The Surprising Story of How Padma Lakshmi Landed 'Top Chef' 17 Years Ago

predicted the future.In the past, the animated TV show has seemingly prophesied bizarre historical events which actually came to pass, such as Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential run and the death of Queen Elizabeth II.This time, the show may have predicted the disappearance of the OceanGate submersible that was exploring the ruins of the Titanic.Originally airing in 2006, the episode features Homer Simpson’s long-lost father, Mason Fairbanks, giving a rather chilling speech before going under the sea with his son. “Today I am filled with joy. Searching for treasure with my long-lost son.

Taylor Swift set to perform at Wembley in 2024; 16 years after her first UK show in a Student Union in LondonWell, it’s finally happened - Taylor Swift has revealed that she will be performing in the UK as part of a number of international tour dates announced yesterday evening, with Swifties now patiently waiting a registration process to find out if they have a chance to buy tickets the day they go on sale, or if they have to wait in line. That’s right, it’s a ballot system to see Taylor Swift at Anfield in Liverpool or Wembley in London.

The Duchess of Sussex is set to follow in the footsteps of music icon Rihanna and sign with DiorIn 2015, Rihanna was named as the first black woman to front a Dior campaign and said at the time to MTV that “It is such a big deal for me, for my culture, for a lot of young girls of any colour. I think, to be acknowledged by Dior is just… it means a lot as a woman to feel beautiful, elegant and timeless. ”According to Forbes, Rihanna has a net worth of $1.

Charna Flam This year’s Critics Choice Real TV Awards honored shows “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars,” “Top Chef,” and “Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi,” with each series taking home two awards. All three shows won in the Best Show Host category, as RuPaul tied with Padma Lakshmi for both “Taste the Nation” and “Top Chef.” “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars” took home the award for best ensemble cast in an unscripted series, while “Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi” was awarded best structured series and “Top Chef” won best culinary show. The annual event continues to recognize excellence in nonfiction, unscripted and reality programming across broadcast, cable and streaming platforms.

Padma Lakshmi is opening up about preparing for her photoshoot for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition.

Paramount+ spinoff RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, Hulu’s Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi and Bravo veteran Top Chef led the field with two wins apiece at the fifth annual Critics Choice Real TV Awards, which were revealed today.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor In the past few years, Hollywood has taken great strides to increase AAPI representation on screen, with a record number of Asians landing Emmy nominations and wins, from Sandra Oh’s recognition for “Killing Eve” to “Squid Game” picking up six trophies, including Lee Jung-jae for best actor in a drama series. This awards season, more AAPI actors fight for history-making nominations, including Ali Wong for “Beef” and the ensemble cast of “Yellowjackets.” Former nominees contending again this year are “Saturday Night Live’s” Bowen Yang and “Ted Lasso’s” Nick Mohammed.

Peter Caranicas Deputy Editor The Los Angeles Greek Film Festival, an annual showcase that brings films and filmmakers from Greece, Cyprus and other countries in the region to the United States, announced the winners of its 2023 Orpheus Awards at a ceremony on Sunday night at the Silver Screen Theatre in the Pacific Design Center. Toplining the honors: “Listen,” directed by Maria Douza, which won for best fiction feature film. “Iman,” helmed Corina Avramidou and Kyriakos Tofarides, took home the special jury award for best film, and Panos Koutras won the best director award for “Dodo.” Spiros Jacovides won an honorable mention for best director for “Black Stone,” and Efthalia Papacosta was awarded the best performance trophy for “Listen.” “Black Stone” also won the audience award for feature film, and an honorable mention for best performance went to Stephanie Atala for “Iman.”

two summer shows. From hotly anticipated hits that are returning for their sophomore season, to old favorites making comebacks, to brand new fare, here’s everything you need to know. This show looks like a less-vicious version of “The Devil Wears Prada” for the modern era, starring Kim Cattrall. The plot follows aspiring influencer Marco (Miss Benny), a young queer man who lands a job working for legendary makeup mogul Madolyn Addison (Cattrall). Premiere date: June 22  on Netflix.A follow up to the 1997 British comedy about steel workers who form a male strip-tease act, this series is set 25 years later, following  the same band of working class brothers.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer SPOILER ALERT: This interview contains spoilers from the Season 20 finale of Bravo’s “Top Chef.” Buddha Lo became the first ever “Top Chef: World All-Stars” winner Thursday, beating out his finale competition Sara Bradley and Gabri Rodriguez in the Paris-set “Top Chef” Season 20 finale. But Lo’s win was historic beyond that special 20th anniversary season achievement, as he became the first “Top Chef” contestant to ever win two seasons back to back, having claimed victory in Season 19, “Top Chef: Houston.” Adding another layer of prestige, Lo has the honor of being the final contestant to be declared winner by Padma Lakshmi before she exits the cooking competition after 19 seasons as host.

