Padma Lakshmi: podcast appearances and interviews

Padma Parvati Lakshmi is an American television host, model, author, entrepreneur, and activist. Born in India on September 1, 1970, she migrated to the United States as a child and initially pursued a career in modeling. Lakshmi gained prominence as the host of the Bravo cooking competition program Top Chef, which she hosted from 2006 to 2023. She is also the creator, host, and executive producer of the docuseries Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi, which premiered in 2020 on Hulu. For her work on these series, she has received 16 Primetime Emmy Award nominations. In addition to her television career, Lakshmi has authored five books, including two cookbooks titled Easy Exotic and Tangy, Tart, Hot & Sweet, an encyclopedia called The Encyclopedia of Spices & Herbs, a memoir titled Love, Loss, and What We Ate, and a children's book called Tomatoes for Neela, illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal. She has also established and produced sales for five businesses and co-founded the Endometriosis Foundation of America in 2009. Lakshmi's contributions extend to her role as a United Nations Development Programme Goodwill Ambassador, appointed in 2019. Her influence was recognized in 2023 when she was listed among Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world.