Latest news with #Jock
Otago Daily Times
26-05-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
'An absolute legend' retires: No more ruff days at work for Jock
Christchurch shelter rescue canine Jock has taught hundreds of school kids about dog safety over the past 12 years. But it is finally time for the huntaway greyhound cross, who is Christchurch City Council's longest-serving education dog, to officially retire this year. Thirteen-year-old Jock was a spritely pup when he came into the Animal Shelter in 2014. When he was about 1, the friendly canine was adopted by the city council's animal management education co-ordinator Kym Manuel. Photo: Christchurch City Council Manuel now says it was one of the best decisions she has ever made. "Jock has been an absolute legend. "He came into the shelter as just a young pooch, and now at 13 he has toured the country for presentations at schools, libraries and public places." Jock was the original star of the Christchurch City Libraries Reading to Dogs programme and took part in the pilot session more than a decade ago. He is now one of the five dogs working to teach dog safety as part of the city council's DogSmart and DogSafe education programmes. Photo: Christchurch City Council Manuel said the free education programmes were developed by the animal management team to teach dog safety to children and adults to reduce the risk of dog attacks. "We realised there was a gap in our education approach, so shifted our strategy to focus on prevention and keeping the public safe." The DogSmart school programme works with pupils in years 1 to 8 and gives young kids an opportunity to safely interact with a dog. Photo: Christchurch City Council When Jock retires, his leash will be handed over to the current roster of canines who are on a mission to help our communities get dog smart. All of the dogs are family pets and are temperament tested before being gently introduced into the programmes, Manuel said. Animal management also offers DogSafe workplace training, which is designed to help prevent dog attacks on employees who come across dogs in their course of work. To find out more and apply for a free DogSmart or DogSafe training session, visit
RTÉ News
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
The Young Offenders is coming back for a fifth season
The BBC - in association with RTÉ - has recommissioned hit comedy The Young Offenders for a fifth season from producers Vico Films. Which is great news for fans of the misadventures of hapless heroes Conor (Alex Murphy) and Jock (Chris Walley), alongside their long- suffering mother/guardian Mairéad (Hilary Rose), former nemesis Garda Sergeant Tony Healy (Dominic MacHale) and the unpredictable Billy Murphy (Shane Casey). Created by Peter Foott, and based on his original film, the new six-part season will see Conor reunited with Jock in Cork after both spent the previous run in different prisons, in different parts of the world. Now that the loveable rogues are back together, there's nothing that they can't do - although whether they're successful at it is a different matter. The critically acclaimed hit show which has reached huge audiences in Ireland, the UK and internationally, set and filmed in Cork city and county, will once again feature Principal Walsh (PJ Gallagher), Siobhán (Jennifer Barry), Linda (Demi Isaac), Orla (Orla Fitzgerald) and Star (Rylee Hosford). Peter Foott s says: "All the original characters who audiences know and love since the show started are back in season five. "We have the funniest, most heart-warming stories in the new season that will show Conor and Jock getting into scrapes like never before. "We hope audiences will share our excitement to have all the gang back together, bringing more laughs, thrills and moments to remember to TV screens." Jon Petrie, BBC Director of Comedy, says: "We're thrilled to reunite with Conor and Jock in Cork for more gloriously misguided misadventures. "This fifth series is brimming with the wild heart, raucous charm and razor-sharp wit that have made The Young Offenders a true fan favourite." RTÉ's Executive Producer Comedy Justin Healy said: "Once again, we are thrilled another new season of The Young Offenders will air on RTÉ. "Irish Comedy is making a real impact on the international stage, and RTÉ is delighted to play its part in supporting the creative talent we have here, something that is central to what we do." The Young Offenders has kept audiences entertained since 2016 with the fourth season among the top three comedies across broadcasters for 16–34-year-olds in 2024 (excluding specials). Casting for the final roles in season five is now taking place, and applicants can submit an audition at
Irish Examiner
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Familiar face to return for new series of The Young Offenders
Rumours of the return of The Young Offenders have been circulating for weeks, but now it has been confirmed that the much-loved Cork-set show will indeed be back for a fifth season, complete with more scenes featuring one of the original stars. Chris Walley (Jock) was barely seen in the last series as he had other filming commitments, but the Glanmire actor is back in a full role for the new run. His character will be rejoining his old mate Conor (Alex Murphy), and the rogue-ish duo have even more in common this time around, having both spent time in prison. Stalwarts such as Hilary Rose (Mairéad), Shane Casey (Billy Murphy), and Demi Isaac (Linda) also return for the six-part series that's soon to begin production in Cork. The series is again produced by Vico Films, and is commissioned by the BBC, in association with RTÉ. Filming on a previous series of The Young Offenders. Jon Petrie, BBC director of comedy, said the British broadcaster was thrilled to reunite Conor and Jock in Cork. 'This fifth series is brimming with the wild heart, raucous charm and razor-sharp wit that have made The Young Offenders a true fan favourite,' said Petrie. Peter Foott, who created the hugely-popular original film in 2016, is also delighted to be working on another series. 'We have the funniest, most heart-warming stories in the new season that will show Conor and Jock getting into scrapes like never before,' says the writer/director who is also working on an unrelated feature film set in Castlecove, Co Kerry. While lead roles in The Young Offenders are already filled, the producers are still casting for a few characters, and have invited applicants to submit an audition via Meanwhile, BBC has confirmed it has commissioned another Irish drama series, with filming already under way on an adaptation of Rónán Hession's novel, Leonard and Hungry Paul. Jamie-Lee O'Donnell is to feature in the cast of Leonard And Hungry Paul. The Dublin author received widespread praise and a slew of awards following the 2019 publication of the endearing tale of two board-gaming friends. The cast for the six-part series will include Jamie-Lee O'Donnell (Michelle in Derry Girls). No broadcast date has yet been confirmed for either series. Read More Young Offenders creator Peter Foott to make new film set in Kerry
