“The coolest thing my kids have gotten to do is come to almost every single season we have shot since they’ve been alive,” Simmons said
NEED TO KNOW
- Top Chef judge Gail Simmons opened up during a PEOPLE in 10 interview about how her kids have grown up on the set
- Simmons has been a judge on Top Chef since its 2006 debut
- “I shot for many years before I had children, and then since I had my daughter 12 years ago,” Simmons recently said
Longtime Top Chef judge Gail Simmons is revealing how her kids have become part of the reality competition show’s extended family.
During a recent PEOPLE in 10 interview, Simmons, 49 opened up about what it’s been like raising her two kids — daughter Dahlia, 12, and son Kole, 7 — while filming the Bravo series.
“The coolest thing my kids have gotten to do is come to almost every single season we have shot since they've been alive,” Simmons said during the interview alongside Top Chef host Kristen Kish and judge Tom Colicchio.
Credit: Gail Simmons/Instagram
She continued of her kids, whom she shares with husband Jeremy Abrams, “I shot for many years before I had children, and then since I had my daughter 12 years ago.”
Simmons said her daughter has joined her for nearly every season, missing just one in Houston during the pandemic. Since then, she’s had the chance to explore cities across the country and beyond, all while tagging along for the ride.
And it’s not just the travel that’s made the experience special.
Simmons said, “She loves tasting all the food. She loves exploring every city, and she loves hanging out with Uncle Tom and Auntie KK, cause who wouldn’t?”
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Credit: Gail Simmons/Instagram
Simmons has been part of the show since the very beginning, serving as a permanent judge on the Emmy-winning series since its debut in 2006.
Now, the culinary crew is gearing up for another adventure, with Simmons, Kish, 42, and Colicchio, 63, heading to the Carolinas for season 23.
New episodes of Top Chef season 23 air every Monday on Bravo and are available to stream on Peacock.
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