A casual queen!

Former “Top Chef” host Padma Lakshmi appeared on “Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace?” this week on Max to reflect on her 17 years hosting the cooking show.Wallace asked Lakshmi about the contestants and the intense conditions they perform under, from heat to crowdedness, and she of course added knives and fire.“You gotta be kind of a mad genius don’t you?” Wallace asked.“To a certain extent, yes, there is a personality type, and it’s not always the best chef that wins ‘Top Chef,’ it’s the guy or the woman who did the best that day,” Lakshmi said. “Sort of like the best team not necessarily wins the World Series, right? So it’s very compelling to watch.

pic.twitter.com/3h9WcVhpAuIn an interview with CNN’s Chris Wallace that aired earlier Thursday, Lakshmi reflected on her time at “Top Chef” and pinpointed what exactly the secret sauce is that makes the reality cooking show so popular and sustainable. “I think it’s because of the contestants,” she said. “I think they’re the real stars of our show.

wearing flip-flops on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival last month, Jennifer Lawrence is setting the record straight about the fashion statement that had the internet abuzz.«Ok, thank you for bringing this up. I would really like to straighten this out,» Lawrence told ET's Nischelle Turner while promoting her new film,  alongside co-star, Andrew Barth Feldman.

Alison Herman TV Critic This is going to sound like a backhanded compliment, but I mean it: One of Padma Lakshmi’s most valuable skills as the host of “Top Chef” — a major part of what will be missed when Lakshmi departs the show after the June 8 finale — is product placement. In the crowded, sometimes tawdry world of reality competitions, “Top Chef” is unique in its credibility. The show is effective entertainment, but over 20 seasons in 17 years, the Bravo mainstay has also established itself as an arbiter of taste on par with the Michelin guide. Some of that authority comes from longevity; some from Lakshmi’s fellow judges, chef Tom Colicchio and editor Gail Simmons; some from casting, which has generated a talent pool so formidable that the show frequently circles back to its own alumni, including for this season’s London-set World All Stars. But a great deal of it comes from Lakshmi, a presence so commanding she can deliver phrases like “the Glad family of products” and “furnished by San Pellegrino” without disrupting the show’s carefully constructed sense of gravitas.

Gail Simmons is sharing her thoughts on Padma Lakshmi‘s decision to exit Top Chef.

Seriously overdue. Grey’s Anatomy‘s Ellen Pompeo and Katherine Heigl sat down for a frank discussion about their career for Variety‘s Actors on Actors, which debuted on Tuesday, June 6.

Padma Lakshmi announced Friday she was leaving after 17 years following the current season, surprising fans of the beloved Bravo cooking competition series.The 52-year-old food expert and author, whose name has become synonymous with the Emmy-winning program, shared in an emotional message on social media that she came to the «difficult decision» to exit after «much soul searching.» Lakshmi's surprise announcement comes just one week before the finale of season 20,, is set to air. «Having completed a glorious 20th season as host and executive producer,» she wrote, «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.»But what some fans may not know is Lakshmi, who hosts Hulu's food travel series , wasn't with the cooking competition show when it debuted in March 2006. The TV personality replaced cookbook author and food critic Katie Lee, who lasted only one season as host, in the sophomore cycle — and the rest is history. According to 's oral history of , which was published in May, Lakshmi had actually met with executives at NBCUniversal before the cooking competition show even premiered, pitching a dinner party series.

A post shared by Padma Lakshmi (@padmalakshmi)Following the annoucement, a NBCUniversal spokesperson told People magazine: "Padma Lakshmi leaves behind an incredible legacy on Bravo's Top Chef. 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."  On the heels of the Instagram post, many of Padma's celebrity pals weighed in. "End of an era and an incredible run.

The end of an era! Padma Lakshmi announced that she is leaving Top Chef after 17 years as host of the beloved cooking competition.