Daily Mirror
20-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mirror
'Distressing' fate of gorillas left behind after zoo closed two years ago
A troop of eight gorillas have remained living at Bristol Zoo Gardens since it closed to the public in September 2022, with intruders breaking in to their enclosure A tragic fortunes of a group of gorillas left behind after a zoo closed two years ago has been revealed. The troop of eight gorillas - Jock, Touni, Kera, Kala, Afia, Ayana, and toddlers, Hasani and Juni - have remained stuck living at Bristol Zoo Gardens' Clifton location since it closed to the public in September 2022. Sadly, the troop has been left tormented and traumatised by a series of break-ins after the Bristol Zoo Project said "false information" was disseminated online. The charity released a video on its Facebook page to raise revealing how the animals - including Jock, the oldest silverback gorilla in the UK - have suffered. READ MORE: Theme park left abandoned and 'frozen in time' where Orca whales still alive left to rot In the video, keepers said the latest trespassers had not been able to get near the gorillas thanks to increased security, but added that repeated attempts to gain access to the family of primates are "really distressing" for them. Imogen, one of the zookeepers, said loud alarms and sounds are triggered during each attempt. She said: "Although it is good news that our stepped up security has managed to keep the trespassers away from the gorillas, it does mean that every time somebody comes onto the zoo grounds, the alarms and sounders go off, which are quite loud - and that's actually really distressing for the gorillas." Gareth, another zookeeper, added the break ins, when described in "human terms", are comparable to "someone snooping around a family home outside". He explained: "The residents of that house will be worried and scared. The gorillas feel those emotions as well - especially the young, like Hasani and Juni, and the elderly, like Jock. "We've had issues immediately after the break ins the next day, doing basic husbandry routines because Jock in particular is so tired he just doesn't want to move." Hannah Windross, Director of People and Public Engagement, Bristol Zoological Society, said their former Bristol Zoo Gardens site has been targeted by trespassers on several occasions since July 2024. She explained: "This has resulted in videos and misinformation being spread on social media. Unfortunately, each time the videos are re-shared, we experience new break-ins at the site, where our Critically Endangered western lowland gorilla troop is being cared for by our expert keepers." "Our heightened security has ensured recent trespassers haven't been able to get near to the gorillas, but each time it happens, and alarms are set off in the middle of the night, it causes the troop distress. We take these incidents seriously. The care and welfare of our animals is always our top priority. "Our experienced keepers and dedicated welfare team have continued to care for the gorillas since the closure of Bristol Zoo Gardens, just as they did when the site was open to the public. We hope our supporters will help us raise awareness of the harm these continued break-ins are causing to our animals and combat misleading information that the site is empty. "It has been well publicised that the troop are still living in the Clifton site, and work is underway to create a new African Forest habitat at Bristol Zoo Project, which they will move into. There, they will be joined by many other of the world's most threatened species." Wildlife charity Born Free said it was "deeply concerned" for the health and safety of both individuals gaining access to the former zoo site, as well as the welfare implications for the gorillas which remain. "The presence of strangers and the loud noise from unpredictable alarms could be highly stressful for the gorillas and such chronic stress could pose short and long-term health risks; especially when combined with the many health and welfare issues great apes already experience in zoos," Chris Lewis, Born Free's Captivity Research and Policy Manager, told the Mirror. "More widely, it once again raises questions around the confinement of great apes, and whether the keeping of such profoundly intelligent and sentient animals can be ethically justified in today's society." The troop is now due to move a new Central African Forest habitat at the Bristol Zoo Project site near Cribbs Causeway this summer, ahead of its opening to the public in 2026. A spokesperson for Bristol Zoo said: "The gorilla troop will move across to their new habitat at Bristol Zoo Project in the summer of 2025 and the cherry crowned mangabeys, who will be sharing their habitat, will be carefully introduced. Time has been set aside for them to integrate and acclimatise to their new homes. Our African Forest habitat is due to open to the public in spring 2026." The Central African Forest (CAF), which will be located at the Bristol Zoo Project near Cribbs Causeway, was originally planned to be open in the summer of 2025 but has been delayed until spring 2026. Work on the new habitat began in June 2024 after planning permission was granted in January. However, the discovery of swallows and wrens, two species of nesting birds, have been located within the old Okapi Stable, which was due to be demolished as part of the development. The nesting birds are protected so the demolition of the stable was delayed until the birds were able to fly in late summer last year. This meant that construction of the new Crocodile and Parrot House, within the CAF, was delayed.
