Padma Lakshmi Revealed The Reason For Leaving Top Chef; New Host Ready To Take Action

Padma Lakshmi took over as host and judge of the Season 2 of Bravo’s culinary competition series Top Chef, in 2006, succeeding Katie Lee, the host of Season 1. Before leaving the show in 2023, she went on to host 19 seasons. In a 2017 essay, Lakshmi discussed how being on Top Chef impacted her relationship with food. She revealed her decision to leave the show in June 2023, leaving the podium to the former Top Chef competitor Kristen Kish.

The Reasons Behind Lakshmi’s Exit

Padma Lakshmi revealed her decision to leave the Top Chef after completing 19 legendary years, through an Instagram post on June 2, 2023. In her social media post, Lakshmi wrote that she made the difficult decision to leave the Top Chef after soul searching. She expressed her pride in being a part of building such a successful show which completed 20 glorious seasons as a host and an executive producer. Lakshmi also mentioned the impact the show had in the worlds of television and food. She also addressed the cast and crew of the show. She said that the 17-year journey has made many of the cast and crew more like family and mentioned that she would miss working with them. Later, Lakshmi added that she felt it was time to move on in life. 

In addition to hosting the show since season 2, Lakshmi is an author and activist. She succeeded food critic Katie Lee Joel in the role. The major reason for Laksmi leaving the show came down to her hectic schedule and dedication to other endeavors, such as her travel docuseries “Taste the Nation” on Hulu. Lakshmi has mentioned that the workload was too much for her to handle. 

In an interview, Lakshmi informed that she had spent eight months out of the year on location. She mentioned that when she wasn’t on location, she was occupied with pre- and post-production for both of her shows. She expressed how exhausting and unsustainable it was for her to continue on that schedule. Furthermore, she stated that she would be reviewing edits of one show while being on the set of another show. Lakshmi explained that she felt she had achieved everything she set out to do and more on Top Chef, leaving the show at a high point and in capable hands. She remarked that now it was time for her to seek new creative challenges.

Regarding her departure from Top Chef, Lakshmi added that other complex factors at play couldn’t be discussed at the moment. However, she mentioned that she felt if she was experiencing these emotions, she needed to trust her instincts. She also emphasized the importance of making room in her life and schedule for new opportunities to arise. Lakshmi hinted about her family and personal life when she mentioned the complex factors. 

Lakshmi mentioned that she hadn’t been in a relationship for quite some time due to her constant work commitments. She expressed uncertainty about when she would have had the opportunity to meet someone, considering her busy schedule. She noted that most of the people around her were either employed by her or employed in positions where she worked, making them unsuitable for a romantic relationship. She also highlighted the importance of having a personal life and being present for her daughter, who was a teenager. Lakshmi acknowledged that in five years, her daughter would be moving on to her own life, potentially attending college and pursuing other endeavors. She admitted that the decision to step away from certain commitments wasn’t easy.

Lakshmi was optimistic about her future endeavors. She said that she would continue “Taste the Nation” and two other projects which are under discussion. She also mentioned that she was privileged enough to not work for a short duration.

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Kristen Kish: The New Host Of Top Chef

The next host of the popular cooking competition on Bravo, “Top Chef,” is Kristen Kish, who was also the title winner of the show’s 10th season. The head judge Tom Colicchio will accompany Kish, and Judge Gail Simmons. 

In addition to expressing her delight about her new position, Kish said that “Top Chef” is where her adventure started and that she feels privileged to be a part of the show’s history. She also expressed her nervousness as she had to meet the expectations of the audience while replacing a legendary host, who had performed extraordinarily for years in that position. She has been co-hosting “36 Hours” on Travel Channel and other shows ever since she won Season 10.