Jock Zonfrillo’s daughter flees Australia and reveals why the devastating death of her MasterChef star father sparked the move

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Jock Zonfrillo’s oldest daughter has announced she’s moved away from Australia.

I’ve been following Ava Zonfrillo for a while now, and I was so excited to hear she’s moved to London! At just 24, she’s already a PR whiz, and it makes perfect sense she’d choose the UK – it’s where her Scottish dad comes from, and she said it was a really easy decision for her.

She believes he’d be incredibly proud, saying he always anticipated she’d live abroad, just as she did. ‘He would have wholeheartedly supported it,’ she shared with Woman’s Day magazine.

She added that moving to London had been a moving experience that made her feel closer to her dad.

Ava shared that she’d traveled with her dad previously, and returning to the same places felt like he was with her, which brought her a lot of comfort.

Ava shared how she dealt with the sadness after her father passed away in 2023, including the things that helped her cope.

Grief comes and goes in stages. Everyone deals with it uniquely, and it’s important to give yourself the time and freedom to grieve in a way that feels right for you, she explained.

I decided to quit my job and start freelancing, hoping to simplify my life. It was a very public experience, and I kept replaying everything in my mind, finding it difficult to move on.

Ava concluded by explaining that she made sure Jock’s cookbook, *Recipes to Remember*, was published after he passed away, as a way to honor his memory.

I’ve always believed food brings people together, and that’s certainly been true in my family. So many of our most important talks and memories happened right there in or around the kitchen – it really feels like the heart of our home, as Ava so perfectly put it.

Ava is the daughter of Jock and his first wife Amanda Ewing. 

She followed her father’s path and pursued a career in cooking, starting with a job in public relations for hotels and restaurants.

The 24-year-old graduated from the University of Technology Sydney in 2019. 

Jock was privately buried in Sydney in May 2023, with around 200 family and friends in attendance.

When Jock died, his wife, Lauren Fried, was in Italy. She became worried because he didn’t call her like he normally did every day.

According to a high-ranking police source, officers responding to Zagame’s House in Carlton discovered the man deceased in his bed. There were no immediate indications of foul play or anything out of the ordinary.

It was truly touching to see so many faces from the Australian food world at the service. Lauren and my co-host, Andy Allen, were honored to be pallbearers, and honestly, it felt like everyone who’s anyone in the culinary scene was there to pay their respects.

When the police arrived, they didn’t find any drug-related items in his room, and he was alone. Based on that initial assessment, they believed Jock had passed away from natural causes. As a lifestyle expert, I always advise people to prioritize their health and well-being, and this case is a stark reminder of how quickly things can change.

Jock was working on the upcoming 15th season of MasterChef right before he passed away, and it was scheduled to air the same night he was discovered.

Before he passed away, he had begun planning a new restaurant and was also writing a cookbook.

Jock left behind four children: Ava, Sophie, Alfie and Isla. 

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2025-10-13 03:18