Padma Lakshmi, Indian-American actress and author
Padma Parvati Lakshmi (born September 1, 1970) (Tamil pronunciation: ['pəd̪mə 'ləkɕmi]), is an Indian American author, activist, model, and television host.

She has hosted the cooking competition program Top Chef on Bravo continuously since season 2 (2006). For her work, she received a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Reality Host in 2009 and 2020. She is also the creator, host, and executive producer of the critically-acclaimed docuseries Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi, which premiered in June 2020 on Hulu and explores the food and culture of immigrant and indigenous communities across America.

She has published six books: two cookbooks Easy Exotic and Tangy, Tart, Hot & Sweet; an enyclopedia The Encyclopedia of Spices & Herbs: An Essential Guide to the Flavors of the World; a memoir Love, Loss, and What We Ate, a children's book Tomatoes for Neela illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal, and she guest edited The Best American Travel Writing 2021.