Gail Simmons is reflecting on 20 years as a judge on Top Chef.

“Ultimately, I don’t think my [judging] style has changed that much, but what has changed is allowing us as judges to really speak freely and edit us less,” Simmons, 49, exclusively told Us Weekly while promoting her partnership with Bristol Myers Squibb for their COBENFY Connections campaign, which aims to change the narrative surrounding schizophrenia.

Simmons continued, “I think the world of reality television has softened in a lot of ways, and our show, in particular, Top Chef, is so much more about the food, the cooking, the kitchen, the chefs, than it is about reality that happens outside of the kitchen.”

According to the Canadian cookbook author, “The real juice, so to speak, is what happens in the kitchen.”

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