Gail Simmons Reacts to Padma Lakshmi's 'Top Chef' Exit

Gail Simmons is sharing her thoughts on Padma Lakshmi‘s decision to exit Top Chef.

The 47-year-old judge and chef told People that naturally she was “sad” to see Padma go.

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“She’s my friend and we’ve had so much fun together,” she told the outlet.

However, Gail also added: “I still have her phone number, we still hang out. She’s not leaving the world!”

Former Top Chef finalist Eric Adjepong also reflected on Padma‘s announcement, calling her “an incredible fixture not only for the franchise but for food TV, period.”

“I wish her nothing but love and success in all the endeavors she does,” he added. “She has a lot of projects she’s working on, like her show Taste the Nation, and I’m sure she’ll continue to impress us.”

Gail went on to discuss the upcoming Top Chef: World All-Stars finale, which is set to air Thursday night at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo.

“It’s just a show-stopping finale,” Gail shared. “The food is so beautiful and meaningful and I think that it’s sort of a bit unexpected. It’s a pretty epic room of chefs at our table, too.”

Padma confirmed that she would be leaving Top Chef last week. Read her announcement here.