Jock Zonfrillo: Twist in the death of MasterChef star almost a year after his body was found in a hotel room

The sudden death of Jock Zonfrillo remains under investigation nearly a year after his body was found in a hotel room.

The MasterChef star, 46, was found dead at Zagame’s house hotel in Carlton, close to Melbourne’s CBD, on April 30 last year around 2 a.m.

His wife Lauren was in Italy with their two young children at the time and had called Victoria Police to request a benefits check because he had stopped answering her calls.

Sources close to the family claim Zonfrillo, a former heroin addict, died of natural causes. No drug paraphernalia was found in the hotel room.

However, in a strange twist, Ny Breaking Australia can now reveal that the coroner is still investigating his death almost ten months after the tragedy.

Jock Zonfrillo is pictured with his wife Lauren and his two youngest children

“The death of Jock Zonfrillo remains under investigation by the coroner,” a Victoria Coroner’s Court spokesperson said.

“This is an active investigation.”

Zonfrillo, who had recently moved to Rome with his family just before his death, left his wife and two young children Alfie and Isla in Italy to return for the launch of the 15th season of MasterChef.

He checked into the hotel just hours before the tragedy and faced a week of media commitments, but died the day before the show aired.

The chef was laid to rest at a private funeral in Sydney, surrounded by 200 family and friends. Pallbearers included his wife Lauren and MasterChef co-host Andy Allen.

Zonfrillo opened up about his battle with heroin addiction, his rise to the top of the culinary world and his relationship struggles in his 2021 memoir, Last Shot.

In the book, he spoke candidly about how he started working for celebrated British chef Marco Pierre White at the age of 17, when he was homeless and addicted to heroin.

Jock Zonfrillo died at the Zagame’s House hotel in Carlton, on the outskirts of Melbourne

When his boss realized he was sleeping in the restaurant, he found him shelter and loaned him money.

Zonfrillo moved to Australia in 1996 at the age of 20 and got work at Forty One in Sydney’s central business district. He used cocaine, pills, LSD and cannabis, but hid a raging heroin addiction from everyone.

He returned to Britain when his visa expired in 1997.

Two years later he took his last shot of heroin in the toilets at Heathrow Airport before returning Down Under, and used the experience as inspiration for his book title.

He quit cold turkey, claiming his love of food and cooking saved his life.

Do you know more? Charlotte.Karp@mailonline.com