The special ingredient in a television recipe for success

But today, as she sits with her three-year-old daughter, Anais Emily, playing contentedly by her side in Michelin-starred restaurant Le Gavroche, she's warm, friendly and full of giggles.

"When people stop me on the street, they're always surprised that I'm nicer than they thought," she laughs.

"On TV, they only pick the serious parts – I have a laugh on there as well, but it's a serious programme."

She admits she takes the job of weeding out the best chefs for Michel Roux Jr's restaurant, where she works as sous chef, very seriously.

"Michel's put me forward to choose three chefs to cook for him, so I don't want to be embarrassed by the people I put through."

With the third series of Masterchef: The Professionals under way, the 35-year-old is easing into her new role on camera.

"I'm a bit more relaxed this series; I know what to expect, even though there are still a lot of surprises with the contestants," she adds, hinting at tears and tantrums to come.

"Working with Greg Wallace is fun, but, of course, there's always a point where it gets very serious. It's their career at the end of the day.

"I think the level of contestants coming through compared to last year is much higher, but could still be better skills-wise..."

The first episode delivered a corker, as most of the first four contestants failed to truss a bird properly. Cue some very stern words and alarmed looks from Galetti.

"I expect them to be able to do the tasks I give them," she explains.

"I didn't put them up for this, they did. I realise they're nervous, but they need to be able to hold their nerve and carry it through."

For those new to Masterchef: The Professionals, the intense competition unfolds over six weeks. The first four weeks each comprise three heats, where two chefs from each heat go through to a quarter-final.

In the quarters, the six chefs who made it through have to cook a dish they've invented and then face the infamous restaurant critics to secure a place in the semi-finals in week five.

Here, Galetti helps Michel Roux whittle the eight best cooks down to six, who then compete in pairs for a place among the three finalists.

Born in Samoa, Galetti grew up in New Zealand and began her cooking career by entering – and winning – competitions. But she soon found the expectations around her stifling, and moved to Europe to escape her own reputation.

"When I was going into jobs, people expected so much more of me, because they'd read an article about me winning a competition. I'd only been cooking a year or two, but the fact that I'd represented New Zealand in world finals... people think you know more than you do. I felt I wasn't being given a fair go and I came to London to get away from that."

She sent her CV to the best restaurateurs in the country, and Michel Roux Jr was the first to respond. But she soon learnt Britain's kitchens are more stressful than those in New Zealand.

"The hours are twice as long, the pressure's just immense – it was a huge eye-opener."

She's been working for Roux now for eight years and credits him as being a very fair boss.

"Over the years, I've had issues, personal things going on, and Michel's been there for me professionally and guided me throughout. We joke and laugh, but there's a very professional line when we're at work.

"You rarely hear him shout, but you know when he's upset. In the Roux family, it's in the eyes, and when he gives you this look, you're frozen."

Work is a family affair for the sous chef, who met her husband, David, at Le Gavroche, where he's head sommelier. They even had their wedding reception there.

Her dream job would be to run her own restaurant one day.

"I'd love to do a small 20-seater, my husband in front of house, me and my daughter in the kitchen, but who knows?" she says, with a giggle.

The reality for Galetti and many other aspiring female chefs, is it's tough to have a family and work the 15-hour days required of a head chef.

She currently works part-time (a mere 40 hours a week), sharing bedtime duties with her husband, and hopes Anais won't

face the same career dilemma.

Galetti has also learned to deal with being one of the few women in the kitchen. "Being a male-dominated work area, you have to have a second skin," she says.

"You have to be able to get on with the boys. You can either take it or you can't – and if you can't, get out of the kitchen."

Masterchef: The Professionals continues on week nights on BBC2.