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'I love you, Dad. Always.' Jock Zonfrillo's daughter Ava has shared a tribute to her dad.

Barely three weeks since MasterChef judge Jock Zonfrillo passed away, his eldest daughter Ava has shared a moving tribute to her father on Instagram.

"Still can’t accept that we’ll be remembering you for more time than we had you," she wrote, "but it doesn’t mean we’ll love you any less.

"I love you Dad. Always."

Listen to No Filter: Remembering Jock Zonfrillo. Post continues below.


The 23-year-old shared a series of images of herself and her dad, both from her childhood and more recently, along with other family shots and videos. 

Ava's post comes just days after Zonfrillo's friend and fellow MasterChef judge, Andy Allen, shared his own message on social media, thanking fans for their ongoing support after his passing.

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"Grieving the loss of Jock will no doubt be a forever process," he wrote, alongside a picture of the pair appearing together on the show. 

"The last couple of weeks have been the hardest there have ever been. However, reading the thousands of messages of support from family, friends and those who didn’t personally know Jock but loved him all the same, has been overwhelming and helped not only me but I’m sure others cope with the tough times. 

"Although I won’t be able to get back to each and every one of you….thank you x"

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Zonfrillo's fans around the country were left reeling when news of his death was announced.

“With completely shattered hearts and without knowing how we can possibly move through life without him, we are devastated to share that Jock passed away," read a statement from his family. 

“For those who crossed his path, became his mate, or were lucky enough to be his family, keep this proud Scot in your hearts when you have your next whisky."

The chef, best-selling author, and philanthropist was best known Down Under for his hosting duties on MasterChef, and he quickly became a crowd favourite after he took on the role in 2019. He often spoke about his love for his family – daughters Ava and Sophia from a previous marriage, and son Alfie and daughter Isla with wife Lauren Fried.

"Not having a phone on, not being disturbed by anything else just giving myself to my kids – that, for me, is something that is brilliant," Jock told New Idea magazine in 2020.

"We FaceTime every night when she’s having dinner," he told the outlet of his connection with Ava in 2022. 

"We all have dinner together, and with the young kids and her, they love her as a big sister."

Feature image: Instagram/@avazonfrillo

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