Queer Eye star Bobby Berk quits Netflix show calling decision ‘necessary’

Queer Eye stars Bobby Berk (left), Karamo Brown, Antoni Porowski, Jonathan Van Ness, and Tan France.

Grab your tissues Queer Eye fans, it’s officially the end of an era. Bobby Berk has announced he is quitting the popular Netflix show.

The beloved interior designer, 42, revealed to fans this morning his decision to leave is “necessary” but “not easy to be at peace with”, and will bid goodbye to fans and his co-hosts, Tan France, Jonathan Van Ness, Karamo Brown and Antoni Porowski, after the upcoming season.

Taking to Instagram, Berk said: “To the Queer Eye Community who have become family to me. The love that I have received from you all over the last 6 years has been absolutely surreal.

“You have tuned in and been dedicated fans and together we were able to share the healing powers of design. I learned from you all about kindness, love and acceptance, and that has changed my life for the better.”

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He went on to say the acceptance he has received from fans who love him for being him is something he will “carry with me for the rest of my life”, and said he could not be more grateful to all the participants of the show who were brave enough to share their story.

“To all our wonderful, loving, amazing, and brave heroes there is so much I want to say, and so much gratitude I want to express to you all for letting me into your homes and hearts. It’s all because of you that I’ve kept going all these years and each and every one of you have changed me for the better.”

He concluded by saying it wasn’t an easy decision to be at peace with and while his journey with the show may be over, his journey with fans is not.

Queer Eye will release one more season with Berk that hits the streaming platform on January 24, and will take place in New Orleans. The streaming giant also revealed it has renewed the show for a ninth season.

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A joint statement issued to Variety, ITV Entertainment, Scout Productions and Netflix says, “We appreciate the heart and dedication Bobby Berk brought to Queer Eye over eight amazing seasons. He will always be a member of the Fab Five family and we wish him the very best.”

Berk’s co-stars also shared their own statements, with Brown writing, “My heart is broken”, while Van Ness said, “one of a kind and such a star”.

The show, which relaunched in 2018, follows the Fab Five as they transform the lives of people in each episode. Earning countless Primetime Emmy Awards and nominations, it’s safe to say the show has been a raging success with fans.