Why Did Tim Gunn Leave 'Project Runway' and What Led Him to Say “I’m Out”?

It’s wild to think about how central Tim Gunn was to Project Runway for so many years. He brought that steady mentor energy, the “make it work” mantra, and a sense that he truly cared about the designers. For those of us who loved the show from the start, it was a real shock when he left, and even more surprising to learn that why Tim Gunn left Project Runway is such a complicated question to answer.

Tim didn’t just step away quietly after 16 seasons. The story includes creative frustrations, a big new opportunity with Amazon, and even an awkward moment where he realized he wasn’t being invited back for the revival at all. Let’s talk about what really happened — because for fans who’ve followed his journey, it says a lot about what he values.

Tim and Heidi Klum left Project Runway together in 2018, determined to try something new. They weren’t pushed out at that point — they made the choice. The show was moving from Lifetime back to Bravo, which could have meant a fresh start, but they just weren’t excited to repeat the same formula again. In an interview covered by Business Insider, Heidi explained: “When you do a show, someone always has to pay for it, and other people want you to do certain things, so you can't have the creative freedom.”

Tim agreed, saying the show’s format was locked in from day one and never really changed: “We were in a lockstep in a way, in a formula that had been determined in season one. And it perpetuated further into season three, and then eventually into Seasons 10 through 16, and we couldn't break out of it.” They were ready for something that felt less constrained, so they developed Making the Cut at Amazon instead.

They spoke even more candidly about this, per The Hollywood Reporter. Heidi told reporters: “Our imagination was bigger than what we were allowed to do. Everything kind of fell apart.” She described the move from Lifetime back to Bravo as either returning to “the same old same old” or seeing it as “an opportunity to jump ship.” She even asked Tim directly: “Do you want to jump with me?”

Tim didn’t blame the producers personally but pointed to an atmosphere of fear about changing anything: “We couldn’t break out of it because there was a fear — not among us, we’re the ones who were thinking creatively and innovatively about what we wanted to do.”

Amazon gave them a much bigger budget, room to innovate, and a way to bring real-world shopping and body inclusivity into the show. Heidi called Making the Cut “such a better show,” while Tim described the difference by saying: “Project Runway is the undergraduate program and Making the Cut is the graduate and PhD program."

Heidi and Tim didn’t exactly turn on Project Runway. They just went as far as they could with it. They, however, were ready to move on to the next chapter of their careers.

But that’s only half the story. Years later, Project Runway announced a revival, and you might expect that at least the offer to return would have been on the table. Instead, it was Heidi who told Tim it was even happening.

As he recounted to People, Heidi called him to tell him about it, and he had no idea it was happening. Later, she called again to ask his thoughts on his contract. The problem? He never received an official offer. Turns out, the producers only wanted Heidi.

It gets even weirder: They offered him a one-episode cameo. Tim was polite but declined. He felt it didn’t make sense to drop in without really being part of the team. Tim admitted he knew how lucky he was to have originally been a part of it. He, however, would not be shedding a tear over not being offered the opportunity to return.

With a mix of grace and clarity, Tim explained that he was either in or he was out. Since they didn’t want him to return, he was out as he had no interest in a cameo.

Making the Cut went on to release three seasons on Amazon, offering a bigger budget and international competition with direct-to-shop designs. As of 2025, there hasn’t been an official announcement about Season 4, nor has the series officially been canceled.

Meanwhile, Project Runway hasn’t gone away either. Despite Tim not returning, the series is slated to premiere its 21st season on July 31, 2025.

For longtime fans, it’s the end of an era. Tim showed fans that sometimes the classiest move is to say “I’m out” when something no longer fits.