Heidi Klum’s Return to ‘Project Runway’ Is Exactly What the New Season Needs
There are certainly reality television competition series that the contestants drive, but some shows are reliant on that host to make it sparkle and shine. That was Heidi Klum for Project Runway. When she departed the series after 16 seasons, Project Runway was simply not the same. She didn’t make the show but was a key ingredient to the wonderful recipe. She, for lack of better words, made it work. Now, after a hiatus, Heidi Klum is returning to the series as it moves to Freeform.
Fans who may have fallen off when Karlie Kloss took over now have an incentive to return alongside Heidi Klum. Now, if we can just get Tim Gunn back, the new and improved Project Runway will be like old times. The power duo will make it work! Heidi Klum’s bubbly personality and vast experience made her the perfect person to helm the series. As the best dressed in the room week after week, Klum pushed the designers to bring their best. With Freeform serving as the new vessel, this may just be a fresh start and reboot. As they say, everything old is new again. This resurgence is beneficial to all parties involved.
‘Project Runway’ Had Its Behind-the-Scenes Flaws
Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn’s departure from Project Runway was difficult but, in a way, necessary. When she said “Auf Wiedersehen” to the show, it wasn’t necessarily the cleanest breakup. On top of Heidi Klum’s departure was the mess made surrounding the project being part of Harvey Weinstein‘s production company and the cheating scandal heard around reality television in her final season. The tape measure scandal was on her watch, but was it her fault? The whiplash of Project Runway leaving Bravo for Lifetime so Harvey Weinstein could earn an extra buck meant the show was falling backward, in a sense. Bravo was an NBC property. Lifetime was a Disney property. When it was set to return to Bravo, it was an opportunity to fix a show that needed a pick-me-up.
Another part of the reason Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn left was their desire to make changes to the series. This desire to change to a well-oiled machine was met with pushback by the network, who claimed it was a success that people liked in its established format. So, the pair departed to create their own show, Making the Cut. Maybe it was timing, or perhaps the platform, but even with Gunn and Klum, Making the Cut never exactly worked. So, Project Runway stayed stagnant, and neither series truly succeeded. Certainly, elements from Making the Cut would have benefited Project Runway, so now’s the time to marry the two properties for the optimal opportunity.
Heidi Klum Will Make It Work
With another new network at the helm, back under the guidance of Disney, perhaps this is the time Heidi Klum can implement her desired changes via a fresh slate. Already, the hype surrounding her return seems to be on the upside. It’s the momentum that the show and Klum need. It’s not as if Heidi Klum has been missing in action. She’s still been a prominent force in the world of reality television competition series. As a judge on America’s Got Talent, she’s reminded viewers that she’s still one of the most fabulous faces on reality television, no matter what her role is. Her quirks, intricacies, and compassion for the people she’s judging are not lost. It’s part of her charm.
Bringing in the face of the franchise (who won an Emmy for her hosting duties) is crucial for the series to return to prominence. In Project Runway‘s prime, Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn brought a refreshing flavor into the reality hosting position. That is something RuPaul implemented and expanded upon in RuPaul’s Drag Race. There’s a reason why the Emmy Award baton was eventually passed from Klum and Gunn to RuPaul (no shade to Christian Siriano, who has done a tremendous job holding down the fort). For the new iteration of Project Runway to reach its prime again, it needs Heidi Klum. She needs control to revitalize the series to make it one of the best series on television. Don’t let the network fool you. Freeform is the base place, but with it also being accessible on Hulu and Disney+, all eyes will be watching once again. All thanks to Heidi Klum!
Project Runway is returning to Freeform in 2025. Previous seasons of Project Runway are available to stream on Peacock in the U.S.
Stream on Peacock
