Top Chef is more than a cooking show—it is an experience altogether. Also, what further elevated the show was the hosting duties of Padma Lakshmi. She was part of Top Chef since the beginning but said goodbye after Season 20. It wasn’t just her critiques that made her irreplaceable but the style as well as a unique charm she brought that made the show feel extra special.
After her, Kristen Kish was brought in as her replacement, but something felt different—maybe even outdated. That was Lakshmi’s sexuality, and while it may sound controversial, Kish lags behind this drastically.
After Padma Lakshmi, Kristen Kish seems like a safer choice for Top Chef
It has been a while since Padma Lakshmi said goodbye to her almost two-decades-long stint at Top Chef. But beyond her hosting duties, it was her unique personality that defined the show. She was the face of Top Chef, and her presence made the competition even more dynamic and exciting.
Fast forward to 2025: the show is currently airing its Season 22, and while the backdrop of Canada is definitely intriguing, something seems missing. The creators brought in Kristen Kish as her substitute, but fans are still not able to connect to the show like they used to, and things feel very different.
There’s no doubt that the show delivers a high-stakes drama; not to forget the recent poutine test. But without Lakshmi, something essential is missing. A user also shared his thoughts on Reddit and said that Kish is a perfectly reasonable choice for the show.
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She is a former winner and a professional chef with years of experience, but she doesn’t bring anything new or exciting. Apart from her sharp critiques, Lakshmi also used to bring several playful moments to the show as well. Kish, on the other hand, has a very different presence altogether. She’s calm and focused, so her playful elements never shine through.
While they respect her professionalism, they also feel that the personality that Lakshmi brought has become almost nonexistent. For the first time, the users are facing engagement issues with the show. Even going as far as to say that now they cannot even go through a single episode without getting bored.
While the competition of Top Chef has always been a huge part of the appeal, there should be a good balance between professionalism and personality.
The reason why Padma Lakshmi recycled her Emmy’s dress
Padma Lakshmi has been quite outspoken on real-world issues. And while she often manages to turn heads, fans got a déjà vu moment when they spotted her at 2018’s Emmy Awards. She was in a red-colored gown, the same one she had worn a year earlier at the Vogue India Women of the Year Awards.
This obviously sparked a lot of curiosity, as not a lot of celebrities usually go for clothing that they’ve already worn, that too in a major event like the Emmys. But for Lakshmi, it wasn’t about making a statement, and in an interview via Yahoo, she detailed why she made the bold choice.
Lakshmi wanted to challenge the idea that high-profile celebrities need to have an endless rotation of new clothes. So, in her view, the craftsmanship and hours that have gone into these outfits deserve to be appreciated more than once. That’s the reason why she saw no reason to wear something once and then discard it completely.
This was her way of setting an example for all the other young women out there. And that the most important part of life was to spend time with their near and dear ones rather than obsessing over a piece of clothing.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
