If there is one man that knows how to put designers under rapid fashion fire it’s Tim Gunn. But how does the mentor to aspiring stylistas really feel about the slew of young hopefuls he advises on Project Runway? “There are so many designers,” Tim reveals to BettyConfidential. “Making rounds of the workroom takes forever. I end up feeling spent and exhausted physically and mentally.”

This is not to say that Tim does not love his job. He does. This is why Tim has always made it his chief duty to assist each and every designer with his or her creations—until now. “I can divulge that this season has been the only time I haven’t been able to make it around to all of the contestants the first round.” Looks like season eight (airing on Lifetime July 29^th) will be jam-packed!

How does a master teacher of clothing artistry get through to so many aspiring designers at once? “From 29 years of teaching I’ve learned to give students breathing room, even if they’re out in the hall trash-talking me,” he says. “There’s a designer this season that takes it upon his/herself to walk around to designers after I give my critique and tell them whether I gave good or bad advice.”

Read Tim Gunn, Kindergarten Hysteria and the Secret to Good Parenting

However, this sort of cattiness never flusters the sophisticated Tim Gunn. In fact, when it comes to disgruntled designers who have a hard time swallowing his pearls of wisdom, he simply calls them out. “I have to say ‘Listen to your own voice!’ That individual is not responsible for your presentation of your work on the runway, you’re responsible for your own.”