Top Chef Host Kristen Kish Reflects on Career, Adoption and ‘Accidentally Finding Purpose’ in New Memoir (Exclusive)

Kristen Kish is opening up about her journey in a new book.

The acclaimed chef has shared exclusively with PEOPLE that she will publish her debut memoir, Accidentally on Purpose, next spring. The book, forthcoming from Little, Brown and Company, details Kish’s experience as a Korean adoptee, growing up in the midwest and becoming a winner and Emmy-nominated host of Bravo’s Top Chef.

“I hope my story resonates with people,” Kish says of her forthcoming memoir, ‘Accidentally on Purpose,’ which arrives in 2025

Kish was born in South Korea and raised in Kentwood, Mi. She showed an early love of cooking as a child, and later attended the prestigious culinary institution Le Cordon Bleu in Chicago. She would go on to work in many high-profile restaurants before she competed in — and won — season 10 of Top Chef. In 2023, Kish became the host for the show’s 21st season, following the exit of Padma Lakshmi.

Accidentally on Purpose, per its publisher, will take readers through how Kish found her true calling as a chef, her experience coming out as an adult and learning to navigate fame, all while following her own path.

“Kristen really put her heart on the page and Accidentally on Purpose is an honest, real and caring story,’ says Little, Brown senior editor Vivian Lee in a statement shared with PEOPLE. “I think fans will, of course, love the behind-the-scenes stories of Kristen’s work both in the kitchen and in front of the camera, but those who are looking to know Kristen on a more personal level will fall in love with her love story, the journey of her being confident in her voice and how we could all learn from the challenges thrown our way to be our best selves.”

“Everyone has their own path — there’s no direct route or right way to do things,” Kish says in a statement shared with PEOPLE. “I hope my story resonates with people. It’s not just a book about being a chef and a TV personality; it’s a book about life, lessons learned, love and accidentally finding purpose.”

Accidentally on Purpose will be published on April 22, 2025 and is now available for preorder, wherever books are sold.

Image of Kristen Kish and the cover of 'Accidentally on Purpose" by Peter Ash Lee

View complete original article by Carly Tagen-Dye on People.com: https://people.com/top-chef-host-kristen-kish-memoir-exclusive-8705904