Padma Lakshmi Strips Down, Tells All for Playboy
Credit: Courtesy of Playboy Magazine.
Padma Lakshmi is pretty much perfect. In the December issue of Playboy, the "Top Chef" host and former model strips down to a lace negligee and reveals that she doesn't like dudes who shower her with gifts, thinks pretty people are boring, and works her butt off after every season of "Top Chef." (Celebrities who admit they gain weight and spend time working it off is a trend we're happy to get on board with.)
Some highlights from the interview:
On "Top Chef" derailing her diet: "My digestive tract is ironclad and can really take a beating. Having been a model for 15 years, I also know a thing or two about how to dress if I've put on a few pounds. And I usually gain between 10 and 15 pounds over six weeks each season. Then I spend 12 weeks working it off."
On the type of guys she likes: "A lot of men get frustrated with me, actually because I am like a guy. Honestly, I'm like a truck driver trapped in this body. I don't want to be your best friend. I don't expect you to give me a birthday card or send me flowers. I don't need fancy trips. You could take me across the street. Don't get me wrong. That stuff's nice, but I am a physical and sensual person. I love to be held. I love massages. I'm just not a Hallmark kind of gal."
On her three-year marriage to Salman Rushdie: "Now there is somebody who has great wit and is a great flirt. I don't regret a day I spent with Salman, but it was tiring. He has a big life, and it only got bigger while we were together. I'm happy to have stood next to him holding his hand, but we were in very different parts of our lives."
On beauty being boring: "Have you ever met a girl and she's really pretty, but then you talk to her for 15 minutes, and she's not that pretty anymore? She's kind of boring. Or else you meet a girl who's okay-looking but makes you laugh and says something saucy. Suddenly her beauty shines through."
On wearing three sports bras: "A regular bra doesn't work alone, and sometimes I need more support, so I'll put a sports bra over it. And I like to wear a runner's tank top over that. It's my cross to bear, I guess. Sometimes I think I'm one of the last women with real boobs."