Padma Lakshmi is dating poet Terrance Hayes

A source told People: "It's early days and they're still getting to know each other."

Padma has an 11-year-old daughter called Krishna with her ex-partner Adam Dell, and in December, she celebrated her 50th birthday alongside the venture capitalist.

At the time, the TV host took to social media to reflect on her lockdown experience, revealing she'd endured a "mix of misery and elation" amid the coronavirus pandemic.

In a now-deleted Instagram post, she shared: "Personally, at home things were peaceful, We made a cocoon for our family. We lived for the first time all under one roof. We became closer."

In spite of the global health crisis, Padma revealed she was loving spending quality time with her family.

She said: "I cannot ask for anything more. I am truly blessed: a loving and attentive partner, a child that continues to be a miracle every day and work that I am proud of and fully engaged by with people I love."

Meanwhile, Padma previously insisted that immigrants are "the reason for America's greatness".

The 'Top Chef' star - who was born in India but emigrated to the US during her childhood - is an advocate for immigrant rights and stressed their importance to America's successes.

She said: "America is made of immigrants. America has been built by immigrants from different generations and different parts of the world. It is the reason for America's greatness.

"It is the reason for America's economic prowess and it is the reason and source for most of our popular culture. That's why immigrant stories are important because they're American stories."