Padma Lakshmi to exit 'Top Chef' after 20th season: 'It’s time to move on'

After what she called a "glorious 20th season," Padma Lakshmi is leaving the Bravo cooking show "Top Chef."

"After much soul searching, I have made the difficult decision to leave 'Top Chef,'" the host, cookbook author and former model wrote in a statement Friday. "Having completed a glorious 20th season as host and executive producer, I am extremely proud to have been part of building such a successful show and of the impact it has had in the worlds of television and food."

"After 17 years, many of the cast and crew are like family to me and I will miss working alongside them dearly," she added. Lakshmi hosted "Top Chef" for 19 seasons after joining the show in Season 2.

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In her statement shared to Twitter and Instagram, the reality show host said she hoped to put more time into other projects, including her Hulu series "Taste the Nation," which features Lakshmi traveling around America to enjoy different regional cuisines; its second season was released on May 5.

"I feel it’s time to move on and need to make space for 'Taste the Nation,' my books and other creative pursuits," the former host said in her recent post. "I am deeply thankful to all of you for so many years of love and support."

"Padma Lakshmi leaves behind an incredible legacy on Bravo's 'Top Chef,'" an NBC Universal spokesperson said in a statement to USA TODAY Friday. "Her impact on the Emmy, James Beard and Critics’ Choice Award-winning series is undeniable. We are grateful to Padma for being a consummate host, judge and executive producer, and for bringing her ingenuity and exceptional palate to each episode where she ate every bite of food on the series for over 17 years and 19 seasons. She will always be part of the 'Top Chef' and the NBCUniversal family and has a seat at the judges’ table anytime."

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In an interview with USA TODAY in May, Lakshmi opened up about it being "difficult to balance" her schedule with "Taste the Nation" and "Top Chef," adding that she didn't know how much longer she would want to keep hosting the long-running show.

"I'm not going to lie, it is difficult to balance," she said. "Both my shows involve traveling; I can't just sit in New York and do them. I wish I could."

Lakshmi also talked about how "the choices we make when we buy our food and feed our families" are "political." By extension, her recent show is political, too, and it aims to highlight and demystify immigrant populations, Lakshmi said.

On "Taste the Nation," she hopes to "create more understanding between types of Americans, and hopefully, we do it in an entertaining and delicious way with lots of history and culture thrown in there."

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Contributing: Kelly Lawler