Padma Lakshmi hosted Top Chef for 19 seasons. | Noam Galai/Getty Images for Gold House
The acclaimed ‘Top Chef’ host just signed a deal with CBS
It turns out Padma Lakshmi isn’t out of the world of cooking competitions after all: Deadline reported today that the former Top Chef host and judge is working with former NBCU content chief Susan Rovner on a cooking competition series for CBS.
The idea is still in its early stages, with Lakshmi and Rovner having just “struck a development deal” with the network, according to Deadline. In addition to acting as executive producer, Lakshmi is set to host the show, whatever it ends up being.
It seemed like Lakshmi was distancing herself from the format. In June 2023, she announced her departure from Top Chef after 19 seasons on the show, during which time she not only hosted but also ate “every single thing.” In an interview with the Los Angeles Times about the news, Lakshmi cited a desire to focus on Taste the Nation, her documentary-style food show — the second season of which aired last year — as well the fact that eating at the level of Top Chef was no longer “sustainable” for her.
Despite its success with reality franchises including Survivor and Big Brother, CBS does not currently have a food show or cooking competition among its programming. The market of cooking competitions is crowded, with more shows than any viewer can reasonably keep up with. Netflix alone has a packed roster, with this summer’s Blue Ribbon Baking Championship joining the ranks of Easy-Bake Battle, Five Star Chef, Pressure Cooker, Barbecue Showdown, The Final Table, Is It Cake?, Cook At All Costs, Nailed It!, and so much more.
The concept and execution of this new show will certainly have to be compelling to keep viewers, but that Lakshmi is hosting is a strong sell, given how much her expertise and charm helped make Top Chef the household name it is today.
