Padma Lakshmi
(Photo by Taylor Hill/WireImage)

Padma Lakshmi: Leaving Top Chef is ‘Very Bittersweet’

Padma Lakshmi will undoubtedly go down in history as one of the greatest reality TV hosts, perhaps of all time. The Top Chef host has certainly left a mark on the genre, and the industry as a whole. When it comes to cooking shows, she’s a true professional.

That’s why it was so tragic to hear just a couple of weeks ago that Padma would be leaving the show after 17 years and 19 seasons. That meant her appearance on the Season 20 finale would be her last, at least as a main judge.

The good news is, she won’t be leaving empty-handed. On top of the informal recognition Padma’s received, she’s also won formal awards for her time on the show. With everything under her belt, it’ll be great to see her move on to other projects. But how is she feeling about all of it?

Padma’s current thoughts on Top Chef

In an exclusive interview with People, Padma got to share some of her thoughts. “The last challenging thing I did was say goodbye to Top Chef,” she said. “We all grew up on that show,” referencing Top Chef’s cast and crew.

Although, there’s a sweet double-meaning there, as many of us grew up on Top Chef just as well. And with that idea of maturation, Padma further expressed she has “such deep feelings about” her departure from the show. She further stated that “it’s too hard to go into it all.”

To conclude her thoughts, she simply said, “It’s very bittersweet.” Indeed it is. Sweet because we know she’ll do so many more amazing things now, such as the continuation of her Hulu show, Taste the Nation. But bitter because she’s leaving big shoes to fill. Here’s hoping Top Chef can retain all its glory.

TELL US – WHO DO YOU THINK COULD REPLACE PADMA? ARE YOU EXCITED TO SEE HER FUTURE PROJECTS?

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