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Kristen Kish will host Season 21 of Bravo’s ‘Top Chef’ following Padma Lakshmi’s exit
Kristen won Season 10 of ‘Top Chef’ and has guest-judged on the show several times
Kristen already has her own National Geographic show, which premiered in the spring of 2023
Padma Lakshmi announced she is leaving Bravo’s Top Chef after hosting it for the last 17 years in a Friday, June 2, 2023 post to Instagram. “After much soul searching, I have made the difficult decision to leave Top Chef,” Padma, 52, began. “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.”
“After 17 years, many of the cast and crew are like family to me and I will miss working alongside them dearly,” she continued before announcing that she plans on dedicating more time to her series, Taste the Nation, and her other “creative pursuits.” About five weeks after Padma’s shocking announcement, her replacement has been announced: Season 10 Top Chef winner Kristen Kish. Read on to learn about the new Top Chef host, Kristen Kish, below.
It’s official – Kristen Kish has been named host of #TopChef. Get your knives ready as Season 21 heads to Wisconsin! 🔪 pic.twitter.com/FST1J2RPQk
— Bravo Top Chef (@BravoTopChef) July 11, 2023
Kristen Called Her ‘Top Chef’ Hosting Gig A ‘Full Circle Moment’
Kristen, 40, was elated to share the news of her new Top Chef hosting job. Once the news was out, she took to Instagram to express her gratitude and excitement. “I am so thrilled to be coming back to Top Chef,” she began in a July 11, 2023 video she shared, which can be seen above. “To be coming back in this new way is new and exciting. It’s also familiar and somewhat feels like a homecoming and a full circle moment for me.”
“I am most excited to get to know an incredible group of chefs, to sit alongside [judges] Tom [Colicchio] and Gail [Simmons], and to be reunited with a lot of guests that are on and off camera in the production,” Kristen continued. “I’m at a loss for words still, a little bit, but I promise I’ll find those come Season 21 as we are all introduced to an incredible new bunch of chefs.”
Padma approves of her replacement, as she congratulated Kristen on her new gig the day the news came out. “I’m so proud of you @KristenLKish and am over the moon that you’ll be taking over for me on @BravoTopChef !!!” she tweeted with a photo of the pair posing. “I’ll be rooting for you and our whole crew next season. Congratulations!!!”
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Kristen Is Adopted
Kristen was born in South Korea in 1983 but was adopted by her family, who resides in Michigan, when she was 4 months old, per Us Weekly. Shortly before announcing her new role, Kristen flew back to her home state to spend some time with her family, which consists of her mom, her dad, and her brother. Check out their family get-together above!
Kristen Has Been Married Since 2021
Kristen walked down the aisle with her fiancée Bianca Dusic on April 18, 2021. “Threw on some nice clothes (my favorite blazer), headed to our backyard with our own written vows in hand, had our family with us (virtually), got all sappy, and WE DID THE DAMN THING,” the celebrity chef announced in a since-deleted Instagram post following their nuptials, per TODAY.
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Bianca is from Australia, and unfortunately, her family was unable to leave the country due to coronavirus travel restrictions. “We decided that if getting married was what was most important then that is what we’ll do, just a bit differently. Our family was with us on Zoom, 5 p.m. EST on Sunday the 18th and 7 a.m. Monday morning in Melbourne,” Kristen told TODAY at the time. “Ultimately, we had our family (and were) doing what was the most important to us in our home. Small and intimate is our style; this was just even smaller (albeit different), yet more perfect than we could have ever imagined.”
Although Bianca’s Instagram is private, her biography reveals that she is a certified hypnotherapist, breathwork and EFT practitioner, a past-life regression therapist, and finally, a holistic health coach. Now that’s quite the resume!
Kristen and Bianca announced their engagement in Sept. 2019. Kristen also raved about her wife on her birthday just a week before they tied the knot. “You will always be my reason to believe in that soul hugging kind of love, the work it takes to grow and nurture that, to meet someone all the way, and to allow space for each to be their own beautiful & ‘work in progress’ selves,” she penned in the touching tribute. “I don’t believe in luck often but how lucky am I that you chose me. I love you for all of our chapters and the forever, “to be continued” endings. Happy Birthday my love @b4bianca”.
Kristen Has A National Geographic Show
Kristen Kish for ‘Restaurants at the End of the World’ (Photo: Frank Micelotta/PictureGroup for National Geographic/Shutterstock)
Kristen’s National Geographic series, Restaurants at the End of the World, debuted in March 2023. The show follows Kristen as she travels around the globe to learn “from chefs who overcome the formidable challenges required to serve memorable meals in the most remote outposts on Earth.”
“I’m happy, willing and able to go into these places and be a sponge, be told what to do,” Kristen told Inside Hook in April 2023. “We’re cooking food, maybe we’re using ingredients that I’m used to, but we’re traveling far to get to them. I have a lot to learn in order to fit in. My baseline has always been this isn’t about me. My job is being a vehicle in order to help someone else tell their story.”
Kristen Has Her Own Line Of Apertifs
Kristen partnered with Asian American Spirits company Yobo in 2022 to create a line of aperitifs “inspired by an evolving Korean American identity,” per BEVNET.
“I’m thrilled to unveil my line of aperitifs inspired by my passion for food, the many journeys of my life, and my Korean American heritage,” Kristen said in a statement in Oct. 2022. “A family of four aperitifs, each have its own story to tell pulling from specific memories and moments that I cherish. It’s an honor to share my stories with you.”
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