“Project Runway” is back!
Deadline reports that “Project Runway” Season 21 is beginning production, with a few familiar faces returning.
Heidi Klum, who served as a host and judge of the hit show for 16 seasons, is returning to her role. She will be joined by Nina Garcia, who is the only original member to be a part of all seasons.
Tim Gunn was the mentor for 16 seasons, but Christian Siriano, who won “Project Runway” in Season 4, took over when Bravo rebooted the show in 2019. Siriano is set to return once again.
And with that, there is one newcomer who will become a regular part of the show. Stylist Law Roach is joining Klum and Garcia as a judge.
The show will be available in the summer of 2025 on Freeform, Disney+ and Hulu.
Tim Gunn Was ‘Devastated’ to be Left Out of Project Runway Reboot
In an interview with PEOPLE on February 15, Gunn set the record straight on why he’s not returning for “Project Runway” Season 21.
He first revealed that Klum reached out and texted him about the possibility of returning to the show, and he was very excited about the idea.
“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?,’ Gunn told PEOPLE. “And I said, ‘Would I do it? Of course, there’s not a moment of hesitation in me.'”
“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. I said, ‘Well, I haven’t seen a contract,'” he continued. “And she said, ‘You haven’t?’ No. 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.”
Gunn admitted that he was offered a “small cameo in one episode,” but said no because “as Heidi would say, you’re either in or you’re out. And I’m out. So I wasn’t asked to join.”
It was a bitter pill for him to swallow, and he admitted that he was “initially devastated, then kind of humiliated.”
Heidi Klum Advocated for Tim Gunn to Return
In the interview with PEOPLE, Gunn revealed that Klum was upset about the news that he wasn’t asked back and even advocated for him to return.
“She was really upset and she kept saying, ‘I’m fighting for you, I’m fighting for you,'” Gunn explained. “Which is lovely of her and nothing that I should expect. And I said, ‘Heidi, just take good care of yourself. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.'”
As for whether he will watch the show or not, Gunn said that he will always support his friend.
“I have her back and I’m with her in spirit always,” he said.
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Heidi Klum Returning to Hit Show