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Padma Lakshmi to Host Bravo's "Top Chef"

Bravo has announced an replacement for outgoing Top Chef host Katie Lee Joel who "departed" the culinary reality series last month, locking 36- year-old Indian supermodel, author, and actress Padma Lakshmi to step into Joel's designer shoes.

Known as the world's first Indian supermodel, Padma Lakshmi joins Bravo's Top Chef at the start of the second season, where she'll introduce the challenges to the contestants and join Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons at the judges' table each episode.

Lakshmi is no stranger to the culinary world, having hosted cooking series Padma's Passport and documentary series Planet Food on Food Network. For the latter, Lakshmi traveled the world on an ongoing quest for exotic cuisine. She is currently writing her second cookbook, which is due to be published next spring. Her first cookbook, "Easy Exotic," netted her a prize at the International Versailles Event for the best cookbook by a first time author.

Lakshmi also recently appeared in ABC's mini-series The Ten Commandments and will next be seen in BBC America's Sharpe's Challenge. She next joins Dylan McDermott and Aishwarya Rai Paul Mayeda Berges' film Mistress of Spices.

Lakshmi is married to noted writer Salman Rushie.

Principal photography on Top Chef's thirteen-episode second season is set to begin filming this month and, in a departure from last season's San Francisco-set competition, will be shot here in Los Angeles. The sophomore season is set to premiere in October 2006.
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Comments

Anonymous said…
I can't wait for a new season of "Top Chef" and I'm really looking forward to a new host. Particularly one that isn't a Cylon.
7/16/2006
Anonymous said…
oooooooo, coool....i love this show...and the host needed replacing....very cool
10/03/2006
Anonymous said…
Salmon Rushdie?!? Come on, can't we get a host(ess) who's a great chef and accomplished in her own right?
11/02/2006
Anonymous said…
This one's as bad as the last one.
11/19/2006
Anonymous said…
come on here...now we are talking
with Padma this show is cooking and smoking before it gets started.
Wait a sec...this is about chef's...yeah I guess they'll cook food like last year...but WOHOOOOOO at padma
8/15/2007
Anonymous said…
I would like to know what happened to Padma and how she got her scars. Lori McLees
8/15/2007
Anonymous said…
I would say that being the first Indian Supermodel and well known actor/cookbook author accounts for being accomplished of her own right.
9/27/2007
Anonymous said…
Hmmm I agree that padma is pretty and all that, but is it just me or does she look painfully thin next to everyone else...especially since its a food show- she kinda looks starved!
3/09/2008
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