Nineteen seasons later and Padma Lakshmi is still on fire.
The Top Chef host snagged her third Emmy nomination on July 12 in the category of Outstanding Host for a Reality or Competition Program.
During an exclusive interview with E! News, Lakshmi gushed over the honor and revealed she will probably have to attend the 2022 award ceremony on Sept. 12 virtually. (But don't worry, she has a very good reason for potentially not being able to make it in person.)
"It feels really great," Lakshmi said. "We work so hard on this show and we are just over the moon that people still love it so much like we do. It feels gratifying. I'm just about to go and film another season so this definitely puts a bounce in our step...I'm really excited, I'm really happy, I hope we win."
Lakshmi continued, "I don't even know if we'll be able to go [to the Emmys] because will be in production [abroad]."
Regardless, the Bravo star said "nothing would make me happier" than to attend the ceremony virtually while filming Top Chef season 20 overseas.
"I'll be wearing lots of jewels and a tank top," she joked of her potential awards attire. "We probably could make the ceremony like we have in the past so many times if we were staying in America. To be honest I'm just talking, I literally found this out an hour ago so I don't even know what Bravo has planned. But I think being international and going all the way to L.A. is a little difficult because we do have a really big crew and it's very expensive to just have people waiting around while we go and walk red carpets."
Lakshmi admitted she never thought "this little food show" would still be getting Emmy nominations nearly two decades after it launched.
"I thought it would last literally maybe three, four seasons, but I'm certainly very humbled that it's lasted this long," she shared. "Everyone on Top Chef is like a second family to me. We've all grown up together. My daughter has grown up on set, we've all been through a lot together and so to share in such a recognition from the Television Academy is a really big deal for us. I'm just so pleased and so thankful that the Academy and all its members still are enjoying Top Chef and find that it is best in class enough to nominate us."
As for the upcoming 20th season, which will be the show's first filmed entirely in a city outside the U.S., Lakshmi teased, "I personally am really excited. I think it'll make the show bigger and better and I think it'll give us new terrain. One of the reasons I believe the Top Chef is always fresh and evergreen and really upping itself is because we move locations and so those locations inform the challenges and also really play into the episodes of the season. So I'm glad that we're going international.
But that doesn't mean the show is done with U.S. locations. "There's still tons of places that I wanna go to in the States, don't get me wrong," Lakshmi said, "like Atlanta, Memphis, different places that I feel we could still go in America. But I think it's time to go international."
Scroll down to see how more stars are reacting to their 2022 Emmy nominations.
(E! and Bravo are both part of the NBCUniversal family)
"Thanks to the Television Academy for the raddest birthday present! My friends and family better up their game…This season was a labor of love made while the world was on fire and we got to make each other laugh. This is the cherry on our sundae and wind in our sails as we finish our final season. Shoutout to our marvelous crew and fellow nominees!"
"It is such an honor to have my work nominated alongside these incredible actors that I'm so inspired by. I'm so grateful to be a part of bringing Under the Banner of Heaven to the screen and to have been able to collaborate with this amazing crew, our producers, FX and most especially our insanely talented ensemble cast and our courageous, loving, heartful leader Dustin Lance Black. I share this honor with them. Dustin crafted a story so personal and vital for this moment in American history—a reminder of the danger of fundamentalism, extremism and of the fragility of precious individual freedoms in the face of tyranny. May this cautionary tale remind us of our responsibilities to each other: to live and let live with love and respect."
"There are no words … thank you @televisionacad for this honor that I do not take lightly .. thank you to my entire flight crew @flightattendantonmax for the flight of a lifetime and to share this moment with my [heart emoji] @tommypelphrey with his own deserved nomination… what a moment and we are so grateful."
"Thank you so much to the Television Academy for this nomination. It's such an honor to be in this amazing group of people! I'm also so excited for Director Hwang and my co-stars Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo, Oh Young-soo and Lee You-mi. It's incredible to be a part of a show that so many people love. I'm truly grateful for their support and guidance and especially to the viewers for showing us so much love. Thank you!"
"I feel so incredibly honoured and overwhelmed. Every single person who worked on this series poured their heart and soul into it, and I am so grateful to the Television Academy for this recognition. Sebastian, Seth, DV, Rob, Craig, and the entire cast and crew, I am so thrilled for your most deserved honours. Sharing this success makes this moment of celebration so unbelievably special."
