Padma Lakshmi on ‘Top Chef’ Lessons Learned and ‘America’s Culinary Cup’ episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 25, 2026 · 29 MIN

Padma Lakshmi on ‘Top Chef’ Lessons Learned and ‘America’s Culinary Cup’

from Obsessed: The Podcast · host The Daily Beast

Fresh off celebrating the Knicks’ long-awaited NBA Championship, Padma Lakshmi joins Kevin Fallon to discuss America’s Culinary Cup, the ambitious new competition series she hopes will become the “Olympics of food.” From being dubbed the “Beyoncé of food” to overcoming imposter syndrome during her early Top Chef years, Padma reflects on her remarkable career and the lessons she’s learned along the way. She also reveals why she wanted to strip away reality TV gimmicks, treat chefs like the superstars they are, and create a million-dollar culinary showdown that’s as glamorous as it is fiercely competitive. Follow Kevin Fallon on Instagram ⁠@kpfallon⁠ Follow Matt Wilstein on Instagram ⁠@mattjwilstein⁠ New episodes every Thursday, and Saturday; ⁠early drops on YouTube⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jun 25, 2026

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Padma Lakshmi on ‘Top Chef’ Lessons Learned and ‘America’s Culinary Cup’

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