Padma Lakshmi is closing up the kitchen. After 17 years as host of Top Chef, the series staple announced today that she is leaving the long-running cooking competition series.

Lakshmi posted the news to her Twitter account, where she wrote, “After much soul searching, I have made the difficult decision to leave Top Chef.”

She continued, “Having completed a glorious 20th season as host and executive producer, I am extremely proud to have been part of building such a successful show and of the impact it has had in the worlds of television and food.”

She later added, “I feel it’s time to move on and need to make space for Taste the Nation, my books, and other creative pursuits.”

Lakshmi joined Top Chef during the show’s second season in 2006 as a replacement for Katie Lee Joel, and has hosted every season since then, earning Emmy nominations for her hosting duties in 2009, 2020, 2021 and as recently as 2022.

She became a producer on the series in 2010. Fun fact: Only the show’s head judge Tom Colicchio has appeared on more episodes than she has. Top Chef has already been renewed for Season 21, but there’s no word who might fill Lakshmi’s shoes as the next host of the show.

The news that Lakshmi will be leaving the show comes as the current season, dubbed Top Chef: World All-Stars — the show’s 20th — is winding down.

The season finale, which will mark Lakshmi’s final show, airs Thursday, June 8 at 9PM ET/PT on Bravo. Both seasons of Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi are currently available on Hulu and, from the sound of it, Lakshmi hopes to make additional episodes, so at least we have that to look forward to.