Fan favorite Gunn not signed for 'Runway'

NEW YORK, Dec. 7 (UPI) -- Tim Gunn, the genial mentor to the designers on "Project Runway," may not return for the U.S. TV reality show's fourth season.

Gunn has not been signed yet with the Bravo network for the upcoming season, the New York Daily News reported.

Nina Garcia, design guru Michael Kors and executive producer Heidi Klum are all signed on as judges for the new season, Entertainment Weekly reported.

Gunn's duties as chair of the fashion design department at Parsons The New School of Design may make him unavailable for television gigs during the academic year. Previous "Project Runway" seasons have been filmed when Parsons' semesters had already ended.

Sarah Rothman, a spokeswoman for The Weinstein Company, "Runway's" producer, told the News: "As we have in past seasons, we will find a way to work around everyone's schedules."

The News said Gunn has arguably become "the breakout star on Bravo's top-rated show." His key phrase -- "Make it work" -- has become part of the television lexicon.