Project Runway is returning without one beloved mentor. Fashion maven Tim Gunn will not return for Season 22, which is slated to premiere later this year. Instead, Season 4 winner Christian Siriano will serve as the mentor for the designers. Tim Gunn recently opened up about his exit from the runway in an episode of Chelsea Handler’s podcast, Dear Chelsea. He revealed he was not asked back for Season 22, calling the news “devastating.” Here’s what you need to know.
Tim Gunn has “no complaints” despite not returning to Project Runway
Fans were surprised when news broke that Project Runway was returning without Tim. His name and the show have become synonymous, which may explain the uproar from fans after hearing word of his departure. He spoke candidly about the end of his Project Runway career in his conversation with Chelsea.
“I wasn’t invited to return to the party,” he shared. “My agent called the producers to say, ‘We understand Heidi [Klum] signed up. We haven’t heard a thing about Tim,’ and they said, ‘We don’t want him.'”
Tim said the news initially devastated him, but he now looks back on the show with gratitude.
“I feel extremely lucky to have had 19 seasons of the show, 16 with Heidi, and I have a beautiful Emmy sitting on my kitchen counter,” he said. “Yeah, so no complaints. I feel very, very, very lucky.”
Producers offered Tim a cameo on the upcoming season, but he declined.
“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?” he joked. “No, thank you. And as Heidi would say, you’re either in or you’re out. And I’m out.”
Project Runway is streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.
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