Padma Lakshmi has a sunny feeling as she turns 52.
The longtime “Top Chef” host marked her birthday with a throwback photo from her Hawaiian vacation in April, sharing a gorgeous swimsuit snap on Twitter with the caption: “This is 52.”
Lakshmi wore a pink and white floral crown and rocked in a black thong bikini as she posed alongside the water for the photo, which got a lot of attention from her adoring fans.
“Amazing. Amazing. Goddess,” a follower commentedwhile another wrote, “Delicious as always! Honestly, I didn’t look that good even at 22, so more power to you, you beautiful woman!”
“52 the new 25”, another added.
The author of “Tomatoes for Neela” often shares swimsuit snaps on social media — like in 2019, when she pointed out she didn’t use filters or Facetune on her bikini body, and two years ago, when she marked her new decade with a series of bikini snaps. with her ex Adam Dell.
Her birthday celebrations follow a rough month for the star; Lakshmi’s ex-husband, Salman Rushdie, was stabbed on August 12 in a shocking attack at a literary event in New York.
“Relieved @SalmanRushdie is moving on after Friday’s nightmare,” she says tweeted two days later. “Worried and wordless, can finally exhale. Now hope for a speedy recovery.”
It was indeed “a full year of highs and lows,” as Lakshmi wrote in an Instagram post celebrating her birthday.
Writing that she was “over the moon” about filming season 2 of “Taste the Nation”, along with winning her first James Beard Foundation Award and three Critics’ Choice Awards, the TV personality also took the time to discuss some sadder moments, such as the loss of her grandmother and friend Arthur Chadbourne.
Despite her losses, Lakshmi ended her post on a positive note, writing that she had “so many blessings to count”, including her daughter Krishna, whom she calls “Littlehands” on social media.
“Littlehands continues to thrive and we are both happy, healthy and productive,” she wrote. “This birthday makes me feel happy and grateful, even if it’s with a heavy heart.”