Returning MasterChef contestant Brent Draper reveals he never goes anywhere without his worry beads, which were gifted to him by the late Jock Zonfrillo.
This year, Brent Draper will don the infamous white apron once again after leaving the 2021 MasterChef season to look after his mental health. “It's a really wonderful platform to be able to be real, to tell the stories of who we are,” Leong told Mediaweek during an interview before the premiere.
I've got lots of different types of worry beads, and when I'm feeling anxious or a little bit stressed, basically, I flick through them like that and the more anxious and more worried you get, the faster I do it.” Zonfrillo said the beads were given to him by the former partner of late writer AA Gill.
In 2021, contestant Brent Draper sensationally quit the show to take care of his mental health, informing Mr Zonfrillo he 'had nothing left'. In a TV moment, the judge took the 31-year-old aside, choking back tears as he told Brent how proud of him he was.
Zonfrillo was found dead in his Melbourne hotel room on April 30, at age 46 and his death shocked the culinary world. News of Zonfrillo's death also broke just hours before the new season of Masterchef, which he appeared on as a judge, was about to air.
Ramsay was brought to tears when he spoke about Zonfrillo, who he had worked with back in the 1990s in London. 'It's just a shock, a massive shock. He was never done as a chef. He still had years to go,' he said.
Brent Owens, who ended up winning the season, gave Emelia $50,000 of his $250,000 prize money, after the pair made a pact that whoever won the competition would give the other a cut. After leaving the MasterChef kitchen in 2014, Emelia went on to open her own cake business.
Now working as a digital content creator for brands, Brent has worked as a National Coles Ambassador for the past two years, developing recipes and content for the retailer.
Since his return to Australia, Brett has been a Strategic Advisor, company Director and the CEO of several biotechnology groups in Australia, including leading Cancer Therapeutics CRC during the execution of a licensing deal with Pfizer worth up to $670M.
He responded by taking to his Instagram account to answer the "billion messages" he received from fans asking about his mysterious bracelet. "These are worry beads," Jock explained in the clip, which you can watch above.
Prior to his tragic passing on April 30, 2023, Jock was married to Lauren Fried. The couple shared two children together, their son Alfie and daughter Isla. Jock was also the father to two teenage girls, Ava and Sophia, from his first two marriages.
During his time on MasterChef Australia, Zonfrillo was often seen wearing a set of rosary beads around his wrist, which he said served as a reminder of his journey in recovery. Following his death, the police announced that he died of natural causes, although no official report has been declared yet.
“It just took so much to let people know that I was struggling with my mental health and as a male, it's a very hard thing to do, let alone on national television,” Brent revealed. “But I left, saw a therapist, and rebuilt my footings.”
He stated he wanted to be "honest" about why he felt compelled to leave the show, saying that his mother became "very ill" shortly before filming began. Brent said, "Basically, it all sort of started when my mother was pretty sick before the filming of MasterChef.
He has presented the BBC Three documentaries, Adam Pearson: Freak Show and The Ugly Face of Disability Hate Crime, and appeared as a reporter in the Channel 4 series, Tricks of the Restaurant Trade. Pearson was nominated as UK Documentary Presenter of the Year at the 2016 Grierson Awards.
After working as a cook, Owens left Australia to pursue a career in biotechnology.
Related Articles. Brent Draper is a contestant from MasterChef Australia Season 13 & Season 15. He is placed 13th on Season 13.
Post MasterChef
After his first appearance, Derrick got married and took his wife's surname and is now Derrick Fox. He helped open a restaurant in LA and has done a number of pop up dining events across the USA.
In 2015 Elizabeth co-founded Pidgin in Hackney, and in 2017 she was awarded her own Michelin star- the only MasterChef contestant to currently hold that title.
Andy Allen The season four winner was as famous for his food as he was for his "bromance" with fellow contestant, Ben Milbourne. After the show, the best mates travelled the world, cooking up a storm and sharing it all on YouTube. Andy is now the owner and chef of the Three Blue Ducks in Roseberry.
Masterchef winner Emelia Jackson has announced that she and her partner Craig are growing their family. The pastry cook took to Instagram over the past week making the announcement that the couple is expecting a baby boy in May 2023.
The show was postponed following news of Zonfrillo's passing. According to Daily Mail Australia, police believe that Zonfrillo died of natural causes and nothing unusual or suspicious was discovered in the hotel room where he was found.
Season 1. Gordon is introduced as a homicide detective and Iraq War veteran of the U.S. Army who has recently been transferred to Gotham City, where he lives with his fiancée, Barbara Kean. In his first case, Gordon and his partner, Detective Harvey Bullock, are assigned to investigate Thomas and Martha Wayne's murder.
Zonfrillo, 46, was found dead by police about 2am on Monday following a welfare check at boutique hotel Zagame's House in inner-city Carlton. The swanky hotel, which offers rooms for $650 a night, eerily backs onto the rental home Zonfrillo had lived in with his family since 2020.