Bobby Berk Reveals His Reason for Departing 'Queer Eye', Vanity Fair Reports.

Authored by Paul Chi

“The adventure I've embarked on with Queer Eye has been bliss,” Bobby Berk shares, his voice laden with emotion. “This journey has been transformative. The thought of bidding farewell to such a significant part of my life looms heavy. Despite making the decision myself, it is still a difficult one.”

Just a couple of days prior to the much-anticipated season eight premiere of the Netflix spectacle on January 24, Berk is enjoying the serenity of his design firm’s new palatial headquarters in Los Angeles. He’s composed and eager for an open-ended discussion covering issues from Bimini, his petite and lovable mini labradoodle, to his initial Emmy award and the deep bond he shares with comedian Atsuko Okatsuka. More importantly, he’s all set to address the flying rumors regarding his departure from the praiseworthy series after a run of 71 episodes and clear the air on conjectures about a supposed disagreement with his colleague, Tan France. “This conversation should put a rest to the rumors,” the interior design aficionado asserts. “I need people to comprehend that things between Tan and myself are under control. We will be fine.”

The previous November, Berk made a surprising announcement that the forthcoming season of Queer Eye would be his final one. This unexpected revelation was a hard pill to swallow for fans, triggering immediate whispering; however, his rationale for leaving the series is justified.

As the series was launched, Berk points out that he and the remainder of the Fab Five—style advisor France, culture and lifestyle instructor Karamo Brown, food and wine mentor Antoni Porowski, and beauty pundit Jonathan Van Ness—entered into a seven-series pact that would last until September 2022, in which timeframe two seasons in New Orleans were fully filmed. On the concluding day, everyone, including Berk and the crew, came forth for a photo session filled with tears. “We believed we were through. I can confidently say we had all emotionally and mentally moved past it. At least I had, and I was gearing up for other ventures,” he recounts.

However, according to Berk, a surprise redevelopment of the show was decided by Netflix in fall 2023 owing to a limited source of fresh content triggered by dual actors and writers strikes. He along with the other members of the Fab Five got a new deal which asked them to commit to an option of four series. Berk made the choice not to sign—and initially, he implies, other members of the Fab Five were also contemplating doing the same. (Netflix has yet to issue a response to a request seeking comments on this matter.)

“We’d just presumed that the show wouldn’t return if we all didn’t return,” he explains. He adds, “I had adjusted to the fact that it was over.”

Inexplicably, there were discussions which led to a change in mindset. A little while before the deadline to affirm their commitment to the series, the rest of the Fab Five decided to continue with the series. “With only one of us deciding not to return, Netflix felt they could replace one member,” Berk explains.

Initially, Berk found it hard to accept this twist. “Definitely, emotions ran high. Each one of us had our reasons behind our decisions and actions,” Berk acknowledges. “There was a moment of anger.” However, he didn't rethink his decision mainly due to his pre-determined plans for his next voyage. “I didn’t want to let go of all the plans I had put in place when I thought the show wasn't returning. Abandoning those would have meant putting on hold several other projects that were already in the pipeline. Emotionally, we had prepared ourselves to let go—that’s why I left,” he explains.

His absence will certainly leave a void in Queer Eye, a renovation of the popular early-2000s Bravo series, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. The show established each member of the Fab Five as household names, all of whom were relatively unknown when the series first aired in February 2018. Fans are as invested in the friendships of the group as they are in the show itself, thereby raising suspicion whether Berk’s exit indicates a falling out with his costars or if he’s tired of putting in more effort than the rest of the Fab Five members. (Strikingly, the arduous task of revamping an entire house in just a few days has been a continuous source of amusement among fans of Queer Eye.)

In response to these conjectures, Berk mostly denies them. “You'll never find me stating that I have the most pivotal role and I do most of the work. We all contribute equally,” he says. He does, however, admits to a disagreement with France. Last fall, observant fans noted that Berk had stopped following France on Instagram. They also noticed Berk has refrained from tagging France's personal account in group Fab Five photos on the platform, including a recent post where the group was awarded an Emmy for an outstanding structured reality program.

Berk shares about an incident he had with Tan, clarifying it has nothing to do with their show and was not of a romantic nature but a personal issue. On Instagram, due to settings, only mutual followers can tag France in their posts.

