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.”
Top Chef returned for season 20 on Bravo when 16 past champs and finalists from the show’s many international versions, including Sara Bradley and Buddha Lo, met up in London starting March 9. Padma Lakshmi hosts World All-Stars and Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons are judges.
