For Chrissy Teigen, judging a television talent competition doesn’t end when the cameras stop rolling. These days, the feedback continues at home — delivered by her toughest and most enthusiastic critics: her children.
Speaking at the taping of the season one finale of Netflix’s revived Star Search on Feb. 17, the model, cookbook author, and TV personality shared how her new role as a celebrity judge has quietly reshaped daily life in her household.
What started as a professional gig has turned into a family-wide game — one filled with star ratings, playful critiques, and a lot of laughter around the dinner table.
When the Judges Come Home
Teigen, 40, said her children quickly picked up on the judging format of the show and began recreating it in everyday moments.
Her youngest daughter, Esti, 3, now runs around the house enthusiastically awarding “five stars” to almost anything she sees. Meanwhile, older siblings Luna, 9, and Miles, 7, have embraced a more critical approach — especially when it comes to their mom’s cooking.
Teigen joked that some meals have earned slightly lower marks. One dish, a Mexican lasagna, received a four-star rating from her kids. Still, she noted with relief that nothing has dipped below that score yet.
The playful scoring system has turned ordinary family routines into something resembling a friendly competition show — equal parts teasing and affection.
A Competition-Show Household
Teigen shares four children — Luna, Miles, Esti, and 2-year-old Wren — with her husband, Grammy-winning musician John Legend.
Legend is no stranger to judging talent himself, having spent several seasons as a coach on The Voice. He is also set to appear in the upcoming The Voice: Battle of Champions.
According to Teigen, having two parents associated with competition shows has subtly shifted the family dynamic. She joked that their shared TV authority has earned them a little more respect at home — at least in the eyes of their children.
“It’s a competition show household now,” she said, describing a playful sense that both parents suddenly “know what they’re talking about.”
A Classic Show Returns
Teigen currently serves as a judge on Netflix’s revival of Star Search, alongside musician Jelly Roll and actress Sarah Michelle Gellar. Actor and comedian Anthony Anderson hosts the series.
The show carries decades of history. The original Star Search aired from 1983 to 1995, later returning briefly in the early 2000s, and famously featured early performances from future global stars such as Beyoncé and Britney Spears.
For viewers, the revival blends nostalgia with modern celebrity culture — and, in Teigen’s case, spills over into family life in unexpected ways.
Seeing Mom on Screen
Recently, Teigen shared a social media clip showing her younger children watching her on television for the first time. After a moment of confusion, Esti excitedly realized who she was seeing and shouted, “That’s mommy!”
The moment captured something familiar to many working parents: the surreal experience of children slowly understanding what their parents do outside the home.
For Teigen, the recognition was both funny and quietly meaningful — a reminder that professional milestones often land differently when seen through a child’s eyes.
Why the Story Resonates
Celebrity stories often focus on premieres and performances, but moments like this highlight a more relatable reality. Work — even glamorous work — inevitably blends into family life.
Children imitate what they see. In Teigen’s home, that means turning dinner into a judging panel and everyday moments into playful performances.
It’s a small example of how careers shape family culture, not through grand gestures but through tiny habits that become shared jokes and memories.
And sometimes, the loudest applause doesn’t come from an audience — just from kids handing out five stars in the living room.
