Season 10 “Top Chef” winner Kristen Kish is returning to host the show.
Bravo announced in a press release that the award-winning chef, entrepreneur and author is the host for Season 21. She will join head judge Tom Colicchio and judge Gail Simmons at the judging table.
“‘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 said in a press release. “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.”
Kish was born in South Korea and adopted into a family in Kentwood, Michigan. She attended Le Cordon Bleu in Chicago at her mother’s encouragement. After graduation, she spent a decade working for high-end restaurants in Boston. She was eventually named the Chef de Cuisine at a Relais & Chateaux property.
Kish’s culinary skills landed her a spot on the tenth season of “Top Chef,” which took place in Seattle. According to Bon Appétit, she was first woman of color and queer person to win the show.
The seasoned chef will replace Padma Lakshmi, who hosted the Emmy-winning show for 19 seasons. Lakshmi tweeted her congratulations, saying she was “over the moon” that Kish would be taking over for her.
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