She settled in the United Kingdom at the age of 18 to study international relations and Italian at Warwick University before obtaining a master's degree in Russian language and culture.
[7][8] Hercules has appeared on Saturday Kitchen,[9][10] Sunday Brunch,[11] and Christopher Kimball's Milk Street Television.
[12] In response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Hercules raised money to privately send bullet-proof vests to civilian volunteers in the Ukrainian army, including her brother.
[16] With her friend, the Russian chef Alissa Timoshkina, the duo established the #CookForUkraine social media initiative, encouraging businesses and individuals to raise money for UNICEF and Legacy of War Foundation by cooking Ukrainian cuisine.
[20] She then had a son, born in 2012, with fellow chef Tom Catley,[21] and is now married to British food photographer, Joe Woodhouse.