
Padma Lakshmi Does Standup: Extended Cut
From Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Radio by Milk Street Radio
March 10, 2026 · 23 min
About this episode
An extended interview with Padma Lakshmi discussing her early years, love for standup, and career as a cooking competition host.
Today, we’re sharing an extended cut of our interview with Padma Lakshmi. We discuss everything from her early years in India to her love for standup comedy. She reminisces about her time on an Italian variety show, which laid the foundation for a long and successful career as a cooking competition host. Plus, she reveals the secret to being a great judge on Top Chef.
People in this episode
Guest: Padma Lakshmi
Topics covered
- Padma Lakshmi
- standup comedy
- cooking competition
- Top Chef
- career
- India
Keywords
- Padma Lakshmi
- standup comedy
- Top Chef
- cooking competition
- Italian variety show
- career
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Top Chef, Italian variety show
Places: India
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