"Thank you so much for this huge honor! I am so lucky I got to help tell Stephanie Land's story. For those of you who watched Maid, it means the world to me that you let me into your home and endured the ride. I tried to give you my heart, and by watching, you gave me yours! This labor of love was brought to you by a whole lot of hard working friends and even family (thank you mom) So, the biggest thanks to the many hands that made Maid."
"It's truly an honor to be acknowledged amongst this year's incredible nominees. As we go into the final season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, I feel extraordinarily grateful to have worked alongside some of the best actors and people in the industry. Amy and Dan have created a series that will resonate with fans for years to come, and I'm honored to be a part of it."
"Making this show with this cast and crew of the most incredibly talented people that I get the privilege of learning from everyday has been a highlight of my life. I'm so proud to work beside you and CONGRATULATIONS! I don't have the words to express the love and gratitude I feel right now, all I can do is say thank you with all my heart! Thanks to everyone who connected with our show, it is an honor to share it with you. Thank you @samlev for everything you do, this show is what it is because of your heart, and thank you to @labrinth @marcellrev @hbo @a24for being the best creative collaborators. Lastly thank you to the @televisionacademy for this incredible acknowledgment. We out here Emmy nominated again y'all!!!"
"I am deeply honored to be nominated alongside such brilliant and inspired work. It is the role of a lifetime and an immeasurable gift to be part of making this show. I am so proud of my fellow ensemble members and the whole Succession family. A wholehearted congratulations to all of my fellow nominees. And as we are in the midst of filming Season 4 right now, I'll just say this: Dad – It's On."
"I'm over the moon for all of us at Top Chef. Receiving this many nominations means the world to us. A big thank you to the Television Academy for recognizing our work. I'm beyond happy today."
"Marty and I, and the whole team at Only Murders in the Building, are thrilled with our nominations. We're also loving that our crucial partner Selena Gomez is recognized as a producer in the Best Comedy Series category."
"How exciting to get this kind of news when we've just started shooting again on Season 4! I'm so very, very proud of everyone who works on the show; magicians weaving angry, hurt, hilarious magic."
"I am so overwhelmed right now, the dedication from this cast and crew have made so many things possible. I want to thank Showtime for believing in the visions of Ashley, Bart and Jonathan and for their unwavering support of Yellowjackets. I'm so happy for the recognition that the series, it's creatives, and my fellow co-stars received this morning!"
"Congratulations to the best writers, producers, staff, band, and crew in the biz on The Late Show's 5 Emmy noms! I'm lucky to work with you. #LSSC"
"I've got to say that this is a real career highlight! And it's made even more special by the fact that it came from being in a series headed by my brilliant pal, Jean Smart. No words except thank, thank you, thank you…."
"Thank you to the TV Academy for supporting Dopesick with an amazing 14 nominations and acknowledging so many involved in the making of the show who were so deservingly recognized today for their good work—Danny Strong, Warren Littlefield, Barry Levinson, John Goldwyn, Karen Rosenfelt, Beth Macy, Checco Varese, C. Chi-yoon Chung, Douglas Crise, Nick Offord, Ryan Collins, Jay Meagher, and my fellow actors Kaitlyn Dever, Mare Winningham, Will Poulter, Peter Saarsgaard, Michael Stuhlbarg and Hulu, who has been incredibly supportive of our show. As an Executive Producer and actor, it's a privilege to work in this community and I am so grateful that we were able to shine a light on the innocent individuals and families affected by opioid addiction. I am incredibly proud of our work here and appreciative of the warm reception the show has received, not just from peers but real folks, too."
"We are honored by the nominations and thrilled that George Carlin's voice continues to resonate. We need him now more than ever."
"I am happy and grateful to the Television Academy for recognizing Severance in so many categories. Thank you to Apple TV+ for believing in our show. The whole experience of making Severance has been a total joy, and I am thrilled to see my fellow nominees honored by our peers."
