Every generation needs an iconic quintet and ours had Queer Eye‘s Jonathan, Antoni, Karamo, Tan, and Bobby. Yes ⏤ “had” ⏤ because interior designer extraordinaire Bobby Berk left the show after season 8.
Queer Eye’s latest season premiered on Netflix Jan. 24, 2024 to a cloud of online gossip surrounding the reasons for Bobby’s departure. The 42-year-old announced his exit on social media back in November of 2023, telling fans, “It’s not been an easy decision to be at peace with, but a necessary one.” He thanked the viewers and everyone featured on the show for their love, trust, and support, and promised that he’d be back with new projects soon.
Why did Bobby decide to leave Queer Eye?
Despite the outpouring of love from Bobby’s fellow Fab 5 cast mates following his announcement, there were reports that the reality television stars were not getting along by the time the decision was made ⏤ a decision that came from Bobby and not Netflix.
Rumors coming from an US Weekly source pointed toward Bobby’s lack of commitment and consequential resentment from the rest of the cast as the reasons for the interior designer’s exit, but he has since shed light on what really went on behind the scenes in an interview with Vanity Fair.
Per the article, the cast had initially signed on for seven cycles, which were ultimately split into eight seasons. Bobby had begun planning his life after Queer Eye by the time season 8 wrapped in New Orleans in September 2022. “We thought we were done. Mentally and emotionally, I thought we all moved on. I know I did,” he explained.
Netflix had other plans, however, and when the dual 2023 Writers and Actors’ strikes had the streamer scrambling for new content to put out, Queer Eye‘s reality status made it an easy contender for renewal. Netflix renewed the show for four more cycles, but, unwilling to “pump the brakes on multiple other projects already in process,” Berk decided not to sign on, thinking his cast mates would do the same.
Eventually, Netflix was able to convince the rest of the Feb 5. “With only one of us not coming back, Netflix felt [it] could recast one person,” Bobby explained, saying he was mad at his co-workers for a second but that he eventually understood their motivations. “There were definitely emotions. But each one of us had our reasons why we did what we did.”
What happened between Bobby and Tan from Queer Eye?
Karamo, Jonathan, and Antoni all expressed their love for their parting co-worker in the comments section of Bobby’s Instagram announcement. The culture expert said he’d be at “Netflix’s door and emails telling them you can’t leave” while the chef reminded everyone they would be “#foreverthefab5 indeed, and don’t forget it.” Grooming guru Jonathan opted for three red heart emojis. The one noticeable absence was stylist Tan France, who does not follow Bobby on the platform, and vice-versa.
Bobby was candid about the fallout between the two while speaking to Vanity Fair. “Tan and I had a moment,” he described, saying it was neither related to the show nor romantic. “It was something personal that had been brewing,” Bobby continued, before expressing regret over unfollowing his co-star of six years. “Maybe I should have just muted him. But that day, I was angry, and that’s the end of it. We became like siblings ⏤ and siblings are always going to fight.”
What’s next for Bobby?
Bobby has since been teasing exciting future ventures. On TikTok, he reassured those who have requested a Bobby-centered show that they’re being heard and that “it’s happening.”
The interior designer is now splitting his life between the U.S. and Portugal, where he recently moved with his husband Dewey Do, calling the Southern European country “Home sweet home” in an Instagram post. “We live here part-time,” he told a fan in the comments section of another collection of photos from his time in the seaside region.
It sounds like the beloved Texas native, who became a favorite among Queer Eye fans for doing all the heavy lifting on the show, has got his hands full at the moment. And, like every boy band who has split in the past, we will be first in line when the Fab 5 inevitably go on a reunion tour in their ’70s when the Netflix money runs out.