MasterChef Australia judge Jock Zonfrillo reportedly died of natural causes aged just 46.
The celebrated Scottish chef was found dead at an address at 2am on Monday at the age of 46, his family confirmed in a statement.
The dad-of-four's death comes just as MasterChef Australia's 15th season was due to begin on Monday night, but has now been pushed back to Sunday with the “full support” of late judge Jock's family.
It was previously reported Jock's death was not suspicious, and it's now understood he died of natural causes.
In the wake of Jock's death, a friend and neighbour of the chef has recalled how he would open up about his "demons" over a glass of whisky.
Jock has spoken publicly about his heroin addiction and being homeless as a teenager, before he began working for renowned chef Marco Pierre White.
Stuart Ayer says he and his wife became friend's with Jock's family after they became neighbours three years ago.
He told Daily Mail Australia Jock was a great guy, and said: "I was a bit choked up when I found out he died, and I still am.
"We used to sit and talk about our demons - he was open about his demons in his book, but I have my own and we'd chat about them over a scotch."
The chef, who was born and raised in Scotland, struggled with addiction since he was 14 years old.
He once said being a teenager in Scotland in the 1980s was the cause of his addiction issues.
It started off with cocaine and pills before he searched for a different high, and eventually started using heroin.
"Drugs were everywhere — we were surrounded. A lot of kids got into trouble and I was one of them," he said.
Jock explained that if he wasn't shooting up "at least twice a day", he would immediately get sick with the symptoms of withdrawal.
He was fired from his job at Michelin Star restaurant in The Turnberry Hotel in South Ayrshire when he was a teenager and he made the decision to travel to London and found himself at Marco Pierre White's restaurant.
Thankfully, Marco gave him a job at his world-famous Hyde Park Hotel and his life turned around.
"I've always said, 'If it wasn't for food, I would've died.' When you're an addict, there's very little that's more compelling than doing that drug. Luckily for me, I somehow fluked upon cooking," Jock once said.
Daily Mail Australia reports Jock died of natural causes and nothing unusual suspicious was found in the hotel room he's understood to have been staying.
He is said to have travelled to Australia from Italy, where he lived with his family, for the launch of the MasterChef Australia.
It had previously been reported Jock had been receiving bowel cancer treatment from June 2021, a month after it was detected.
There is no suggestion he died from cancer.
A coroner is yet to determine the specific cause of death.
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