With a Malay-Chinese father and Austrian mother, it makes perfect sense Croydon-born Rachel Khoo is teaching the French how to cook their own cuisine.

Travelling to Paris with a background in fine arts and PR, Rachel first trained at the Cordon Bleu, before preparing hors d'oeuvre at book launches saw her snapped up to publish two cookery books in French.

She said: "It’s a bit strange really, an English girl from Croydon showing the French how to cook French food. I guess at least it shows the English can cook more than roast beef."

Born at Mayday Hospital Rachel spent her childhood between South London and Germany, before attending Central Satin Martin School of Art and Design in London.

Disillusioned with a PR job in fashion she upped sticks to the French capital, and such is the 31-year-olds rise to prominence she has been rewarded with her own BBC cooking show, set to launch later this month.

The Little Paris Kitchen, a six episode series dives into Rachel’s Parisian life, with every recipe prepared and cooked in her own apartment.

She said: "You discover my Paris, I cook in my own kitchen, take you to my favourite bakery, buy my favourite cheese. I think what has happened is over the past ten years everyone has found out how to cook Italian, but still thinks you have to be Michelin quality to produce French food. I want to show a lot of it is simple and achievable."

Her first appearance on TV, Rachel explained a lot goes on behind the scenes.

She said: "You have to prepare every meal three times so they can film from different angles.

"It’s strange because on the second run you’ve got the continuity guy shouting Rachel you’ve got to put that salt down two centremetres from the right corner then pick up the saucepan.

"For this show I’ve really invited people into my life - I’ve done everything but show the audience the contents of my knickers drawer, so it makes you quite vulnerable, but I want people to know this is my real life."