Kish is the winner of 'Top Chef' season 10 and has previously guest hosted in seasons 18 and 19.
Kristen Kish is ready to step into the role of Top Chef host thanks to Padma Lakshmi's guidance.
Speaking with ET's Rachel Smith ahead of the premiere on Wednesday, the 40-year-old chef -- a previous winner of the cooking competition series -- said that when it comes to taking over the reins, Lakshmi said she would be as hands-on or laissez-faire as she needs.
"I think it was -- it was the advice that I needed. It was very much like, 'I'm here should you need, like speed dial if -- call if you have any questions. But also, if you don't need me, totally fine, just know that I'm here supporting you,'" she said of the words of wisdom.
Kish, the owner of the Arlo Grey restaurant in Austin, Texas, described Lakshmi's advice as "exactly what I needed to hear," and said that when they ended up in Wisconsin to film the new installment of the series, she felt confident and ready to work.
"Luckily, I didn't need to like phone a friend during any part of it," the cookbook author said.
After her win, Kish made appearances as a guest judge for seasons 18 and 19 of Top Chef, hosted the Travel Channel show 36 Hours, and helped Selena Gomez learn how to cook on Selena + Chef.
As for how she is planning to make the job "her own," she told ET she was never concerned about needing to make her own unique mark on the series.
"You don't have to think about making it your own. Like, I am my own person, Padma is her own person. They are their own people," she said of longtime judges Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons, who joined her for the interview. "By nature of just who we are and our experiences and things that we have to offer in our opinions, it's going to be uniquely us."
Kish was announced as the replacement host in July, just one month after Lakshmi announced she would be departing the cooking series after 19 seasons. At the time, Kish expressed her gratitude for the opportunity and acknowledged the full-circle element of her new job.
"Top Chef is where I started my journey -- first as a competing chef, then a guest judge and now as host, I have the honor of helping to continue to build this brand," Kish said in a statement. "I’m thrilled to sit alongside Gail and Tom as we get to know new incredible chefs and see what they cook up. It feels like coming home."
ET asked Kish's fellow season 21 hosts why she was the perfect choice to take over the role from Lakshmi, to which they said she was "the only choice" and a fan-favorite.
"The fans were rabid to have Kristen come on board and, you know, we were as well," added Colicchio. "Yeah, in our minds, she was the only choice."
Top Chef season 21 premieres March 20 on Bravo.
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