CBS has confirmed a new cooking competition series, with Indian-American host, actor, and author Padma Lakshmi at the helm.
According to a Deadline report, the network, in collaboration with former NBCUniversal content chief Susan Rovner, has struck a development deal for the upcoming show, which is still in its early stages. The series will mark CBS’s entry into food entertainment, a space traditionally dominated by hit shows like Top Chef and MasterChef.
The new project brings together Lakshmi and Rovner, who collaborated on Top Chef during Rovner’s tenure at NBCUniversal. Their previous work on the long-running Bravo show drew critical acclaim, with Lakshmi receiving five Emmy nominations for Outstanding Host for a Reality-Competition Program.
In a statement last June, Lakshmi announced her departure from Top Chef after 19 seasons. “Having completed a glorious 20th season, I am extremely proud of the success we built and the impact it has had on television and food,” Lakshmi shared on social media. “It’s time to move on and make space for new creative pursuits.” She also referenced her Hulu series, Taste the Nation, which has run for two seasons, as one of her ongoing projects.
Lakshmi’s career extends beyond television. She is the author of cookbooks Easy Exotic and Tangy, Tart, Hot & Sweet, as well as the children’s book Tomatoes for Neela and her memoir Love, Loss, and What We Ate. In addition to that she is also a prominent advocate for immigrants’ and women’s rights, serving as an American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Artist Ambassador and co-founding the Endometriosis Foundation of America.
In 2021, Lakshmi was honored by the United Nations Correspondents Association with the Advocate of the Year Award, and in 2023, Planned Parenthood of Greater New York named her it's Champion of Change.
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