Yesterday I spoke with Lauren, the first contestant to pack up her knives on the fifth season of Top Chef. The confident, young pastry chef was emotional when she spoke of her deployed husband and opinionated as she discussed the difference between the food and film industries. To find out what she had to say about Padma, read more.
On being the first contestant kicked off the show: I was miserable. Honestly it's absolutely embarrassing. I was shocked. I went into the competition so confident in myself. I thought I was going to be Top Chef.
Her impression of Tom and Padma: I feel that Tom was portrayed accurately. He's very kind and well educated. He's obviously earned his place in the industry. As for Padma, they do a very nice job editing and she comes out looking nice. She's not a person I would like to hang out with. I'm pretty easy going and not high maintenance. Everyone has to do their own hair and makeup, but she has a glam squad surrounding her at all times. They had to stop filming every two minutes to powder her nose. I was disenchanted with the beauty side of the film industry. Film is very different from the food industry.
On watching friend Patrick be kicked off after her: You always hope you will be the one to make it, but if it can't be you, at least you hope for your friends. I wanted him to do well. Now I'm rooting for the other three contestants who graduated from the CIA.
How she prepared for Top Chef: I don't think there is anything that could have prepared me more than watching the show. I watched every episode multiple times, but it never compares to being there. Going to culinary school definitely prepared me for the challenge.
On being inexperienced: I didn't feel out of my league until I met my competitors. I thought, I am being trumped by experience and decades. I'm still very young in my career.
On telling her husband in Iraq she was kicked off: Breaking it to him, telling him that I was the first one kicked off was the hardest thing I've ever done.
On returning for another season of Top Chef: I would need a lot of experience to go back into the competition. Right now I want to open a bakery and get more experience.
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She was very cocky about being the winner of top chef. That I think was one of her major down fall. Being humble keeps you grounded and working harder.
1Look at the winners of the previous four seasons. Harold? Cocky and capable. Ilan? Far too cocky, but capable. Hung? Insufferably cocky, but definitely capable. The only one, who wasn't cocky was Stephanie. You think it was Lauren's cockiness that was her downfall? There's a reason "chef" and "chief" have the same linguistic roots. Lauren had the cockiness but not the capabilities. Buh-bye.
2I was torn about her. My husband is deployed to, so I wanted to feel a camaraderie with her, but she just seemed like a huge b!tch.
3Well, she sounds a little bitter.
4Telling her husband that she got booted off was the hardest thing she's ever done? WTH? She must've had one super-easy life! It's not like she lost a job...
5Just bc Padma wanted to look good does not make her NOT nice!
6She wasn't on long enough for me to get a good impression of her, but I wasn't too sad to see her go.
7I do agree with you, though, LaurenG. Padma is a former model; she's not a "regular person." Of course you had to do your own make-up and she didn't. You're a contestant, she's the host! I highly doubt Gail does her own make-up.
8I am a "Chief". Maybe I should try out????
9i think that it's interesting that she's so open about padma - i don't know if anyone else has ever said that before. i do think that it's an interesting place to be in and i would HATE to be the first person kicked off - especially in the situation that she was - but what can ya do right?
10Also...it's her age that brought her down? How old was Stephanie Izard (I don't remember how to spell her name....)?
11She was so annoying. I'm glad she's out.
12bah!
13I love it when people are so cocky and then they get eliminated. haha
I'm glad a woman was first to go. I hate women chefs.
14What a dummy, telling her husband, who is in Iraq that she got kicked off top chef was the hardest thing she had to do? Uh... your husband is fighting a war... isn't that hard all in itself.
15Dammit!!!!!!!!! I wish I hadn't read this.. it spoils this weeks episode [saying that Patrick goes home this week]!
16Lauren and Patrick both went home in the first week.
17First of all, Padma is one of the hosts so getting powdered and primped every take is normal- it's just standard in the biz.
Second of all, I find it off that telling her husband she was kicked off is the hardest thing she's ever had to do.....considering that her husband is, er, deployed in the war. Just sayin.
Cough it up to lack of experience but no need to get cocky about it.
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