Kristen Kish Is Replacing Padma Lakshmi As The New Host Of Top Chef

Chef Kristen Kish has just been announced as the newest host of "Top Chef," replacing Padma Lakshmi. The former host's departure was announced in early June. Lakshmi hosted the show for 19 seasons across 17 years and received 13 Emmy nominations for her work on it. The news of Kish's addition to the show was announced in an Instagram post from "Top Chef."

Kish is an alum of Chicago's Le Cordon Bleu and worked as a chef in Boston for a decade. She won season 10 of "Top Chef" in 2013 and has previously appeared as a guest judge in other seasons of the culinary competition show. She has also hosted "Iron Chef: Quest For An Iron Legend" with Alton Brown, "Fast Foodies," "36 Hours," as well as "Restaurants at the End of the World," which she also produces.

"To be coming back [to "Top Chef"] in this new way is new and exciting," Kish said of the announcement in a video on Instagram. "It's also familiar, and somewhat feels like a homecoming and a full circle moment for me."

Over on Twitter, Padma Lakshmi shared her support for Kristen Kish in a tweet after the news broke. "I'm so proud of you @KristenLKish and am over the moon that you'll be taking over for me on @BravoTopChef!!!" she wrote. "I'll be rooting for you and our whole crew next season. Congratulations!!!"

Lakshmi cited her desire to focus on other creative projects as the reason for her departure in an Instagram post. Her Hulu show "Taste the Nation" documents her travels around the United States as she learns about different regional recipes, particularly from underserved communities. Having already authored six books, she hinted at writing more in her post.

Season 21 of "Top Chef," which features Kish as the host and newest judge alongside Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons, will air in 2024. The upcoming season will take place in Wisconsin, marking the show's first return to the Midwest since 2008, when season 4 took place in Chicago.