"I can't put into words what The Great means to me. To be recognized for playing Catherine, a character who has shaped me personally in so many ways, is a moment I will never forget. And Jean, Quinta, Rachel, Kaley, and Issa, sharing this nomination with you makes it all the more meaningful. We are on set filming season 3 right now and my partner in comedy, Nicholas Hoult broke the news to me with the crew and my fellow cast mates by my side. Wouldn't have wanted it any other way! Getting to celebrate alongside him, Fran di Mottola, the magician production designer who builds our transportive sets, and Sharon Long, our costume designer who adorns us in her glorious creations is truly special. But it all would be meaningless without Tony McNamara's vision. His words and imagination are what bring us to work every day and push us to 'greater' heights. HUZZAH ! Thank you to the Television Academy for this unbelievable honor!"
I'm so thrilled to join my peers in the Guest Actress category! The Morning Show tackles difficult issues with a great combination of social awareness, character humor, and compassion. The fantastic ensemble made me look good!"
"This year's Emmy nominations are a testament to the strength of our show, particularly from the acting point of view. Being a part of this show is so exciting because I have the chance to work with such talented and deserving actors. No matter how big or small the role is, the actors step up to the plate because the roles and writing are so incredible and demand so much of us. We are enormously lucky and grateful to be able to perform such first-class work. The scripts are so good that you get the best actors doing their best work, and it couldn't be better."
"I am away at a remote little island in a lake in Canada. I'm at a kind of family reunion of my husband's family—they lost both their beloved parents this year and this was their special place. It is a happy, loving occasion, though, in a physically beautiful unspoiled place. I am only able to get or send random texts, so I didn't hear about my nomination for a while. I really didn't expect it, but I'm absolutely thrilled—because I sort of started as a recurring character and we all collaborated into it being this wonderful, specific role that I'm delighted to play. The whole Succession cast is SUPERLATIVE and I'm thrilled that so many of us have been acknowledged. This is just a fantastic thrill! This show is absolutely a one-of-a-kind experience—Jesse is a raving genius and seems to have hired all the right people!"
"I already feel so honoured to be included on this list, but to be nominated alongside such friends/superstars as Brett Goldstein and Toheeb Jimoh is just the absolute dream. And how wonderful to see so much appreciation for the whole Ted Lasso family. Thank you TV Academy and Apple TV+!"
"An Emmy would be the most exciting achievement for all of us on Selling Sunset and this nomination is an unbelievable honor. Being a part of this show the last few years with my castmates and close friends has been an experience of a lifetime, and I appreciate every fan who watches us and becomes a part of this journey. And none of this would be possible without the amazing production team as well as the incredible team at Netflix."
"As the basic human rights of LGBTQ+ people are being threatened once again, I want to thank our peers in the Television Academy for acknowledging the achievements of the beautiful and talented souls that work in front of and behind the cameras at RuPaul's Drag Race. Through the miracle of drag, our spectacular Season 14 queens have touched hearts and opened minds around the planet. We will never take for granted the platform we've been given to tell authentic queer stories, and pledge to do everything in our power to continue to spread light, love, and laughter. To our partners at World of Wonder, Paramount and VH1, thank you for having our backs every high-heeled step of the way."
"I'm just over the moon excited to be nominated for playing Stewy Hosseini in Succession. I'm thrilled that my first nomination came because of the brain of Jesse Armstrong and the incredible team he has assembled."
"It's so exciting when the audience finds a show that you're truly passionate about, and I'm beyond thrilled to have Love Is Blind be embraced in this way, with an Emmy nomination. All of us at Kinetic are truly excited and grateful!"
I'm so thrilled Top Chef and Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen continue to be recognized by the Television Academy. I'm so grateful to our wonderful crew and fellow producers who work so hard to make both shows."
"You never know if people are going to watch what you make so the entire experience of making a movie or show exists in its own creative and crazy bubble. The Dropout was the most intense and surprisingly fun time and for it to be appreciated in this way sweetens the whole experience for me. I love celebrating this show and the brilliant people involved. I'm super happy right now."
"What a morning! Thank you so much to the @televisionacad for my emmy nominations! It's an honor to know that both Olivia and Cassie have connected with so many. I'm so proud of both these shows and grateful to everybody that's been apart of them. But most importantly mom, I love you, we did it through the ups and downs! Thank you thank you!!"