Padma Lakshmi hosted the cooking competition series “Top Chef” for 17 years. But she decided to leave her long-running gig to focus on her other series, Hulu’s “Taste the Nation,” and “other creative pursuits,” as she explained on social media. That means the long-running series is getting a new host, who has just been announced as Kristen Kish, the winner of season 10 of the series back in 2013. The new season will take place in Wisconsin — specifically the “unique culinary scenes in Milwaukee and Madison,” according to Bravo’s press release. Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons will return as judges of the culinary smackdown.
“‘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 said in a statement. “I’m thrilled to sit alongside Gail and Tom as we get to know new incredible chefs and see what they cook up. It feels like coming home.”
NBCUniversal Television and Streaming Senior Vice President Ryan Flynn said, “Kristen Kish represents everything that makes ‘Top Chef’ incredibly special. 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.”
Wisconsin governor Tony Evers said, “We are honored to be able to welcome ‘Top Chef’ to Wisconsin for its upcoming season. We’re proud to be known here for our rich food culture, talented chefs and exceptional local ingredients. I know our diverse culinary traditions will help inspire the participants, captivate viewers and showcase all of the great things Wisconsin has to offer.”
Make your predictions at Gold Derby now. Download our free and easy app for Apple/iPhone devices or Android (Google Play) to compete against legions of other fans plus our experts and editors for best prediction accuracy scores. See our latest prediction champs. Can you top our esteemed leaderboards next? Always remember to keep your predictions updated because they impact our latest racetrack odds, which terrify Hollywood chiefs and stars. Don’t miss the fun. Speak up and share your huffy opinions in our famous forums where 5,000 showbiz leaders lurk every day to track latest awards buzz. Everybody wants to know: What do you think? Who do you predict and why?
Steam for Chromebooks is getting axed in 2026 instead of exiting its 4-year beta
The US Air Force wants to test blowing up Cybertrucks because 'it is likely the type of vehicles used by the enemy may transition to Tesla Cyber trucks'
New study shows that Gen Z is spending way less money on videogames than older gamers
