Yahoo News Top Chef has a new host: All-star Kristen Kish steps in as Padma Lakshmi departs after 19 seasons
There's a new ingredient in the mix on Top Chef.
Season 10 winner Kristen Kish will take over hosting duties from Padma Lakshmi when the Bravo culinary competition returns for season 21.
"Top Chef is where I started my journey — first as a competing chef, then a guest judge and now as host I have the honor of helping to continue to build this brand," Kish says in a statement released to EW. "I'm thrilled to sit alongside [returning judges and executive producers Gail Simmons and Tom Colicchio] as we get to know new incredible chefs and see what they cook up. It feels like coming home."
David Moir/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images Kristen Kish guest-judging season 19 of 'Top Chef'
"Kristen Kish represents everything that makes Top Chef incredibly special," adds Ryan Flynn, senior vice president of current production at NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. "She's an acclaimed chef, and her experience as a cheftestant, winner, and judge alongside her culinary curiosity makes Kristen the perfect host for the next chapter of Top Chef as we take on a new region of the country we haven't explored."
That new region is Wisconsin, which will serve as the location of season 21. "With a backdrop of picturesque landscapes, acres of farmland, miles of shoreline and vibrant urban communities, the cheftestants will explore the fresh flavors and local bounty of this rising culinary destination," reads a release from Bravo detailing the show's impending exploration of Milwaukee and Madison.
Stephanie Diani/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images; David Moir/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images Padma Lakshmi; Kristen Kish
Kish will be the third Top Chef host, following season 1 host Katie Lee and Lakshmi, the latter serving as host for the past 19 seasons.
"After much soul searching, I have made the difficult decision to leave Top Chef," Lakshmi, who started her tenure on the series in 2006, wrote in a note ahead of the season 20 finale in early June. "Having completed a glorious 20th season as host and executive producer, I am extremely proud to have been part of building such a successful show and of the impact it has had in the worlds of television and food."
The Emmy-nominated host went on to note that she wants to "make space" for her Hulu series Taste the Nation and "other creative pursuits."
"Padma Lakshmi leaves behind an incredible legacy on Bravo's Top Chef," an NBCUniversal spokesperson said in a statement to EW. "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."
The Top Chef season 21 premiere date has not yet been announced.
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