You probably know Kristen Kish as the sharp, calm-under-pressure host of Top Chef who took over the mantle from Padma Lakshmi. Or maybe you remember her historic win back in Season 10. But while her culinary career is basically public record at this point, her life behind the scenes—specifically her relationship with her wife, Bianca Dusic—is something she keeps a bit closer to the chest.
It’s a vibe, honestly. In a world where every celeb couple is trying to sell you a "lifestyle," Kristen and Bianca feel like a real-life partnership that just happens to involve one very famous chef.
The Kristen Kish and Bianca Dusic Story: It Wasn't Always "The Plan"
Here is the thing about Kristen Kish: she wasn't always sure marriage was in the cards. She has been pretty open about this in interviews, mentionining that for a long time, the idea of getting married didn't even feel like an option because of the legal landscape for the LGBTQ+ community.
Then she met Bianca Dusic.
Bianca isn't just "the wife" of a celebrity. She’s an Australian-born powerhouse with a massive career of her own. She spent years in the high-stakes world of corporate food and beverage—think big roles like VP of Food & Beverage at Standard International. But then, she pulled a move that sounds like the plot of a movie. She left the "secure" corporate world to follow a calling in wellness.
Now, she runs a brand called bWithin. She is a certified hypnotherapist, a breathwork practitioner, and a holistic health coach. Basically, she helps people fix their heads while Kristen feeds their souls.
Why Their Relationship Just Works
The dynamic between Kristen Kish and Bianca Dusic is a classic case of opposites attracting in the best way. Kristen is a self-proclaimed minimalist. She likes clean lines, order, and a home that functions with the efficiency of a Michelin-star kitchen. Bianca? She’s the one who brings the texture, the patterns, and the "homey" feel to their life.
They officially got engaged in September 2019. It wasn't some over-the-top, staged-for-the-Gram moment. Kristen shared a photo of them with coffee and "bed head," which is pretty much the most Kristen Kish way to announce a life-changing event.
Then 2020 happened.
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The pandemic threw a wrench into their original plans, but instead of stressing, they leaned into the intimacy. On April 18, 2021, they got married in their backyard in Connecticut. It was small. Like, really small. Their families joined via Zoom (Bianca's family is still based in Australia), and they both wore black. Kristen rocked her favorite blazer.
Life Beyond the Top Chef Kitchen
A lot of people think that being a celebrity chef means constant parties and red carpets. For Kristen and Bianca, it’s the opposite.
Kristen has called herself a "homebody" more times than I can count. After months of traveling for Iron Chef or Restaurants at the End of the World, she just wants to be in her sweatpants. Being home with Bianca is her version of a vacation.
But it hasn't always been easy to balance. In the beginning, their schedules were a nightmare. Bianca was working a traditional Monday-to-Friday corporate gig, while Kristen was living the chaotic life of a rising star in the food world. They actually had to make a "two-to-three week rule"—they wouldn't go longer than that without seeing each other, no matter what.
What Bianca Actually Does (It’s Cool)
If you look up Bianca Dusic, you’ll find she is deep into the "mindset and transformation" world. She went through a really tough period after her father passed away in 2020, which is what eventually led her to pivot away from hospitality.
Her work now includes:
- Hypnotherapy: Helping people break through limiting beliefs.
- Past-Life Regression: It sounds intense, but it’s part of her holistic approach.
- Breathwork: Managing the nervous system (which probably helps when your wife is one of the most famous chefs in America).
She was also a huge part of Kristen’s recent memoir process. Kristen has mentioned that Bianca read the chapters as they were being written, acting as a sounding board and emotional support through the heavy lifting of writing a life story.
The Connecticut Home Base
The couple lives in Connecticut now. They gave a tour of their place a while back, and it’s basically a masterclass in compromise. Kristen wanted everything to have its place—muscle memory is huge for her—while Bianca wanted it to feel like a real home.
They used a lot of green tones and varied textures to bridge that gap. It’s a place built for friends and family, even if they spend most of their time there just decompressing from their respective high-energy careers.
Actionable Takeaways from the Kish-Dusic Partnership
Looking at how Kristen Kish and Bianca Dusic navigate their life, there are actually a few things we can learn about making a high-profile (or even a low-profile) relationship work:
- Set Hard Boundaries: Their "three-week rule" for seeing each other is a non-negotiable that saved them during the early, chaotic years.
- Support the Pivot: When Bianca wanted to leave her "safe" career for wellness, Kristen was there. When Kristen was terrified of taking the Iron Chef gig, Bianca was her anchor.
- Keep it Private (Where it Matters): Despite their success, they don't overshare. They protect their "homebody" status fiercely, which seems to keep their connection grounded.
- Compromise on Environment: Whether it's home decor or travel schedules, finding that "middle ground" (as Kristen calls it) prevents one person's personality from drowning out the other's.
If you’re following Kristen on her current hosting journey, just know that the calm, collected person you see on screen is likely that way because she has a very solid, very private foundation waiting for her back in Connecticut.