle Alvarez (far right) is also believed to be in the mix

Topping the list are former MasterChef stars Dan Churchill and Hayden Quinn, as well as Vue De Monde newcomer Hugh Allen and seafood guru Josh Niland.

Sydney chef and cookbook author Danielle Alvarez, Shell House director Joel Bickford, Italian maestro Alessandro Pavoni and Mimi’s chef Jordan Toft would also be shortlisted.

Another contender, Poh Ling Yeow, made a surprise return to the show Monday night to give the season 15 contestants their first-ever Mystery Box.

Melbourne-based Hugh Allen, who previously appeared on MasterChef, has been tipped as one of Zonfrillo’s possible replacements

Another contender, Poh Ling Yeow (pictured), made a surprise return to the show Monday night to give the season 15 contestants their very first Mystery Box

Colorful Sydney food icon Allessandro Pavoni is also in the running for the coveted gig

Allen, Leong and Zonfrillo replaced former judges Matt Preston, George Calombaris and Gary Mehigan in 2019 after their shock abdication.

Despite having much smaller public profiles than their predecessors, the newcomers became a hit with viewers and the show continued to dominate the ratings.

Leong, in particular, has emerged as a bona fide network star and a brand in her own right with lucrative partnerships with Visit Victoria, QT Hotels and Perrier-Jouet Champagne.

Melissa Leong has emerged as a bona fide network star and a brand in her own right

Nearly a month later, the current season of MasterChef has been a hit for Ten, with the show regularly averaging 500,000 viewers and winning its timeslot.

Zonfrillo died in his hotel room at Zagame’s House on Lygon Street in Carlton and was found by police at about 2am on Monday 1 May – the same day Channel Ten was due to premiere the fifteenth season of MasterChef Australia.

Police responded to a welfare check after concerns raised by his wife Lauren Fried, who was in Italy with their son and daughter at the time.

Zonfrillo is survived by his third wife, Lauren, 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.

Jock Zonfrillo is pictured with his wife Lauren Fried