Jamie Oliver, who pops up on Channel 4 tonight (September 16) in Jamie: What to Eat This Week, shared his pain earlier this year over the loss of fellow chef Jock Zonfrillo.
Scottish presenter Jock passed away at the end of April 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. He was aged 46.
A judge on Masterchef Australia, Jock had worked in a London restaurant of Gordon Ramsay’s in the 1990s.
He was also formerly a colleague of Jamie’s – and the Naked Chef star hailed Jock in a touching tribute: “I can’t tell how good it was to work with him!”
‘It’s a tough year’
Following Jock’s death, Jamie was approached by producers of the cooking show from Down Under. He had cameoed in two shows in the final series Jock appeared in.
Speaking in April of this year, Jamie said he reckoned the show hit the right tone after losing Jock.
He said at the time to Woman’s Weekly Australia: “[I] came for two days last year. This year it felt more appropriate to help and bed in and launch the judges. They call me a judge, but really, I’m a guest judge and it’s been amazing.”
Everyone’s thinking of Jock.
Jamie added: “It’s a tough year but full of celebration and I think everyone’s thinking of Jock in the decision-making process. I am, and I think we’ve done it right.”
Furthermore, TV chef Jamie Oliver also reflected on how “tough” it was to ensure the show – also starring Andy Allen, Sofia Levin, Jean-Christophe Novelli, and Poh Ling Yeow as judges – continued in the “right” way.
View this post on Instagram
He added: “This sort of situation is very rare and it’s very painful. This was an incredibly important year to get right. We couldn’t get it wrong for obvious reasons. From my point of view I was here to support Andy and support the show, and that was it.”
JOIN ED!’S ANT AND DEC NEWS CHANNEL ON WHATSAPP – IN THESE 4 SIMPLE STEPS USING THE INVITE LINK HERE
Read more: Gino D’Acampo on why he owes his career to Jamie Oliver: ‘I thank God for him every day’
Jamie: What to Eat This Week is on Channel 4 tonight, September 16, from 8pm.
Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think of this story.