Channel Ten’s decision to air the new season of MasterChef after Judge Jock Zonfrillo’s death has divided viewers.
Season 15 of the show was set to start on May 1, but was postponed after the Scottish chef was found dead by police in a Melbourne hotel at 2am on Monday.
Announced on Wednesday, the new season will premiere on Sunday, May 7 at 7:30 p.m.
Some fans praised the network for continuing with the season, while others admitted it will be hard to watch.
“This is going to be so hard to watch, but I will. His family will be in my thoughts,” one wrote.
Channel Ten divided viewers after announcing an air date for the new season of MasterChef following the tragic death of judge Jock Zonfrillo
“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 person 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 person admitted, “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.
Season 15 of the show was set to start on May 1, but was postponed after the Scottish chef was found dead by police at a Melbourne hotel at 2am on Monday.
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.
The chef passed away at age 46, leaving behind 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, while others admitted it will be hard to watch
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 10… [He was] only 46. That’s why this is such a shocking piece of 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 is described to 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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The chef passed away at age 46, leaving behind 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