Top Chef is widely popular for its thrilling Restaurant Wars and some of the most talented chefs out there fighting it out for the coveted winner title. Apart from this, fans also watched the show because of Padma Lakshmi’s incredible yet no-nonsense hosting skills. But after she left the show following Season 20, Kristen Kish has managed to bring in her own unique element to Top Chef.
Stepping into Lakshmi’s shoes wasn’t easy, but Kish has always respected the former host of the show.
Now, looking back at her Top Chef journey, Kish recently detailed the one lesson she has learned from Lakshmi. While it wasn’t something she understood right away, over time, she realized just how important that one single element was for her.
Padma Lakshmi’s one piece of advice that shaped Kristen Kish’s Top Chef journey
Padma Lakshmi was the face of Top Chef for almost 17 years and showcased her hosting skills for 20 seasons. After she left, the show brought in Kristen Kish for Season 21, but there was one element that made her quite different from Lakshmi. Unlike her predecessor, Kish was actually a former winner of the show, having won Season 10 in 2013. Now, years later, she has returned not as a contestant, but as the host.
While stepping into Lakshmi’s shoes wasn’t easy, Kish was determined to bring her own elements to the show. This was something even Judge Gail Simmons acknowledged, stating that Kish brought a sense of freshness to Top Chef. But despite the challenges, Kish had already learned the most invaluable lesson from Lakshmi—authenticity.
While Lakshmi hosted the show for several years, she wasn’t always the fan favorite she is today. When she joined, critics questioned her every move, as she wasn’t a professional chef. However, she never gave up, and over time, audiences embraced her confidence and deep passion for food. Her authenticity became her ultimate strength and solidified her legacy on the show.
For Kristen Kish, this lesson was transformative. When Lakshmi passed the torch, she gave Kish only one piece of advice: be yourself. Kish added via TV Insider:
All she did tell me was to be myself. I think kind of in the same way as giving advice to the chefs that are going through it. I went through it, but everyone goes through it differently. People who are successful are successful because they are themselves.
She continued:
If I learned anything from Padma, it was the fact she was herself. That is the recipe for success, so I need to be myself.
After that, Kish knew she wasn’t on the show to replace anyone but to bring her own personality to the role. Now, she has returned as the host for Season 22, which is taking place in Canada for the very first time.
Kristen Kish feels more confident in her second season as Top Chef host
After taking on hosting duties in Season 21 of Top Chef, Kristen Kish is back for Season 22. This time, the culinary show is taking place in Canada, and it’s safe to say that the tension to win is at an all-time high. But despite this, Kish is feeling a whole new sense of confidence. She recently detailed in an interview with US Weekly what the second time hosting feels different.
She said, “I probably just internally felt more confident and sure of myself,” adding that the second time is “always going to be a jump in confidence, and I certainly felt that.” While she is hosting the show now, she hasn’t forgotten the days when she was just like the contestants competing for the title.
As a former winner herself, she still finds herself taken aback by the intensity of the competition. She also added, “Every time we get to the finals, I just sit back and think, ‘Oh, my God.’” While she has truly showcased her talents, Season 22 is back with several new challenges and a new twist to Restaurant Wars.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
