'Top Chef' Names Kristen Kish as New Host for Season 21 Following Padma Lakshmi's Exit
Kristen Kish has been named the new host of Top Chef, taking over for Padma Lakshmi. The announcement comes as the Bravo reality competition revealed it will be coming back for season 21, set in Wisconsin, with Kish joining longtime judges Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons.
"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, who has gone on to host Netflix's revival of Iron Chef and her own travel series, Restaurants at the End of the World TV, said in a statement.
She added, "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."
After competing on season 10 of Top Chef, when she became the first winner of Last Chance Kitchen to return and take home the title as well as the second-ever female after Stephanie Izard to win her season, Kish made appearances as a guest judge for seasons 18 and 19. She has also co-hosted the TruTV series, Fast Foodies, and the Travel Channel show, 36 Hours, and helped Selena Gomez learn how to cook on Selena + Chef.
When speaking to ET about going from competing to hosting, she reflected on what Top Chef meant to her and her career. "There’s so much I owe to Top Chef," Kish said at the time, adding that "I will always take an opportunity, if I am able to, to return and be a part of an iconic show that helped shape my career."
As she takes over for season 21, Top Chef will return to the United States, with the culinary competition set to take place in Wisconsin, marking the franchise's return to the Midwest after season 4 took place in Chicago, Illinois. The series will also welcome a new batch of chefs, who will battle it out across the state, exploring the culinary scenes in Milwaukee, Madison and beyond.
"Kristen Kish represents everything that makes Top Chef incredibly special,” said Ryan Flynn, Senior Vice President, Current Production, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, noting that "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."
Season 21, meanwhile, follows the acclaimed 20th iteration, which saw Top Chef going to London for its first international competition, World All-Stars, which welcomed winners and finalists from global iterations of the series.
Ahead of the season 20 finale, Lakshmi announced that she was leaving as host after 19 seasons with the show. "After much soul searching, I have made the difficult decision to leave Top Chef," the 52-year-old wrote in a heartfelt note on Instagram. "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."
She added, "After 17 years, many of the cast and crew are like family to me and I will miss working alongside them dearly. I feel it's time to move on and need to make space for Taste the Nation, my books and other creative pursuits." Lakshmi then ended her note by expressing gratitude to Top Chef fans throughout the years: "I am deeply thankful to all of you for so many years of love and support."
RELATED CONTENT
‘Top Chef’ Host Padma Lakshmi Reveals Which Celeb She’d Like to See Guest Judge on the Show
'Top Chef' Shocker: Padma Lakshmi Leaving After Season 20
The Surprising Story of How Padma Lakshmi Landed 'Top Chef'
Host Kristen Kish on Reviving 'Iron Chef' and Returning to 'Top Chef'
