MasterChef’s Jock Zonfrillo reveals why he couldn’t wait to finish filming

He was forced to spend time apart self-isolating from his wife and two daughters, while filming MasterChef: Back to Win in Melbourne.

Speaking to WSFM 101.7’s Jonesy & Amanda on Tuesday, Jock Zonfrillo said he felt ‘utterly miserable for six weeks’ while unable to see his Adelaide-based family.

Jock, 43, who has never been away from his third wife, Lauren Fried, for more than a day, described the ordeal as ‘unusual’, but admitted that it seemed like the safest thing to do.

‘I’m on set with 100 people every day, and we just didn’t know,’ he said. 

Jock has two daughters, Ava, 19, and Sophia, 14, from previous relationships, and shares son Alfie, two, with Lauren, who he married in January 2017. 

To make things more difficult, Lauren is currently heavily pregnant. The couple’s second child is due in September.

The judge went on to say that Channel 10 were quick to implement safety precautions on set to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

‘There’s a big difference. It’s something we’ve had to get used to. There’s no high fives, no hugging when somebody leaves leaves or is emotional,’ he explained.

Jock recently opened up about the challenges of being apart from his family for an extended period of time.

Speaking to New Idea, he said: ‘I’ve never been away from my wife for more than a night. I’ve never been happier to see everybody than when we got to reunite.’

The Scottish chef added that he relishes being a father, explaining: ‘I always wanted to be a dad. It’s a way of life. I couldn’t imagine life without kids.’

On Monday’s episode of MasterChef, Jock explained that social distancing rules would be going into effect on the set of the cooking show due to the coronavirus pandemic.

‘Welcome to a brand new week and a whole new world. A lot has changed in recent days due to the coronavirus. None of us have ever experienced anything like this before. But we are all in this together.