“Please pack your knives and go.”
Soon, someone else will be saying those famous words on Top Chef.
After 17 years, Padma Lakshmi is leaving her post as the host of the longtime cooking competition show on Bravo. Lakshmi made the announcement with a statement on her social media channels on Friday, just a day after the penultimate episode of this season – the show’s 20th – aired.
The finale of Top Chef: World All-Stars hits Bravo on June 8. Presumably, it’ll be the last time the show sees Lakshmi as its host.
“I am extremely proud to have been part of building such a successful show and of the impact it has had in the worlds of television and food,” Lakshmi said in a statement.
— Padma Lakshmi (@PadmaLakshmi) June 2, 2023
Lakshmi wasn’t the original host of Top Chef, but joined the show in its second season in 2006 – replacing Katie Lee – and has been around ever since, becoming part of the show’s fabric along with Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons, quick fires and restaurant wars. Lakshmi earned four Emmy nominations for outstanding reality show host during her tenure and 10 more Emmy nominations for Outstanding Competition Program during her run as an executive producer on the show, which began in 2010.
Lakshmi won’t disappear from the limelight. The second season of Taste the Nation debuted on Hulu last month, and she was recently in Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit Issue. Lakshmi is also the author of six books and might have another one of those up her sleeve.
But Top Chef will move on without Lakshmi, as Bravo has already ordered a 21st season of the show. Which means the show will need a new host.
And we have some ideas.
