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After appearing as one of the headlining models of this year’s Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, TV host, chef, and author Padma Lakshmi is already thinking about returning for another go around.
Speaking to Page Six, Lakshmi expressed that she would be open to returning to the iconic pages of the SI Swimsuit edition.
“I hope,” Lakshmi told Page Six about returning to the SI Swimsuit issue to break the record that Martha Stewart just set.
“I mean, listen, if I’m still doing covers like she is at 80 plus. I mean, God, more power to her. And she’s always been someone I’ve admired, so why should this be any different?”
When Lakshmi was introduced as one of this year’s models, she admitted to being “pretty nervous” about the opportunity due to her age.
“I’m not going to lie, I was pretty nervous,” Lakshmi said of her Sports Illustrated photo shoot.
“You know, I’m 52 years old. And I think I look great for my age and I definitely work at it. It’s important to show women of all ages, body types, skin colors, and show that beauty is so vast and broad of a spectrum. And so when young women see this, I hope they see that they have a long life to live. And that experience and wisdom and going through stuff actually makes you more interesting and enriches you as a person, both physically, but also, inside.”
In addition to Stewart, this year’s SI Swimsuit cover models are Megan Fox, Brooks Nader, and Kim Petras.
Furthermore, alongside Lakshmi, Ellie Thumann, Jennifer Atilemile, Lauren Chan, Madisin Rian, Mady Dewey, Mellisa Wood-Tepperberg, Nicole Williams English, Sixtine, Angel Reese, Olivia Dunne, Camilie Kostek, Christen Harper, Duckie Thot, Georgina Burke, Hailey Clauson, Jasmine Sanders, Kamie Crawford, Katie Austin, Leyna Bloom, Lorena Duran, Mady Dewey, Marquita Pring, Olivia Ponton, and Yumi Nu feature in this year’s edition of the magazine.
Lakshmi, 52 years old, is best known as the host of the reality cooking competition series Top Chef on Bravo and as an author of six books, including two cookbooks. Most recently, Lakshmi began hosting the food travel series Taste The Nation on Hulu.