Till Death Do Us Part: Life without Jock and learning to live with intention

by Lauren Zonfrillo

It is difficult to take myself back to the beginning, and even more difficult to share such a private time in my life. But I will. It's how I will find meaning from the loss, from the universe robbing the kids and me of an extraordinary father and husband, by paying it forward to you.

In this deeply personal and heartfelt memoir, Lauren Zonfrillo details her journey through grief after the sudden and public loss of her husband, Jock - chef, restaurateur and, of course, beloved MasterChef Australia judge. Thrust into the role of a solo parent, with the overwhelming task of guiding her young children through their grief while managing her own, Lauren has also had to navigate the weight of public expectations and intense media scrutiny.

Lauren shares her path through this devastating time, including missteps, moments of despair and eventual steps towards healing. More than just a compelling read and a look behind the headlines, this book will provide solace to others trying to find their way through loss. And from the first page to the last, Jock is there.

Part memoir, part handbook for grief, with a love story at its core, Till Death Do Us Part is a powerful and unputdownable read.

Genres: Nonfiction, Audiobook, Biography, Memoir

Audible Audio

Published May 6, 2025

Reviews

[Alma G]

I’m not going to rate a book written by someone about their grief and journey but I will just say that perhaps, this has been written prematurely. There is still so much for the author to work through (understandably) and I feel time may alter how they would wish this work to be known and remembered.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

l liked this book. It was a sad book to read. No spoilers from me.

[Kel’s Books]

I don’t give ratings to memoirs because I don’t feel comfortable rating someone’s life and their experiences. Lauren Zonfrillo narrates the audio book herself and I appreciate hearing someone’s life story in their own words and voice

I’m so glad that Lauren found the courage and will to write this book. Part memoir, part roadmap for navigating a sudden traumatic death of your soul mate (who is also a celebrity) and the grief journey of your two very young children, I could not imagine going through what Lauren has endured

It is so important that we develop our collective skills in expressing and supporting each other as we grieve the death of our loved ones. I don’t think we collectively do this very well

There are so many things I learned from reading this book. But the key takeaway, for me, is the importance of having a loving, caring, supportive circle of friends and a community with you as you mourn, who relentlessly show up and hold you up when you’re at your weakest and most devastated. If you have people like this is your life, you are very lucky and these people are a gift

[EmG ReadsDaily · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heartfelt memoir, that is also part grief handbook.

[Judith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lauren Zonfrillo’s pain Is very real. The devastating news of her husband’s death has torn her life and that of her children as well as his completely apart. The fact that she is in Rome when she gets the news and that because Jock Zonfrillo was famous the press wants more of her and their children than is reasonable. It is honestly written and a thorough documentation of every day in the aftermath of death. Her strength shines through and with support of friends and family she weathers the immediate months and reflects over the months to come. Grief is so individual so the more that people write about it the more people will see they are not alone even if the circumstances differ. Some very useful advice from someone who has been through it.

[Jodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Katie Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful and heartbreaking ❤️ Listened to the audio book and had to hold back tears multiple times while in public.

[Jordan Oppert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Decided to give this a read after listening to Lauren’s podcast on ‘The Imperfect’s’ - which I’d also recommend. In this book Lauren shares how she’s navigated the loss of her larger than life husband and former MasterChef judge Jock, while also being Mum to his young children. Cannot fathom the added pain such a public passing added… (made me furious the lengths the family had to go to, to get privacy 😣!!!). While obviously very sad, I also found her outlook on life now incredibly inspiring. I find reading other perspectives on grief always help me on my own journey.

[Karen Peebles · Rating 4 out of 5]

World renowned chef Jock Zonfrillo's sudden death was a great shock and tragedy. His widow Lauren's memoir 'Til Death Do Us Part -Life without Jock and learning to live with intention' is a raw and moving account of what she and her family endured after his death and how they experienced their grief.

The book is touted as a 'grief handbook' but I found it more to be a moving memoir of a family grieving in the spotlight.

The only advice I took away was Lauren's recommendation not to ask anyone recently bereaved how they are going, because they likely won't have the emotional bandwidth to respond.

She suggests to those supporting people who have lost loved ones to simply offer condolences like 'I am sorry for your loss'.

The book is sad, but beautiful in its honesty and leaves the reader emotionally wrapping Lauren and the Zonfrillo family in their love and care.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Lauren lost Jock, she turned to books about grief to help her navigate her pain, & couldn’t find anything that fit her grief story - so she decided to write it. She acknowledges that everyone’s story is different, but she wanted to provide comfort to others in a similar situation.

Lauren is so honest about her experience, as well as the experience of her young kids.

This book was so raw & honest. I’d highly recommend for anyone who has experienced grief, or knows someone who has experienced grief. She provides stories of what she found supportive and what she found completely unhelpful.

