After five years on the air, Netflix's Queer Eye is about to undergo a significant cast change. On Nov. 13, Bobby Berk announced that he is leaving the life makeover series after its upcoming eighth season. The Fab Five's interior design expert had only praise for the show in a lengthy Instagram post, but one source is now claiming that it wasn't Berk's decision to quit Queer Eye and that there's been tension within the cast leading up to this.
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On Nov. 16, Us Weekly reported that a source said that Berk was "asked to leave" Queer Eye"because he wasn’t vibing with the cast." Berk's co-hosts are lifestyle expert Karamo Brown, fashion expert Tan France, food expert Antoni Porowski, and grooming expert Jonathan Van Ness.
The source went on to claim that Berk had lost interest in the show and that this impacted the series and his castmates. "There were many challenges with scheduling [and] there was a loss of interest from Bobby filming the show," they continued. "The network and the cast thought it was time to bring in fresh blood. His heart was not in it and the rest of the cast started to resent him because of that."
However, another insider contradicted that claim, telling Us Weekly that Berk "was not asked to leave" and that the "decision was amicable."
Similarly, a source told People, "Bobby’s departure is unrelated to relationships with his castmates. The parting was amicable." This source shared that Berk is close with Brown in particular. "Karamo and Bobby have always been very close, and Karamo has been completely supportive of Bobby." They also said that the 42-year-old designer "has a handful of projects in development and is also busy with his own company."
"It’s with a heavy heart that I announce that season 8 will be my final season on Queer Eye," Berk wrote to fans on Instagram. "It’s not been an easy decision to be at peace with, but a necessary one. Although my journey with Queer Eye is over, my journey with you is not. You will be seeing more of me very soon."
In his post, Berk also thanked the show's "heroes" who were the center of each episode, as well as the fans. "The way you have embraced me and accepted me for who I am is something that l will truly carry with me for the rest of my life," he wrote.
Most of Berk's Queer Eye co-stars responded to his post. Van Ness commented with three heart emoji. Porowski wrote, #foreverthefab5 indeed, and don’t forget it" with several heart emoji. Brown posted, "we are #ForeverTheFab5 no matter what. I’m about to be a Netflix’s door & e-mails telling them you can’t leave! Who is coming with me? I love you!" It appears that France is the only co-host who did not leave a comment on the post.
Best Life has reached out to Netflix and to a representative for Berk for comment on the unnamed source's claims about his exit.
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