MasterChef: The Professionals star Monica Galetti has opened up about her home life with husband David and daughter Anais - and revealed the one dinner habit she sticks to with her family. The 49-year-old is back for a new series of the MasterChef spin-off alongside her fellow judges Wareing and .

While the professional chef is one of the most recognisable faces on the , she admitted that her family does not eat food in front of the telly. "No, we're quite settled at home, you know, we like to be around the table, you know, and have a conversation when the three of us are at home," she said. "And then also, I think, you know, we have very busy lives, you know. And I travel a lot, so when I am home, dinner time, meal times are really important.

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"I mean, they're not a three-course affair, but, you know, just to be around the table and find out what our daughter's been up to for the day, and then the same with the hubby and just talk, yeah, it's something that I actually treasure a lot."

Meanwhile, her co-star Marcus had the same attitude. "I don't eat in front of the telly. I agree with Mon, it's the family time. We tend to just - that's the time to catch up. I imagine Monica’s the same - when we're cooking at home, we’re cooking with fresh ingredients, and we do our very best," added Marcus, who is father to Jake, 23, Archie, 20, and Jessie, 17, with his wife Jane.

"It's interesting, because as a chef, you cook, you chop the same, you season the same, you fry the same, whether you're in a kitchen at a restaurant or whether you're at home, and you bring that that feeling home, all the food processes in my house are all about making great food, fresh food, as much as possible, and having a great meal. And to do that, you need to sit at the table to enjoy it rather in front of the telly."

The new series of MasterChef: The Professionals sees 32 professionals attempt to impress the BBC judges and a series of guests - including , Jay Rayner and Tom Kerridge.

Catch the latest culinary battles on MasterChef: The Professionals, airing Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

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