Top Chef’s Gail Simmons shares how her kids have grown up on set

Longtime Top Chef judge Gail Simmons is giving fans a behind-the-scenes look at how her two children have grown up on the Emmy-winning show.

In a recent interview with People, Simmons, 49, revealed that her daughter Dahlia, 12, and son Kole, 7, have joined her on nearly every season since they were born.

"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, speaking alongside Top Chef host Kristen Kish and fellow judge Tom Colicchio.

Simmons, who shares her children with husband Jeremy Abrams, reflected on balancing motherhood with her work. 

"I shot for many years before I had children, and then since I had my daughter 12 years ago," she said. 

Dahlia missed only one season filming in Houston during the pandemic, but otherwise has explored cities across the U.S. and abroad alongside her mom.

Beyond the travel, Simmons said her kids love immersing themselves in the culinary world. "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?"

Simmons has been a permanent judge on Top Chef since its debut in 2006, witnessing the show’s evolution over nearly two decades. She, Kish, 42, and Colicchio, 63, are now preparing for another season as the crew heads to the Carolinas for season 23.

New episodes of Top Chef season 23 air every Monday on Bravo and stream on Peacock.