Padma Lakshmi hopes to become the oldest Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue model in history.
The 52-year-old model has revealed that she would love to replace Martha Stewart in the record books, after the 81-year-old TV star appeared on the cover of the 2023 Swimsuit Issue.
Asked if she’d like to surpass Martha’s record, Padma – who hit the Moth Ball last week – told the New York Post newspaper’s Page Six Style column: ‘I hope.
‘I mean, listen, if I’m still doing covers like she is at 80 plus. I mean, God, more power to her.
‘And she’s always been someone I’ve admired, so why should this be any different?’
Hot mama! Padma Lakshmi showcased her incredible bikini body in 2022. This week she said she wants to become the oldest Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue model in history
Looking good! The 52-year-old model has revealed that she would love to replace Martha Stewart in the record books, after the 81-year-old TV star appeared on the cover of the 2023 Swimsuit Issue
Padma appeared in this year’s Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition. However, she never expected for it to happen so late in her career.
Padma shared: ‘I thought it would happen one day for me when I was in my 20s and 30s and a model, but it never did, so I really thought that ship had sailed. So it’s almost sweeter happening at this age.’
Earlier this month, Martha admitted to being ‘kind of surprised’ to land the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover.
The businesswoman feels proud of her Swimsuit cover – but it wasn’t something she ever imagined doing.
Martha told Entertainment Tonight: ‘I was just surprised because I’ve done so many other things I didn’t expect to be topping with this.’
The TV star also suggested that attitudes are changing towards ageing stars.
She said: ‘I think the world has embraced the fact that you can be whoever you are whenever you want to be it.
‘That’s really what I think is helping. I think it’s helping people. You put on a bathing suit and you feel good about it. [People are] trying a little harder to keep your good health, your good looks, your good skin, your good hair.’
A cover girl: Asked if she’d like to surpass Martha’s record, Padma told the New York Post newspaper’s Page Six Style column: ‘I hope. I mean, listen, if I’m still doing covers like she is at 80 plus. I mean, God, more power to her.’ Martha at her SI party in NYC on May 18
Meanwhile, she also said this week that her recent successes feel ‘surreal’.
The star was named one of TIME 100’s Most Influential People in the world earlier this year, and she also featured in the latest Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
Reflecting on her success, Padma told the New York Post newspaper’s Page Six Style column: ‘I feel surreal.
‘I’ve just been so tired that I haven’t really had time to process it. But I’m very thankful that people love the show and I’m really honoured about the Time 100 thing.
The model admits that she didn’t see her success coming.
She said: ‘You know, I could have never foreseen that. And Sports Illustrated is fun, you know?’
Padma previously claimed that immigrants are ‘the reason for America’s greatness’.
The TV presenter – who was born in India but emigrated to the US during her childhood – is an advocate for immigrant rights and has stressed their importance in America’s successes.
On top of the world: Meanwhile, she also said this week that her recent successes feel ‘surreal’. The star was named one of TIME 100’s Most Influential People in the world earlier this year, and she also featured in the latest Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. Reflecting on her success, Padma told the New York Post newspaper’s Page Six Style column: ‘I feel surreal. ‘I’ve just been so tired that I haven’t really had time to process it. But I’m very thankful that people love the show and I’m really honoured about the Time 100 thing’
On her show Top Chef: Pictured: (l-r) Sujoy Gupta, Sriram Aylur, Asma Khan, Padma, Gail Simmons, Tom Colicchio, Vivek Singh
She told Us Weekly: ‘America is made of immigrants. America has been built by immigrants from different generations and different parts of the world. It is the reason for America’s greatness.
‘It is the reason for America’s economic prowess and it is the reason and source for most of our popular culture. That’s why immigrant stories are important because they’re American stories.’
Padma hosts the cooking show ‘Taste the Nation’ and she thinks it addresses some of the issues the US is currently ‘grappling with’.
She said in 2020: ‘There are so many important issues to discuss in our culture, but I do think that a show like ‘Taste The Nation’ helps to address some of the issues we’re grappling with as a country and so I’m glad that it has something positive to say at this very painful time in America.’
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