Padma Lakshmi Sees Her SI Swimsuit Photos for the First Time on Live TV

The culinary personality, mom and best-selling author makes her debut with the magazine Monday.

Padma Lakshmi was photographed by Yu Tsai in Dominica.Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Padma Lakshmi was in for a surprise this morning as the Top Chef host and best-selling author appeared on a segment of TODAY and saw some of her SI Swimsuit gallery photos for the first time.

The 2023 model was photographed by Yu Tsai in Dominica earlier this year. SI Swimsuit announced the news at the beginning of the month and dropped a limited series of stunning photos of Lakshmi wearing a teeny tiny metallic gold bikini.

“I would’ve killed for it in my 20s when I was a model, but that it’s happening now is all the much sweeter,” Lakshmi, 52, told TODAY on Monday. “It was so exciting. I’m glad they’re being more diverse.”

The mom of one spent an entire decade modeling for major brands years ago, but she says she wouldn’t go back to her 20s even for “all the money in the world.”

“I love where I am in my life, and no, my body’s not perfect by any means, but I don’t care. I feel like I have a very lucky, fruitful, productive life, and I hope that’s what [people] see when they see these pictures,” the Taste the Nation creator and executive producer told SI Swimsuit about her feature with the magazine. “I hope they see a full woman in all my facets and nuances, and also some contradictions.” 

View Padma Lakshmi’s full 2023 SI Swimsuit gallery here.

Padma Lakshmi was photographed by Yu Tsai in Dominica.

Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Lakshmi hopes her photos portray all that she is and are visible proof that women can be multifaceted. She describes herself as kind, intelligent, funny, silly, serious and also “vain,” but she knows there’s nothing wrong with that. Women are allowed to be brilliant while also wanting to look good.

“Of course it’s a visual image, but the reason that I hopefully move better in my body, the reason that I look beautiful now at this age especially, is not because of my skin—it’s because of what’s inside my skin,” Lakshmi added. “It’s because of my experiences, my learning and just being out in the world. People are more interesting as they become who they’re going to be as they age. I feel more beautiful now than I did when I was a model in my 20s. I probably looked more beautiful then, but I feel much more beautiful now.”

Padma Lakshmi was photographed by Yu Tsai in Dominica.

Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Meet Padma Lakshmi—read the 2023 SI Swimsuit model’s full feature profile here.

Get ready for the hottest event of the year! The 2023 SI Swimsuit Issue is out now, and you won’t want to miss the Swimsuit Issue Launch Party. Secure your tickets now and join us for an unforgettable weekend of glamour, beauty and fun.

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