It’s hard to imagine the Fab Five without all the OG cast members who made the TV show so memorable. Bobby Berk almost turned down the “Queer Eye” audition since he was traveling abroad shortly after, but after changing his mind, he landed the job and started his journey of changing people’s lives.
But after eight successful seasons on “Queer Eye,” interior designer Bobby Berk is leaving the TV stardom behind. Don’t get us wrong—he’s still on a mission to do inspiring work that makes a difference in the lives of others, but it was heartbreaking for fans to learn that Bobby wouldn’t be returning for Season 9. Rumors swirled as fans tried to figure out when he would leave the gig. Was it a falling out with Netflix or the Fab Five? How will viewers carry on without the legendary home makeovers of this interior designer?
Fans believed he left due to a conflict with Tan France
The internet lost it when they discovered that Berk unfollowed his co-star Tan France on Instagram back in 2023. The two always seemed to get along on the show, and it led viewers to wonder whether the friendship between the group was as authentic as they made it look on television.
Bobby admitted in a Vanity Fair interview that he and Tan had a personal “situation” that didn’t have to do with the show, and although Tan felt like a brother, they had a fight that led to the unfollowing. Berk said that he regretted making things public on social media, but apparently, there was another behind-the-scenes beef as well that went down between JVN and Berk.
The entire group’s contract ended
Let’s be real: eight seasons is a long time, and the Fab Five’s contract was up in September 2022. Still, due to Netflix needing new content when SAG and the Writer’s Guild of America went on strike, the platform asked the group to return for four additional seasons of “Queer Eye.”
Berk turned the offer down since he had made new plans, and Netflix decided to recast another star instead.
Bobby Berk revealed that the series was “difficult” to make
While the entire group dedicated their hard work to every episode, it’s clear that Bobby Berk put in a ton of effort renovating homes and businesses throughout the seasons with stunning results. Still, Berk called the show “emotionally hard” when speaking to Vanity Fair, admitting that it reopened old wounds related to his past trauma of growing up in a homophobic upbringing.
He focused his attention on his interior design firm
Despite his years of success designing spaces for “Queer Eye,” Berk isn’t new to the interior design game. In fact, he has a lucrative interior design business that he’s focusing on even more now that his time has freed up. His goal is to make the interior design industry more accessible to those who often aren’t often given a spotlight on television, such as “different nationalities, different origins of people in design,” and marginalized groups.
Even after “Queer Eye,” Bobby is making the world a better (and more beautifully designed) place for us all.
He’s the owner of multiple vacation rentals and a wellness spa
Along with designing homes, Bobby Berk has taken the health and wellness space by storm. He co-founded a spa in Los Angeles and San Diego called Mellow Massage back in 2021. On the company’s website, he called it a “safe space to recharge.” Beyond spas, Berk has tackled the world of vacation rentals, designing two impressive villas. One is a recently designed seven-bedroom house in Palm Desert that goes for a whopping $3,033 a night, while the other is dubbed Casa Mallorca and is intended to be available for bookings in late 2024.
He resides in Portugal part-time
When Bobby Berk isn’t hard at work, he spends time living abroad in Portugal with his maxillofacial surgeon husband Dewey Do, who he’s been married to since 2012. The two initially visited the country on vacation, and after falling in love with the country, they decided to buy a place in the Algarve area, which has delicious food and jaw-dropping beaches.
Jeremiah Brent will be replacing him on “Queer Eye”
The latest member of the Fab Five will be Jeremiah Brent, who has appeared on shows like “The Rachel Zoe Project” but also has starred in shows with his husband, such as “Nate & Jeremiah By Design” and “The Nate & Jeremiah Home Project.” Surprisingly, Brent and Berk have been friends for years, and Berk believes Netflix made the right choice in choosing someone to transform the lives of heroes.
We can’t wait to see who will star in Season 9 of “Queer Eye,” which will be set in Las Vegas.