“I think we have had a really great run,” the longtime judge and producer told The Hollywood Reporter earlier this year.
TOP CHEF Padma Lakshmi
David Moir/Bravo
Padma Lakshmi has packed her own proverbial knives. The longtime host of Top Chef announced on Friday that she’s leaving the Bravo competition after 19 seasons.
“After much soul searching, I have made the difficult decision to leave Top Chef,” she wrote in an Instagram post. “Having completed a glorious 20th season as host and exec producer, I am extremely proud to have been a part of building such a successful show and of the impact it has had in the worlds of television and food. After 17 years, many of the cast and crew are like family to me and I will miss working alongside them dearly.”
Lakshmi hosted all but the first season of Top Chef, replacing Katie Lee in 2006. She served as host, judge and, ultimately, an executive producer — famously consuming more food than any one else on the show. When speaking with The Hollywood Reporter for an oral history of Top Chef earlier this year, Lakshmi was reflective about her time on the show — and, in hindsight, cryptic about her future on it.
“I don’t know how to answer that,” she said when asked about her thoughts on the future of the franchise. “I hope the show does well. Television is always an unpredictable realm. No show lasts forever. I think we have had a really, really great run. I hope the show continues for a really long time.”
Though she was absent from the show’s first season, having already signed on to film a miniseries, Lakshmi was Bravo’s first choice to host Top Chef. Still, she was a bit of an unknown back then — a model who’d dabbled in acting and hosting with one cookbook to her credit. Her profile skyrocketed upon her joining the show and its own subsequent rise in popularity. She’s been nominated for 13 Emmy Awards, including three for best host for a reality or competition program.
“Padma Lakshmi leaves behind an incredible legacy on Bravo’s Top Chef,” said a NBCUniversal spokesperson when asked for comment. “Her impact on the Emmy, James Beard and Critics’ Choice Award-winning series is undeniable. We are grateful to Padma for being a consummate host, judge and executive producer, and for bringing her ingenuity and exceptional palate to each episode where she ate every bite of food on the series for over 17 years and 19 seasons. She will always be part of the Top Chef and the NBCUniversal family and has a seat at the judges’ table anytime.”
Lakshmi has added other jobs over the years — her Hulu series, Taste the Nation, just dropped its second season — and it appears that growing slate factored into her decision. “I feel it’s time to move and need to make space for Taste The Nation, my books and other creative pursuits,” Lakshmi’s Instagram post continued. “I am deeply thankful to all of you for so many years of love and support.”
Her run will conclude next week, on June 8, with the finale of Top Chef‘s 20th season.