Berk admits to regretting unfollowing Tan and perhaps he should have just muted him. He compares their relationship to that of siblings, bound to have disputes. Despite no comment from France through his representative, Berk hints at a potential resolution, recalling their interaction at the recent Emmys ceremony. He sees a future where their relationship may heal.

Describing filming Queer Eye as emotionally draining, Berk shares it's a process of facing one's painful past. This 42-year-old queer personality from conservative Missouri, ran away from his hostile community at 15. He experienced living in his car and on the streets, and even hiding in someone else's basement. Moving to New York in 2003 without a high school diploma and with limited funds was just an extension of his struggle.

However, his fortunes changed when he started working at Portico, a housefurniture company. Within a few years, he managed to launch his home design company, Bobby Berk Home. In 2017, he auditioned for Netflix despite having doubts initially and was selected.

From the very first day of casting, Berk felt a real connection with his fellow castmates like Tan and Karamo. He says their off-screen chemistry played a big role in their selection. Especially Berk's ability to connect with makeover subjects, particularly religious ones, has been attributed as his strong suit.

Berk recounts a transformative incident where an Assemblies of God pastor, after watching the series, told him that he realized being gay is not a choice and pledged to stop preaching hate. Berk believes that by sharing his own story and experiences, he might be preventing future trauma for others.

The show's creative team is in agreement about his contribution to Queer Eye's legacy. Jennifer Lane, executive producer and showrunner, admires Berk's personal journey and his heartfelt dedication to his work. Queer Eye creator David Collins also acknowledges Berk's transformative impact, not only on spaces but also on the subject's self-confidence.

And the Fab Five will have a lasting impact on Berk as well.

“I will miss Jonathan’s ridiculous silliness—to the point of sometimes wanting to wring their neck. But I will miss it,” he says, laughing.

“I’ll miss Antoni’s dumb jokes where nobody else will laugh except him. He’ll make the silliest, dumbest joke, and we’re like, What?”

When it comes to Karamo, “he’s a loyal bitch,” Berk says, noting that he’ll miss that quality.

As for France? “I’ll miss Tan’s boundaries,” says Berk. “Tan loves a boundary, and that’s one of the things that I respected about him the most. Even in the very beginning, when we were filming seasons one and two, we would all hang out together every single night, all weekend long. Tan wouldn’t always, ’cause Tan needed his boundaries. Some of us didn’t have the strength to be like, ‘No, I need a break.’ Tan would be like, ‘No! This is my alone time. Don’t text me, don’t call me.’ I always respected that. I’ve actually learned a lot from him on being able to have boundaries. Sometimes the healthiest relationships are the ones with the best boundaries.”

When reached for comment, the other three members of the Fab Five respond by sharing what they, in turn, will miss the most about Berk. Van Ness cites his “passion, knowledge, and care.” Porowski shouts out “the family that the five of us made and who we became together.” Brown, as would be expected, goes deep: “Bobby brought so much to the show: his talent, his humor, and his heart. But if I had to narrow it down to one thing, [it’s] his dedication. He was fiercely dedicated to making sure that every aspect of the show, the hero’s experience, and even elements outside of the show were equally cared for and tended to. It’s that eye for detail in his work and personal life that makes him so special.”

Now that Berk is finished with Queer Eye, he says he’ll never forget the cast’s camaraderie. He hopes he’ll be remembered for showing the connection between interiors and mental health: “Your space can really transform your life,” he says. “You don’t have to be rich. You don’t have to be able to hire a designer. I hope that my legacy is showing that you can democratize design. Learning how to make your space work for you can be healing for you and your family.”

Netflix has announced that the ninth season of Queer Eye will be set in Las Vegas. As the streamer searches for Berk’s replacement, he’s already bringing his detailed eye to his new projects, which he says include work both on and off camera. He’s expanding his firm, which is currently designing 45 homes simultaneously. “I want to create things, cultivate, and help discover talent that you don’t see on TV—different nationalities, different origins of people in design,” says the self-made millionaire. “It’s my era of building and developing.”

He’s still dispensing advice as well, even to whoever succeeds him on Queer Eye. “Open up your heart,” he says. “Keep an open mind. Don’t get discouraged. And have fun.” There’s one more thing too: “Be nice to my siblings!”