Manu Feildel - judge/host

Manu Feildel was always destined for a career in food.

His great grandfather was a pastry chef, his grandfather and father were both chefs and his mother too is a great cook.

But, at 13, Manu was actually training to be a performing circus clown and had plans to join the carnie life.

It wasn't until two years later he gave into fate and directed his passion to food.

He began a chef apprenticeship at his father's bistro before progressing to a fine dining restaurant where he completed his training. "I realised I could make people happy with food," he says.

Shortly after, Manu was bitten by the travel bug and packed his apron and headed for London.

Although he spoke no English, he began work at The Café Royal before rising through the ranks at restaurants such as Les Associes, Café des Amis du Vin and Livebait.

It was at Livebait he progressed from Chef de Partie to Sous-Chef and finally Head Chef, earning the seafood establishment a nomination for best seafood restaurant in the UK in 1998.

In 1999, Manu flew to Melbourne where he worked at Toofey's for a short while before heading to Sydney.

After six months working alongside fellow My Kitchen Rules judge Pete Evans at his Hugos restaurant, Manu opened the kitchen at Hugos Lounge in Kings Cross.

Manu ran the kitchen for 18 months before he moved to Restaurant VII. During his reign, the restaurant's exciting fusion of French and Japanese cuisine earned a coveted Two Chef's Hats from The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide.

In 2004, acclaimed Australian chef Tony Bilson approached Manu to open his new venture Bilson's at the Radisson Hotel. In its second year, the restaurant was awarded Two Chef's Hats and Three Chef's Hats the following year.

More success followed with the opening in March 2009 of his own restaurant - L’étoile in Paddington, Sydney. Specialising in classic French bistro food, it too has been recognised with a Chef's Hat.

Manu's other TV credits include co-host of Boys Weekend, alongside friends Gary Mehigan, Adrian Richardson and Miguel Maestre.

2011 was a stellar year for the sexy French chef, who now calls Australia home. In February he released his first cookbook, Manu's French Kitchen, through Penguin Books; he won Dancing with the Stars; he hosted the primetime show Dinner Date and was crowned Chef of the Year at GQ's annual Men of the Year Awards.

His second book is due for release in early 2012.