Colicchio did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Officials at NBCUniversal and Magical Elves, the production company for “Top Chef,” praised and thanked Lakshmi in statements that suggested they plan to continue the program. “We will miss him on set at the judges’ table and as an executive producer, but we will be forever grateful for his unwavering dedication to connecting with our cheftestants and the Bravo audience,” Casey Kriley and Jo Sharon, the co-chief executives of Magical Elves, said in a statement.
Lakshmi, 52, an Indian-born model, author and activist, has been praised for bringing grace and humor to the reality show, becoming the undeniable face of the franchise.
Last month, Lakshmi’s other television show, “Taste the Nation,” aired its second season, on Hulu. Here, he travels the United States, exploring what it means to cook and eat in America.
Also last month, he was featured in Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, in a gold-coin bikini. “This is me,” he wrote along with a video of a photo shoot he did posted on Instagram. “I wouldn’t go back to my 20s if you paid me all the money in the world.”
Her first cookbook, “Easy Exotic,” was published in 1999. Since then, she has released several other books, including “Tangy, Tart, Hot & Sweet”; a memoir, “Love, Loss and What We Ate”; a reference guide called “The Encyclopedia of Spices and Herbs”; and a children’s book, “Tomatoes for Neela.”
Brett Anderson contributed reporting.