[Abbey · Rating 4 out of 5]

MasterChef Australia is one of my favourite television shows. I remember feeling a tremendous sadness at the death of one of its judges Jock Zonfrillo in 2023, probably the most sadness I've felt at the passing of a celebrity. This book written by his wife Lauren is a lot about grief and how we deal with it but it's also about what happened in the year or so after Jock's death for Lauren and their children. I listened to this audiobook which was narrated by Lauren and would recommend it particularly for anyone dealing with grief or how to help others who are grieving.

[Rainie Simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was written so very well. I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about Jock and Lauren’s relationship. But most of all, it was reading and learning about how Lauren survived after the untimely death of Jock. It made me think about life and just how short our time here can be.
A wonderful read for anyone that has experienced grief, I’m sure while reading this book you can see resemblance to how you have felt.

[Rebecca Barker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an honest and raw read of Lauren’s personal grief journey. I enjoyed listening to Lauren read her story over audio. She expresses herself well. She comes across as a very strong, honest, emotionally intelligent intuitive woman. What an absolute legend for navigating such a devastating heart break in the public eye, while caring for two young children that are also navigating their own grief.

[Beth Firth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to this book on audio and hearing Lauren narrate her memoir in her own words and voice made the experience even more powerful. I could deeply relate to the unimaginable pain of losing someone unexpectedly and the difficult path of navigating grief, so this book felt incredibly real and raw to me.

Listening to other perspectives and stories about grief has always helped me feel less alone and this memoir was no exception. It was honest, heartbreaking and beautifully told.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is by far, the saddest, most heartbreaking story I have ever read. 💔 😢
Lauren provides great insights when supporting others in their grief, sudden or otherwise, what helped and what hindered her journey, and what 'support' truly looks like.
With courage, resilience, and hope, Lauren and her little family will forge a new, different life of love, with the love of Jock guiding them, one tiny step at a time. ❤️

[Louise Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been waiting not-so-patiently for this book to be available in the UK because I lost Mum very suddenly last November, we used to watch MasterChef Australia together (particularly Jock’s seasons) and it’s been a comfort watch during my grief. We both read Jock’s memoir last year and I know if she was still physically here, we’d have both read Till Death Do Us Part as well.

There are differences in my grief journey compared to Lauren’s (I can’t imagine what it’s like to try and navigate such a public tragedy with two small children) but there are far more similarities. There were so many paragraphs I wanted to highlight and be like ‘yes, that’s exactly how it feels.’

What I’ve learned is that there isn’t a right way to grieve, I remember being told that as I sat in the hotel room in Orlando still in my pyjamas for the third day in a row, just completely overwhelmed. I heard that advice but it didn’t really sink in until months later.

Lauren is so honest about her grief journey, the mistakes she’s made and the lessons she’s learned and I think that will really help anybody who’s going through their own grief. You’ve got to find what works for you and what I took the most from this book is that it’s OK. The hard days and the not-so-hard days, taking medication if you need to, putting boundaries in place and seeking joy where you can. Just because you’re not crying all the time, it doesn’t mean that you don’t carry your person close to your heart.

I don’t know Lauren but after reading the book, I think she should be proud of how far she’s come.

[Erin Davies · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lauren speaks with heartfelt eloquence about her experience with grief, especially the added weight of navigating it alongside young children. Her words are beautifully written and even more tenderly narrated.

[Farrells Bookshop · Rating 4 out of 5]

A real and honest portrayal of love and loss. This one hits you right in the gut. A guide for anyone who is grieving, but also for those needing direction on how to support their grieving loved ones. An emotional and memorable read.

Read by Sage

[Jeanette · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is well polished but also raw. Many of the things she's articulated really capture the experience of early grief and widowhood. It is a story of resilience and weakness in the early grief experience.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thankyou Lauren for sharing, as I sure it was difficult for you. I still can't watch Masterchef without Jock as no replacement can be as good as him. When Jock gave his worry beads to the Masterchef contestant who was struggling with his mental health and had to leave the competition, had tears in my eyes.

[Bettina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to take a break from reading this book for awhile as I just found it too triggering. And brought up lots of feelings of my own grief journey.

A grief journey is hard enough let alone in the public eye as well. A story well written.

⭐️ I give this book 4 stars ⭐️

[Julie Garner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartwarming and heartbreaking between the covers of this book. Raw and real, Lauren shares with us her grief and the hopes of her small family after the tragic loss of Jock.

I cried. I laughed. I felt all the feels. Excellent.

[Ella Trotta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a beautifully written book!

[SophieRose Noble · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly recommend the audio version. Although a heartbreaking story, beautiful to hear Lauren tell it in her own words. Sending love X

[Ree · Rating 5 out of 5]

So very brave to share such intimate details of yours and your families journey in the wake of Jock's death. Keeping shining ✨️

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Lauren for giving more of yourself and your families journey. Having lost Dad last year, I resonated with so may parts of this and felt like you were speaking from my heart.

[Mumma Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book I have read in years 💜💜💜

[Lynette]

A very honest account. I am sure this would be a very helpful read to others navigating this lonely walk.

[Lou Nova]

Thank you, Lauren, for sharing this <3

[Kate Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent book to read if you have or know of people who have experienced loss.