Anna Haugh replaces Monica Galetti as a judge on MasterChef: The Professionals

Anna Haugh will join BBC One’s MasterChef: The Professionals as a judge for the upcoming series alongside Marcus Wareing and Gregg Wallace, it was announced Friday.

This comes after former judge Monica Galetti stopped filming earlier this month to balance the needs of her restaurant business and her family.

Anna is the head chef of Myrtle Restaurant in Chelsea and will join Marcus and Gregg for Series 15, which will return to BBC One later this year.

Anna has been cooking professionally for nearly 20 years. She started her internship at L’Ecrivain in Dublin before working for Gualtiero Marchesi in Paris.

When Anna moved to London, she worked with Shane Osborn at Pied a Terre, Philip Howard at The Square, and later became head chef for Gordon Ramsay in the opening of London House.

“Anna brings a wealth of culinary expertise and experience to the competition and we are delighted to have her on our MasterChef: The Professionals jury,” said MasterChef Editor-in-Chief David Ambler. said.

Anna said: ‘MasterChef has an impeccable reputation and legacy in the hospitality industry. I have long admired Monica as an amazing chef and she paved the way for female chefs. Keeping your seat warm in the MasterChef kitchen is a privilege,” she said.

Here it is: it comes after former judge Monica Galetti stopped filming earlier this month to balance the needs of her restaurant business and her family.

BBC Entertainment’s Commissioning Editor Sarah Clay said: “Anna is a wonderful addition to the MasterChef family, her cooking knowledge is outstanding. I can’t wait to see her critiques and bring her warmth and enthusiasm into the kitchen,” she said.

Anna is a regular chef on BBC One’s Morning Live, where she talks about her new role as a judge.

He is also a regular guest and guest chef on BBC One’s Saturday Kitchen; He was one of the main chefs of the BBC’s Ready Steady Cook programme, appearing in the second season of Snackmasters on Channel 4 and three series of BBC One’s Royal Recipes.

Hurray! Anna is the head chef of Myrtle Restaurant in Chelsea and will join Marcus and Gregg for Series 15, which will return to BBC One later this year.

Earlier this month, Monica announced she would be leaving her role as a judge on the BBC show.

The 46-year-old chef has been part of the trio of judges for 14 years, first with Michel Roux Jr and Gregg, then with Marcus since 2014.

In a statement, he said he would retire from his television role to focus on his family and his London restaurant.

Monica is married to French sommelier David Galetti and shares a young daughter, Anaïs, who is now 14 years old.

Busy: Anna is also a regular guest and guest chef on BBC One’s Saturday Kitchen; He was a lead chef on the BBC’s Ready Steady Cook (Pictured in Ready Steady Cook)

Monica said in a statement: “I wholeheartedly took the decision to step back from filming this year’s MasterChef: The Professionals series.

My family needs me, my restaurant needs me, and trying to balance long days at the cinema with all these imperatives in the next three months meant something had to be done.

Therefore, for now, all my attention should be on my 100% loved ones and especially on the restructuring of my kitchen team, which has been struggling in recent months. Those in the hospitality industry know how difficult it is right now.

For my family, my team, and my friends at MasterChef, I’m so sorry I couldn’t be with you this year, but I hope to be back soon.”

I would like to thank both the BBC and Shine TV for understanding my decision, but I will be your biggest supporter from the sidelines this year.

“I’ll check – my fellow judges and my friends Marcus and Gregg – you have this! If you don’t feel safe at all, think about it: What would Mon do?! Hello!’

Entertainment Editor Sarah Clay said: “Monica is a valued member of the MasterChef family, and while we will miss her experiences and her invaluable knowledge of cooking and cooking, we fully support her movie vacation to focus on her family and work. We wish you continued success and will return to you in the future. Hope to see you in MasterChef kitchen.’

Busy: Monica has said in a statement that she will be retiring from her television role to focus on her family and her London restaurant (pictured with her husband David at the Mere restaurant in Fitzrovia)

MasterChef Editor-in-Chief David Ambler added: “Monica is one of the most talented chefs of her generation, we have worked closely together for the past 14 years and we see her as an integral member of the MasterChef family.

We hope this is only for this season and the door is always open for his return.”

Based on a format created by Franc Roddam, MasterChef searches for the best amateur chefs.

The format has been hugely successful worldwide, with 65 local broadcasts, more than 10,000 episodes worldwide and 500 series to date.

Long-term: Monica in her resignation statement said: “It is with great sadness that I have decided to leave this year’s series MasterChef: The Professionals” (pictured in the first series)

18 series of the updated version of MasterChef is out; 16 Celebrity MasterChef series, 14 MasterChef: The Professionals series, and three Junior MasterChef series.

Last year, Monica talked about racism in the TV and food world.

Speaking to the Good Housekeeping Chief, he insisted that he must always report a racist, whether it’s “direct racism” or “ignorance,” otherwise the offender can’t find out.

Born in Samoa and raised mainly in New Zealand, Monica said, “I was once having dinner with a group of women and was laughing about something with a friend when a woman across the table said, ‘Oh, that’s it.’ I love you Asians: it just is. say it”.

“And I was in a kitchen where someone was like, ‘I don’t know what it is; Ask the black girl over there. And I said, ‘Are you talking about me?’

“If no one says anything, it happens, so when I hear it happens – whether for me or for anyone else – I will scream. We all have to.

“I want other women of color to know that everyone is up for grabs. Yes, it will be hard to stay strong in the beginning but anyone can do what I do,” she said.

Monica has talked about finding herself on TV and how she has been compared to people like Gordon Ramsay and Simon Cowell for being “bad”.

Host: Monica participated in BBC’s Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby with Giles Coren alongside MasterChef (left)

“Television is a fun world,” he thought. ‘At first I found the feedback pretty harsh; It’s hard for people to judge you and say you’re terrible.

“They called me the Simon Cowell of the food world and the Gordon Ramsay woman. what does it mean? As far as I knew it was part of being a chef; so we talked in the kitchen.

“Since then I’ve learned to be a little more careful with my words so people don’t believe I’m really bad!”

Regarding her family life, Monica said: “This was the hardest part. Being a mother and keeping one foot at the top of the industry wasn’t easy.

“At first, David and I shared childcare while one of us was at work and the other at home, then we switched places but we barely saw each other. Even then, I felt so guilty.

“Anaïs is 13 now and she needs me less, but I have the constant fear that I only have a few years left before she wants to go out and do her job.”

Heritage: Born in Samoa and raised in New Zealand, Monica developed an early interest in food, a very important part of Samoan culture, and trained as a chef in New Zealand.