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Top Chef Winner Kristen Kish Joins 'The Traitors' Reality Show
The celebrity chef has a history of TV appearances and a new memoir.
Jan. 29, 2026 at 2:55pm
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Kristen Kish, the winner of Season 10 of Top Chef, is a contestant on the current season of the reality competition show The Traitors. Kish has had a successful cooking career, including owning a restaurant in Austin, Texas, and has appeared on numerous TV shows beyond Top Chef. She recently released a memoir titled Accidentally on Purpose that became a New York Times bestseller. Kish is also openly gay and married to her wife Bianca Dusic.
Why it matters
Kristen Kish's participation in The Traitors adds a well-known culinary personality to the cast of the popular reality show. Her background as a Top Chef winner and her experience across various food and entertainment TV programs make her a compelling player to watch. Kish's personal story as an adopted Korean American who is openly gay also brings additional diversity to the show's lineup.
The details
Kish was born in Seoul, South Korea and was adopted by a family in Michigan as a baby. She studied international business and economics before pivoting to culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu in Chicago. Kish worked her way up from line cook to chef de cuisine at several restaurants in Boston and eventually opened her own restaurant, Arlo Grey, in Austin, Texas in 2018. On Top Chef, Kish was initially eliminated in the first episode but fought her way back through the Last Chance Kitchen competition to ultimately win the entire season, becoming the second female winner in the show's history. Since then, Kish has gone on to host Top Chef and appear on numerous other food and cooking shows.
- Kish was born on December 1, 1983 in Seoul, South Korea.
- She graduated from high school in 2002.
- Kish competed on Season 10 of Top Chef in 2012.
- She became the host of Top Chef in 2023.
- Kish's memoir Accidentally on Purpose was published in 2025.
The players
Kristen Kish
A celebrity chef who won Season 10 of Top Chef and has since appeared on numerous cooking and food-related TV shows. She is also the owner of a restaurant called Arlo Grey in Austin, Texas and recently published a bestselling memoir.
Bianca Dusic
Kristen Kish's wife, whom she married in 2021.
What they’re saying
“I used to never want to get married because less than 10 years ago, I wasn't allowed to by way of the Supreme Court. But I'm now happily married to the greatest human to walk this earth.”
— Kristen Kish (Interview Magazine)
What’s next
Fans will have to tune in to The Traitors to see how far Kristen Kish makes it in the competition.
The takeaway
Kristen Kish's participation in The Traitors showcases her versatility as a television personality beyond just the culinary world, and her personal story as an adopted Korean American and openly gay woman adds an inspiring element to her reality TV journey.