Daily Mail
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Lauren Zonfrillo reveals heartbreaking reason why she decided to have late husband Jock buried
Lauren Zonfrillo has revealed the heartbreaking reason why she decided to have her late husband buried rather than cremated. The widow of MasterChef Australia star Jock Zonfrillo recently appeared on The Imperfects podcast and made the painful admission she and her children needed a place to visit Jock. 'Jock and I never talked about death, like, "Do you want to get buried or cremated?" she began. 'So, I decided. 'I know Jock would have said, "Don't make a fuss, just cremate me", but the kids and I needed a place. 'And the ritual of the burial was a very important part of them processing what happened. Lauren added she and her children found it cathartic to visit Jock's grave. 'We go and visit him, it's a really nice cemetery. We go out there for Jock's birthday, Father's Day, and have a picnic breakfast,' she said. 'We spend time with Jock, and it makes sense to the kids that they know he is there. 'Alfie always lies on Jock's stomach, like where he used to lie. It makes sense to them, they can visualise it is a place where Jock is resting.' The celebrity chef was found dead in a Melbourne hotel room about 2am on May 1, 2023 after police were called to conduct a welfare check on the 46-year-old. His grieving widow raced home to Australia from Italy with the couple's two young children, where she was faced with seeing his body in a Melbourne morgue. At the time of Zonfrillo's death, Lauren had been in Italy and reportedly became concerned when her husband failed to keep to their usual daily schedule of telephone calls. A senior Victoria Police source told Daily Mail Australia that officers who attended Zagame's House in Carlton found Zonfrillo dead in his bed and saw no obvious signs of anything suspicious or unusual. There was no drug paraphernalia located, no one else in his room and police at the scene formed the initial view Zonfrillo had died of natural causes. Lauren has never publicly discussed Zonfrillo's cause of death and a spokeswoman for Victoria's Coroners Court told Daily Mail Australia in February that the August 2024 findings of an investigation would not be published. It is unclear if Lauren will reveal what she knows of what happened the night her husband died in her upcoming book Till Death Do Us Part, an extract of which appears in the current edition of The Australian Women's Weekly. Lauren said she 'has an answer' to what killed her husband, but 'it doesn't make a difference' to her grieving process. There was widespread speculation about the cause of Zonfrillo's sudden death due to his well-publicised history of drug abuse and mental health struggles. He left behind Lauren and their two young children, five-year-old Alfie and three-year-old Isla, as well as daughters Ava and Sofia from previous marriages. A source said Zonfrillo kept his health problems from most friends and colleagues, receiving treatment including chemotherapy when MasterChef was not filming. A fortnight after Zonfrillo's death his wife led about 200 mourners who gathered for a funeral at Macquarie Park Cemetery and Crematorium at North Ryde on May 13, and he was later interred there. Among those who attended the service were celebrity chefs George Calombaris, Matt Moran, Colin Fassnidge, Manu Feildel and Shannon Bennett as well as Jock's co-stars Allen and Melissa Leong. Lauren was among the pallbearers and delivered a eulogy before Jock's friend and fellow Scotsman, Jimmy Barnes, sang Amazing Grace. Jock wrote in his 2021 memoir Last Shot about battling a heroin addiction from his teenage years working as a chef in Glasgow. Before his death, Jock had been preparing for the launch of MasterChef's 15th season, which was set to premiere the night his body was found. According to his book, Jock kept a raging heroin habit hidden from everyone before going back to the UK in 1997 when his visa ran out.
