‘It’s very flattering but I’m Captain Awkward!’ MasterChef’s Jock Zonfrillo admits he’s ’embarrassed’ over his heartthrob status… after fans went wild over his brooding looks and dubbed him the ‘hot judge’
Jock Zonfrillo has made quiet the impression on MasterChef Australia fans, with viewers going wild over his rugged good looks.
And this week, the 43-year-old spoke about his new heartthrob status, after being dubbed the ‘hot judge.’
Speaking to The Daily Telegraph this week, Jock admitted that he’s ’embarrassed’ about it all.
‘It’s very flattering but I’m Captain Awkward!’ MasterChef’s Jock Zonfrillo admits he’s ’embarrassed’ over his heartthrob status… after fans went wild over his brooding looks and dubbed him the ‘hot judge’
‘Listen, I’m in my mid-40s,’ he told the publication.
The restaurateur went on to insist that he is ‘awkward’ in real life.
‘I find it embarrassing. It’s very flattering… but I’m Captain Awkward,’ he said.
New lineup: Jock has made quite the impression on MasterChef Australia fans
Big fans! Earlier this week, he caught the attention of some MasterChef fans who couldn’t stop gushing over his smouldering looks
Earlier this week, he caught the attention of some MasterChef fans who couldn’t stop gushing over his smouldering looks.
One fan tweeted: ‘Don’t worry too much about the contestants, just focus on the hot judge Jock Zonfrillo…that’s all you need for the whole season.’
Another added that Jock is ‘so unbelievably hot,’ saying they loved his tattoos and good looks.
Struggles: While fans may be falling in love with Jock, many would be surprised that the 43-year-old has a dark past and for many years had a crippling addiction to heroin which led to homelessness and financial ruin
While fans may be falling in love with Jock, many would be surprised that the 43-year-old has a dark past and for many years had a crippling addiction to heroin which led to homelessness and financial ruin.
Jock’s life spiralled out of control when he tried the drug for the first time at the age of 15, while growing up in Glasgow, Scotland in the 1980s.
Within two years, his addiction had taken over his life and he found himself estranged from his family, homeless, broke and desperate for a job in the culinary industry.
He credits chef Marco Pierre White for saving his life, after he knocked on the British culinary king’s door begging for work when he was 17 and had run out of options.
His story: He credits chef Marco Pierre White for saving his life, after he knocked on the British culinary king’s door begging for work when he was 17 and had run out of options
‘He arranged a youth hostel for me to stay in and lent me money that was to be paid back out of my wages. That sums up Marco – generous beyond measure,’ Jock told The Advertiser in 2017, reflecting on all of Marco’s help.
Jock continued to struggle with drug abuse until he moved to Australia in 2000.
He did drugs for the last time in Heathrow Airport before boarding a flight to Sydney with his first wife, saying his love of food helped him beat his addiction.
‘A lot of my friends from my early days are dead now or in jail. The thing about being a junkie is that the only way you can get out is if there’s something in your life more compelling than drugs,’ he told the Financial Times in 2017.
‘And for me, I had another addiction: to food and to cooking. That’s what moved me on. That’s how I survived.’
Jock is now happily married to third wife, businesswoman Lauren Fried, who is pregnant with their second child. He has two other children from his first two marriages.
MasterChef: Back to Win continues Sunday at 7:30pm on Channel 10
Happy: Jock is now happily married to third wife, businesswoman Lauren Fried (pictured), who is pregnant with their second child. He has two other children from his first two marriages