Padma Lakshmi spent 17 years running the Top Chef kitchen, but there was one part of the job she was more than ready to leave behind. After years of judging countless dishes, handling intense food debates, and steering through reality TV chaos, she finally called it quits.
Lakshmi embraced the show’s legacy, but some habits? She gladly retired them the moment she stepped away from the judges’ table.
Padma Lakshmi wrapped up Top Chef after 17 years and she’s not missing this one thing
After 17 years and 19 seasons as host, Padma Lakshmi admitted she wouldn’t miss the sheer volume of food she had to eat in short bursts.
Sure, that did seem like a high-class problem, but tasting myriad dishes during long filming hours was way too much for the 54-year-old. While she cherished the people and the legacy she helped build, she was relieved to step away from the nonstop feasting.
Back in 2023, on Tuesday’s Good Morning America episode, the international cuisine connoisseur alluded (via EW):
It’s very hard, what I miss most is actually the people. When you spend 17 years on a show, 19 seasons, my daughter grew up on that set. I’ll miss almost everybody because they’re like family.
But what I won’t miss is the copious amounts of food in a very short time. I know it’s a high-class problem to have, but it can feel really uncomfortable, the long hours, eating all that food. I will not miss it.
Lakshmi never imagined Top Chef would become a pop culture giant — because back when she started, reality cooking competitions weren’t really the mainstream phenomenon they are today. However, for about two decades now, the show transformed the food world.
In June 2023, Lakshmi officially announced her exit, calling it a tough but necessary decision. With Taste the Nation on Hulu and other projects, the TV personality felt it was time for change.
Padma Lakshmi bows out of Top Chef – on her own terms
Padma Lakshmi did hang up her apron on Top Chef, but it was more about survival than moving on. Hosting the hit Bravo series and juggling her Hulu docuseries Taste the Nation left her drained. She said on Variety’s “Awards Circuit” podcast:
I had been on location for eight months out of the year. And when I wasn’t on location, I was in pre- and post-production for both my shows. And I was looking at edits of one show while on the set of another show. It was just exhausting and untenable for me to continue that way.
She continued,
I also felt I’ve done everything I set out to do and more at “Top Chef.” I’m leaving the show at a very high point, in very capable hands. Now, it’s time for me to challenge myself creatively.
For about two decades, the producer and businesswoman shaped Top Chef into a pop culture staple. But as she put it, she’d done everything she’d set out to do and more. Leaving on a high, she handed the reins to Kristen Kish and set her sights on fresh creative challenges.
Top Chef is available to watch on Peacock & Apple TV.
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