Move Over, Howie: Heidi Klum Receives Touching Tribute from Tim Gunn
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Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn have been friends for years, appearing together on the shows Project Runway and Making the Cut. Gunn recently paid tribute to Klum in a touching letter published by Good Housekeeping, in which he calls himself her “TV husband.”
Klum’s other good friend, Howie Mandel, has some stiff competition. The pair work together as judges on America’s Got Talent, and they’ve recently spoken about their fun friendship. We’re sure Klum has room for both of them in her life.
Tim Gunn Pens Tribute to Friend Heidi Klum
Gunn starts his letter off strong, by writing, “How do I love thee? In more ways than I can adequately express.” He recalls their first meeting 17 years ago on the set of Project Runway. Gunn was nervous, and Klum told him, “Don’t be nervous. Relax. We’re going to have an amazing summer.”
Gunn also recalls the night they won the Emmy for hosting Project Runway. They’d had so much champagne during the ceremony that Gunn says they were “bombed.” He added how happy he is that they get to work closer together on their new show. “On Making the Cut, we get to play together every day!” he wrote.
He describes the two of them as “the swan and the ugly duckling, the effervescent extrovert and the subdued introvert, the social butterfly and the hermit.” Gunn ended the letter by writing, “Have I ever told you that you have single-handedly transformed me into a happier and more confident individual? Heidi Klum, I love and adore you.”
SEE ALSO: ‘AGT’ JUDGE HEIDI KLUM TALKS FRIENDSHIP WITH HOWIE MANDEL ON JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE!
Did Tyra Banks Tell Klum to Quit ‘Project Runway’?
As sweet as Gunn’s letter to Klum was, there’s one detail that comes close to spilling some serious tea. Gunn drops a hint that Tyra Banks might have spoken negatively about Project Runway before its premiere.
Gunn says Klum was “nervous about how the show would be received.” She had shown a preview to “another supermodel and host of another fashion-related show.” That supermodel apparently told Klum: “It looks awful. Cancel the show and quit.”
The first person who comes to mind here is obviously Banks. America’s Next Top Model premiered in 2003, one year before Project Runway. As Entertainment Weekly points out, this isn’t the first hint that Banks tried to discourage Klum. On a March podcast episode, Top Model‘s Jay Manuel recalled doing Banks’ makeup for Victoria’s Secret, when Banks apparently told Klum that a show about designers wouldn’t work, because they “aren’t as interesting.”
For what’s it’s worth, Gunn told Klum, “She’s nervous and jealous. You and this show are competition for her … There’s nothing to be concerned about and everything to feel confident about.”
