Channel Ten is still deciding whether to air MasterChef’s new season next week after Jock Zonfrillo’s shocking death
Channel Ten is scrambling to decide on season 15 of MasterChef following the tragic death of Jock Zonfrillo on Sunday.
The network announced they would postpone the premiere for a week after the cooking show’s Scottish judge was found dead in his Carlton hotel room aged 46.
A look at the upcoming TV Guide, however, shows that the 7:30pm slot for Monday and Sunday reads “To be advised,” indicating that the series has not yet been scheduled to air.
The channel also failed to put a temporary show in the prime time slot, likely due to the failure of their new series The Bridge, which bombed in ratings.
Reality series The Bridge was inserted at the last minute on Monday night to cover the delayed premiere of MasterChef.
Channel Ten struggles to make a decision on MasterChef season 15 following the tragic death of Jock Zonfrillo, 46, (pictured) on Sunday
However, it only served to scare away viewers, as Ten lost much of his expected primetime audience, with The Bridge drawing just 173,000 viewers.
The Bridge is a reality series in which 12 strangers are tasked with building a 1,000-foot bridge across a lake, using only their bare hands and basic tools, to win $250,000.
Despite the loss in prime time, the earlier time slot occupied by current affairs show The Project saw a ratings spike with 447,000 viewers tuning in to see hosts Waleed Aly and Sarah Harris address Zonfrillo’s death.
The network announced they would postpone the premiere for a week after the cooking show’s Scottish judge was found dead in his Carlton hotel room aged 46. Pictured with his now-widowed wife Lauren
However, a glance at the upcoming TV Guide shows that the 7:30pm slot for Monday (right) and Sunday (left) reads “To Be Advised,” showing that the series has not yet been scheduled to air.
Entertainment reporter Angela Bishop revealed on Monday’s episode of The Project that filming of MasterChef was wrapped up by the time Zonfrillo died.
It’s unclear when MasterChef will return to screens. Network Ten announced on Monday that it will not air this week out of respect for Zonfrillo’s family.
Police found Zonfrillo’s body around 2am on Monday after being called to a hotel on Lygon Street in Melbourne’s Carlton for a welfare check.
The Scottish-Australian chef and restaurateur co-hosted popular cooking show Channel 10 with Andy Allen and Melissa Leong in 2019.
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Police found Zonfrillo’s body around 2am on Monday after being called to a hotel on Lygon Street in Melbourne’s Carlton for a welfare check. He’s pictured here with MasterChef co-hosts Melissa Leong (center) and Andy Allen (left)