Padma Lakshmi Leaving ‘Top Chef’ After Season 20 – The Hollywood Reporter

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 THR for an oral history of Top Chef earlier in 2023, 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.”

More to come…