Padma Lakshmi's Steamy Birthday Photo Is Turning Heads On Twitter

Padma Lakshmi, host of Bravo's "Top Chef," celebrated her birthday on Thursday, September 1. As she turned 52, she took to Instagram to reflect on her whirlwind of a year. "It's been such a full year with highs and lows," she began. She followed by expressing how thankful she is for her accomplishments. She spoke about her many awards, such as the James Beard Award and three Critics Choice Awards for "Top Chef" and "Taste the Nation." Additionally, she was proud to have finished filming the second season of "Taste the Nation."

She continued, "Personally, I lost two beloved people in my life this year, my grandma, Jima, which many of you know about, but also Arthur Chadbourne who was a close and deeply trusted friend for over a dozen years." The author rounded out the post by saying that despite the pain, her life is full of amazing blessings. "Littlehands continues to flourish and we are both happy, healthy and productive."

However, Padma Lakshmi posted more than just an inspiring message. She also took to Twitter to show she's still got it.

A breathtaking tradition

Padma Lakshmi displayed her self-confidence this week when she posted a Twitter photo on her birthday. The photo was of the chef in a black bikini with a crown of flowers on her head. It was taken in front of a stunning backdrop with greenery and a body of water. She captioned the post, "This is 52." Later, Chef Tom Colicchio shared the photo to wish Lakshmi a happy birthday. The comments section was alive with compliments, such as "Stunning. Amazing. Goddess," and "Lovely as ever. Honestly I didn't look that good even at 22."

This isn't the first time Lakshmi has shown off her looks in honor of her birthday. She posted a similar bikini pic when she turned 50, captioning it "50 is the new 30, feel like I'm just getting started." In fact, this has become a bit of a tradition, as she posted a headshot on Instagram at 51 stating "This is 51." We hope the multi-talented chef has a great birthday.