Anna Haugh, the Dublin-born chef and restaurateur, is stepping into one of the most visible roles in culinary television as the new Anna Haugh MasterChef co-host. Joining the BBC’s flagship cooking competition alongside Grace Dent, Haugh brings a blend of high-pressure professional experience and a vocal commitment to reforming the often-toxic culture of professional kitchens.
For Haugh, the appointment is less about a television milestone and more about a lifelong vocation. “Cooking is in my bones,” she says, describing the craft as a fundamental part of her identity. At 45, the chef-owner of London’s Myrtle restaurant is balancing her ascent in the media spotlight with the demands of running a business and raising her four-year-ancient son, Oisin.
The transition comes at a pivotal moment for MasterChef. The production has undergone a significant shift in leadership following the departure of long-time hosts Gregg Wallace and John Torode last summer, whose exits followed investigations into their conduct. While a BBC embargo limits the specific details of the upcoming season, Haugh describes her partnership with Dent as a collaboration between two professionals “at the top of our game.”
When asked about the significance of having two women at the helm of the production, Haugh remains focused on merit over optics. “It’s not the fact that it’s two women but rather that it’s people who should get the job, who do get the job,” she says.
Reforming the Culture of the Professional Kitchen
Haugh’s arrival on MasterChef coincides with a broader global reckoning regarding the “break them down to build them back up” mentality that has long plagued the culinary world. From her early days in London, where she encountered a prevailing prejudice that “women can’t cook,” Haugh witnessed the psychological toll of abusive kitchen environments.
This perspective informs her leadership at Myrtle, the Chelsea establishment she opened in 2019. Named after the late Irish food pioneer Myrtle Allen, the restaurant serves modern European cuisine with a distinct Irish influence. Within its walls, Haugh has implemented a zero-tolerance policy toward abuse, emphasizing empowerment and mutual respect.
She was unsurprised by recent reports regarding the New York Times exposé on Noma, the world-renowned Copenhagen restaurant where founder René Redzepi apologized for a history of abusive behavior. According to Haugh, the health of a kitchen is visible in the staff. “If you look at the sous chef in any kitchen, that will tell you what kind of leader the head chef is,” she notes. “If the chefs around the head chef look like they are burned to a crisp, well, that says it all.”
Despite the industry’s hardships, Haugh credits her resilience to the “knockbacks” of her early career. Having worked under high-profile chefs like Gordon Ramsay and Shane Osborn, she views Ramsay as a “great leader” whose professional success transcends his televised persona. For Haugh, the struggle was a necessary catalyst for growth.
The Intersection of Motherhood and Leadership
Beyond the pass, Haugh’s life is defined by her role as a mother. Oisin was born in 2021 following a lengthy IVF journey, a transition Haugh describes as an “absolute privilege.” She now co-parents her son, navigating the complexities of motherhood while managing Myrtle and its adjacent wine bar, The Wee Sister Wine Bar.
Haugh argues that the culinary industry remains dangerously behind the curve regarding maternity leave and the support of working parents. She recalls being told early in her career that pregnancy would be grounds for dismissal—a sentiment she believes still lingers in the subtle irritations some business owners feel toward maternity arrangements.
In her view, parenthood actually enhances professional capability. “When a person becomes a parent, you similarly become very quality at prioritising and time management,” she says. “You are also a better leader, having to deal with someone who can’t speak and can be very demanding.”
This patience is tested daily at home. Despite her professional expertise, Haugh admits her son often rejects her artfully prepared meals in favor of pasta with olive oil, and Parmesan. “It’s almost like being gaslighted by your four-year-old,” she laughs, noting that she refuses to fight him over food, trusting that his palate will evolve naturally.
From Tallaght to the Global Stage
Haugh’s journey to becoming a Anna Haugh MasterChef co-host began in the Dublin suburb of Tallaght. While she remembers her childhood as a home alive with music and scratch-cooked meals, she acknowledges that the reality was more disciplined. Her parents were strict, and her father initially opposed her pursuit of a culinary career, hoping she would attend university instead.
Her path was shaped by a series of pivotal influences and “troughs” that built her robustness. A key mentor, Liz Dunne, helped her realize that cooking could be a viable career. Her early training was a study in contrasts: a first-year apprenticeship at the Salthill Hotel involved preparing dehydrated mixes, while her second year at the prestigious L’Ecrivain under Derry Clarke introduced her to the rigor of handmade cuisine.
Haugh often uses the metaphor of wild oysters to describe this process of growth through stress. “If you farm oysters in water that doesn’t move with the tide, they will grow and be fine, but if you try to transport them, they will die,” she explains. “Whereas, if you grow your oysters wild, they will be stressed, but they will also be more resistant.”
This resilience has propelled her beyond the restaurant kitchen and into a burgeoning media career. In addition to her new role on MasterChef, she is set to helm the 2025 BBC series, Anna Haugh’s Big Irish Food Tour, further cementing her position as a leading ambassador for Irish gastronomy.
As the new season of MasterChef prepares to debut on the BBC, the industry will be watching to see how Haugh’s ethos of empowerment and respect translates to the high-stakes environment of the competition.
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