Padma Lakshmi

Padma Parvati Lakshmi ( Tamil pronunciation: [ˈpɐd̪maː ˈlɐkʂmi]; née Vaidynathan; born September 1, 1970) is an American television host, model, author, entrepreneur, and activist. She rose to prominence by hosting the Bravo cooking competition program Top Chef (2006–2023). Lakshmi is the creator, host, and executive producer of the docuseries Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi, which premiered in 2020 on Hulu. For her work with these two series, as an executive producer and as a host, she has received 16 Primetime Emmy Award nominations.

Born in India, Lakshmi immigrated to the United States as a child. She became a model before embarking on a career on television. She has written five books: two cookbooks, Easy Exotic and Tangy, Tart, Hot & Sweet; an encyclopedia, The Encyclopedia of Spices & Herbs: An Essential Guide to the Flavors of the World; a memoir, Love, Loss, and What We Ate; and a children's book, Tomatoes for Neela illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal, the latter two appearing on The New York Times's best-seller list. Lakshmi has formed and produced sales for five different businesses. She co-founded the Endometriosis Foundation of America in 2009. She was appointed United Nations Development Programme Goodwill Ambassador in 2019. Lakshmi was listed among Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world in 2023.