As the pasha of Bravo's Project Runway, Tim Gunn helped make the show a ratings monster. But can he carry a shown on his own?

Sources say that his producers have mounted a furious search for a female cohost for Tim Gunn's Guide to Style, a makeover show that was initially scheduled to air this summer as a replacement for Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. A source who auditioned for the job was told that the show's producers felt Gunn, who will offer up style and make-up advice to schlubby civilians, was a bit "too highbrow" for viewers, and they needed a "more down-to-earth and fun" female presence to balance him out.

Since Guide to Style was set to start taping this week, the continuing search for Gunn's go-to gal may delay the release date. A Bravo spokeswoman would say only that the show was scheduled to air later this year.