Tim Gunn Speaks Out on Project Runway Reboot Snub: “I Wasn’t Asked Back”
After nearly two decades as the guiding voice of Project Runway, Tim Gunn has revealed that he was not invited to return for the show’s reboot—despite early discussions that suggested otherwise.
In a recent interview with People published on Saturday, February 15, Gunn, 71, recounted how his longtime cohost and friend, Heidi Klum, initially reached out to him about the potential revival.
“Heidi sent me a text saying, ‘There’s talk about bringing Project Runway back with us—would you do it?’ And I said, ‘Would I do it? Of course! There’s not a moment of hesitation in me,’” Gunn recalled.
However, that excitement quickly turned into disappointment when months passed without any formal offer.
“So Heidi and I were texting and texting, and several months later, she sent me a text asking, ‘Are you happy with your contract?’ I’m a truth-teller. I don’t even mince words,” he explained. “I said, ‘Well, I haven’t seen a contract.’ And she said, ‘You haven’t?’ No.”
Producers Said “No” to Gunn’s Return
Sensing something was off, Gunn reached out to his agent, who confirmed that the executive producers had no plans to include him in the reboot.
“We don’t want him,” the producers reportedly told Gunn’s agent when asked why he wasn’t part of the new lineup.
Gunn was understandably stunned by the decision, considering his deep-rooted history with Project Runway.
“I’ve done 19 seasons of Runway, 16 of them with Heidi. The two of us even won an Emmy together as hosts, and now you’re going to separate us?” he said. “And they said yes.”
Despite the snub, Klum was confirmed in January 2025 as the host of Project Runway‘s 21st season, marking her first return to the Bravo show in eight years—without Gunn by her side.
The Offer of a Cameo: “No, Thank You”
Weeks after his agent’s inquiry, Gunn was eventually offered a small guest spot in a single episode, but the gesture felt hollow.
“What do I do? Wave from a bus as the designers go into Mood Fabrics? Heidi comes to visit me at a retirement home and we play croquet?” he quipped. “So no thank you. And as Heidi would say, ‘You’re either in or you’re out.’ And I’m out.”
Moving Forward, But Still Disappointed
While Gunn has accepted the outcome, he admits the situation still stings—especially because it means he won’t be working with Klum.
“I stopped the boo-hooing,” he said. “It’s really throwing hubris in the face of an angry God to mourn not being on this new show. So I’ve come to terms with it. Am I disappointed? Sure. And most of all, it’s about not working with Heidi. But we move on, and things happen for a reason. I don’t know what the reason is yet, but it will be revealed.”
Klum, meanwhile, was deeply upset by the decision to leave Gunn out.
“She kept saying, ‘I’m fighting for you, I’m fighting for you,’ which is lovely of her and nothing that I should expect,” Gunn shared. “And I said, ‘Heidi, just take good care of yourself. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.'”
Despite the disappointment, one thing remains unchanged: Gunn’s unwavering support for Klum.
