Tim Gunn and Heidi Klum Comment on Project Runway

With the season four premiere of Project Runway set for November 14, Tim Gunn and Heidi Klum recently talked about the success of their reality show on a conference call with reporters.

So, why has the show been such a hit over the years?

"I think people truly love talented people. They make something with their passion, with their love, and with their hands," Klum said. "People love to watch talented people at work and watch what they can do. It's as simple as that."

Project Runway has been nominated for seven Emmy Awards over the last two years, while also winning the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Reality Program this year.

The show has been criticized for allowing contestants with bigger personalities to advance over people with more design talent. However, Klum and Gunn each took that criticism personally.

"That's preposterous! A big part of the audition process is narrowing it down to 120 semi-finalists and any one of them could win this. The talent is there and the personalities just become an aspect of it," Gunn said.

Klum agreed.

"Anyone who has watched the show and is a fan of the show would agree with us. If you're not a designer and you don't know what you're doing, you won't even make it on."

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.