Why Queer Eye's Bobby Berk Left The Fab Five, Explained

"Queer Eye" star Bobby Berk announced in 2023 that Season 8 of the Netflix series, which will take place in New Orleans, would be his last. The eighth season of the LGBTQ+-focused makeover show premiered on January 24, and a day later, Berk addressed his departure in his first interview since the announcement. "'Queer Eye' has been the most amazing gift that I couldn't have ever imagined," Berk said in an interview with Vanity Fair, published January 25. "It's been a life-changing moment. I'm leaving something that is a huge part of my life. Even though it's my decision, it still wasn't an easy one."

This echoes Berk's original statement made on November 13, 2023, when he revealed he would not return after the current season. "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," the interior design expert wrote on Instagram, along with the promise: "You will be seeing more of me very soon." 

The post was addressed to the Queer Eye Community, and Berk thanked the show's fans and heroes, or the subjects featured episodically on the show. He signed off with the hashtag #foreverthefab5. Berk has been the series' interior design expert since 2018. The rest of the Fab Five include Karamo Brown (Culture), Tan France (Fashion), Antoni Porowski (Food), and Jonathan Van Ness (Self Care/Grooming). The rest of the Fab Five will continue with the show, which has already been renewed for a ninth season. A replacement for Berk has yet to be named.

After Bobby Berk revealed his exit from "Queer Eye," speculation and rumors abounded the internet as to the reason why, with some assumptions that there had been a falling out with one of his fellow cast members. Shortly after his announcement, an unnamed inside source spoke to Us Weekly implying Berk left due to issues with the rest of the cast. "There were many challenges with scheduling [and] there was a loss of interest from Bobby filming the show," the insider claimed. "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, a second unnamed source refuted this claim, saying Berk left the show of his own volition and on good terms with Netflix.

As for the fans, one Redditor noted that Berk did not tag Tan France, though he tagged the rest of the cast, in a January Instagram post promoting Season 8 (the post was later edited to include the account for France's brand, Shaded, but not his official @tanfrance username). This led to further assumptions there had been a falling out between Berk and France.

Berk, however, addressed these rumors in his Vanity Fair interview. "I hope this interview will help extinguish some of the speculation," he said. "I want people to know that Tan and I — we will be fine." At the time of writing, Berk and France do not follow each other on Instagram. "Tan and I had a moment," Berk continued. "There was a situation, and that's between Tan and I, and it has nothing to do with the show."

According to Bobby Berk, his decision was not to leave "Queer Eye" — just not to come back. Speaking with Vanity Fair, Berk explained that he and the rest of the Fab Five had signed a deal with Netflix that lasted through September 2022, which corresponded with the end of the New Orleans seasons. Berk recalled the last day of filming on these seasons was full of tears and emotional goodbyes. "We thought we were done," he said about the filming wrap. "Mentally and emotionally, I thought we all moved on. I know I did, and I started planning other things."

However, the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes of 2023 led to a significant lack of original content for Netflix, so the streaming giant renewed "Queer Eye" for additional seasons anyway. When the studio approached the Fab Five with a new offer for up to four seasons, Berk chose to opt out. At the time, he said, other cast members were considering not signing, either, but the other four inevitably chose to come back. "And with only one of us not coming back, Netflix felt [it] could recast one person," Berk said.

According to Berk, his feathers were initially ruffled at the change in tune from the now-Fab Four. "There were definitely emotions," he said. "I can't be mad — for a second I was." Berk said he had already started building the foundation of his post-"Queer Eye" chapter and didn't want to put those plans on hold. "I would have had to pump the brakes on multiple other projects that are already in process," he explained. "We had mentally just prepared ourselves to move on — that's why I left."