Kristen Kish says the support and validation of trusted people, including her fellow “Top Chef” judges, helped her become more confident in her role as the Bravo competition’s host. Speaking on Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast, she said she gradually accepted that she did not need to imitate previous hosts or fit a prescribed mould, but could succeed by being herself.

Kish, a three-time Emmy-nominated host and former “Top Chef” winner, also discussed her early interest in cooking, from playing with improvised ingredients as a child to making a dry chicken-and-couscous dish as one of her first edible meals. The podcast episode also considers this year’s Emmy races, including outstanding variety series, limited or anthology series and comedy.