Tim Gunn Claims He Wasn’t Invited Back to ‘Project Runway’ With Heidi Klum

While Heidi Klum will be returning to Project Runway for the upcoming 21^st season, she will be without co-host Tim Gunn. The two had hosted the competition series for 16 seasons before leaving in 2018 for Amazon’s Making the Cut. Klum was announced to be returning for Season 21 as the series returns on Freeform, Disney+, and Hulu later this year, and Gunn told People that he was not invited back.

“Heidi sent me a text saying, ‘There’s talk about bringing Project Runway back with us, with you and me, and would you do it?’ And I said, ‘Would I do it? Of course, there’s not a moment of hesitation in me,’” Gunn explained. “So Heidi and I were 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 mince words. I said, ‘Well, I haven’t seen a contract.’”

“And she said, ‘You haven’t?’ No,” Gunn continued. “So I called my agent, and he knew things were going on, but he contacted the executive producers of this new show, and they said, ‘We don’t want him.’ And [my agent] said, ‘Well, he’s done 19 seasons of Runway, 16 with Heidi. The two of them won an Emmy together as hosts, and now you’re going to separate them?’ And they said yes.”

“So I wasn’t asked back,” he said. “However, several weeks after that conversation, they went back to [my agent] and said, ‘Well, we’ve thought about it, and we’d be willing to offer Tim a small cameo in one episode.’ What do I do? Wave from a bus? As the designers are going into Mood [Fabrics]? Heidi comes to see me at the retirement home and we play croquet? So no thank you. And as Heidi would say, you’re either in or you’re out. And I’m out. So I wasn’t asked to join.”

Gunn went on to explain that he was “initially devastated, then kind of humiliated,” but then he got to reflecting on his career. Klum was also “really upset” and told Gunn she was going to fight for him. Gunn, however, assured Klum not to worry about him and he’d be fine. Additionally, despite the way things went, he still plans on watching the show for his longtime friend and former co-host. “I have her back and I’m with her in spirit always,” Gunn said.

A premiere date for Project Runway Season 21 has not been announced, but all 20 seasons are currently streaming on Peacock, so fans can catch up now and prepare for Klum’s highly-anticipated return and hope that Gunn returns in the future.