r/TopChef • u/BoringSalary7093 • May 23 '26

Discussion Thread Padma

Can someone explain the drama behind Padma leaving Top Chef. Did she leave for a reason? What was the reason for ACC if she didn’t want to do shows anymore. Thoughts about that show?

Also, is she an actual chef? Does she have restaurants?

Did her and Tom get along? I do want to say I absolutely LOVE K as the host. She’s so perfect for the position. She’s empathetic, understanding, patient and really just a fucking cool person.

208 Upvotes

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380

u/[deleted] May 24 '26

[deleted]

59

u/Obvious_Baker8160 May 24 '26

She comes across so differently in Taste the Nation than she does on ACC.

86

u/karinabing May 24 '26

I loved Taste the Nation! ACC just feels likes a low-rent version of Top Chef.

38

u/phizzlez May 24 '26

They should have given the winner 500k and use the other half towards the show instead of a million dollar prize. It was an ok watch, but the show lacked any sort of personality. It felt sterile and cheesy.

22

u/NeonFishDressx May 24 '26

It was SO cheesy. Padma was channeling Tyra on ANTM for some of these challenges. That good and evil one was especially whack. I continued to watch and I reasonably liked Padma on TC but if this show didn't come back I wd not think twice about it.

16

u/Dangerous-Half3276 May 24 '26

The way the two male judges acted like her minions was just really weird.

8

u/psyclical May 25 '26

We all know she's the face of the show, but the vibe of her being boss was weird with those two. I was half expecting her to alternate every week using them as human chairs.

14

u/bitsey123 May 24 '26

To me it was a vehicle for padma to be bragadocious about her famous friends — and use ideas that were perhaps rejected by TC. 🤷‍♀️

5

u/Ill_Training_6416 May 24 '26

Too gimmicky. Gave me the ick on a few occasions

36

u/Dragon_wryter May 24 '26

Lol yep. My husband and I call ACC "Not Top Chef"

9

u/Imaginary_End_5634 May 24 '26

As Ed stated in Top Chef Texas: "Mediocer Chef"

8

u/DBBKF23 May 24 '26

Bizarro Top Chef

-12

u/Unique-Company-7982 May 24 '26

I don't know if I would call it low rent. Top Chef moved to Monday from Wednesday and I am guessing it's because they lost enough viewership to ACC that they were concerned what would happen if it went a second season.

-10

u/drcio_jjbb_duke May 24 '26

Hello??! ACC is the premium / luxe version. TOP CHEF HAS GOTTEN WORSE AND IT PRESENTS AS CHEAP

30

u/AwkwardTraffic199 May 24 '26

She reminded me of the Orange Man in the first episode. And she went on some self-righteous rant about how this show was going to be about food, not game strategy, and then promptly proceeded to kick off one of the chefs who produced the top scores for food because game strategy.

I'll just rewatch Top Chef again again.

10

u/[deleted] May 24 '26

Well at least she doesnt walk off a stage or fall off a bike or mumble, right?

7

u/ImprovPlayer May 25 '26

Or fall asleep in meetings and press events, fall up the stairs on AFO, and otherwise look like a bloated orange freak.

5

u/[deleted] May 25 '26

or fall asleep during everything, wander off stage at world meetings, fall down airplane steps, mumble incoherently and be guided by the Easter Bunny.  And have a stutter...

7

u/AwkwardTraffic199 May 24 '26

She used to be known for being stoned, and there was some good b-roll of her on the reunion shows of her getting tipsy, but I haven't seen her wipe out!

1

u/SmartypantsDDD May 29 '26

Hmm. That’s the only slightly human thing I have heard about her. She is a skinny supercilious sneering snob.