Queer Eye's return for season 9 brought with it a significant change as Bobby Berk bid farewell to the show, marking the end of an era for the beloved Fab Five. When the series first premiered on Netflix in February 2018, it aimed to enhance people's lifestyles with the help of the Fab Five - interior design specialist Berk, hair stylist Jonathan Van Ness, cultural expert Karamo Brown, food and wine connoisseur Antoni Porowski, and fashion guru Tan France.

Unraveling the Story Behind Bobby Berk's Departure from Queer Eye

Why did Bobby Berk leave Queer Eye?

In a January 2024 interview with Vanity Fair, Berk explained that leaving Queer Eye was due to other commitments made when he believed the show was over. Initially, he and the other Fab Five had signed a seven-cycle contract that concluded in September 2022 after filming two seasons in New Orleans. "We thought we were done. Mentally and emotionally, I thought we all moved on. I know I did, and I started planning other things," Berk said. However, in the fall of 2023, Netflix decided to renew the series due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes causing a shortage of original content. Berk was offered a new contract but decided not to sign, thinking others were doing the same. "We'd just assumed that the show wouldn't come back if we all didn't come back," he told the outlet. "I was like, I'm not going to be having FOMO 'cause the show is not going to happen. I had become at peace with it." But the remaining four members - Van Ness, France, Brown, and Porowski - signed the contract just before the deadline, and with only one person not coming back, Netflix decided to recast. Berk shared that his decision was based on the "all the plans" he had made when he thought the show wasn't being renewed. "I just wasn't willing to change those. I would have had to pump the brakes on multiple other projects that are already in process. We had mentally just prepared ourselves to move on - that's why I left."

Was there a feud between Bobby Berk and Tan France?

Following Berk's exit announcement, rumors spread that he was leaving due to a rift with France after fans noticed he unfollowed the fashion expert. But in January 2024, Berk told Vanity Fair that he wanted to "extinguish some of the speculation." "I want people to know that Tan and I - we will be fine," he said, sharing details about a "moment" between them. "There was a situation, and that's between Tan and I, and it has nothing to do with the show. It was something personal that had been brewing - and nothing romantic, just to clarify that," he said. "Should I have unfollowed Tan? No," Berk added. "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." The interior design expert said that he and France "embraced each other" at the Emmy Awards ceremony, which felt like "the first bandage on that wound." He added, "I will always have a very special place in my heart for him and Rob [France's husband] and the kids. I can foresee in six months or a year, Tan and I at each other's house being good." A source close to the situation told PEOPLE that Berk's departure was "unrelated to relationships with his castmates." "The parting was amicable," the source continued, adding that Berk had a "handful of projects in development" and was "busy with his own company."

What have Bobby Berk's castmates said about his departure?

When asked in the January 2024 Vanity Fair interview what he would miss most about the interior designer, culture expert Brown said that Berk "brought so much to the show: his talent, his humor and his heart." "But if I had to narrow it down to one thing, [it's] his dedication," he continued. "He was fiercely dedicated to making sure that every aspect of the show, the hero's experience, and even elements outside of the show were equally cared for and tended to. It's that eye for detail in his work and personal life that makes him so special." Hairstylist Van Ness said that he would miss Berk's "passion, knowledge and care," while food and wine expert Porowski added that he would miss "the family that the five of us made and who we became together." Meanwhile, France told PEOPLE in March 2024 that it would be "really interesting to see how this dynamic is with a new cast member."

What is Bobby Berk doing now?

According to Vanity Fair, Berk is expanding his design firm, which as of January 2024 was designing 45 homes simultaneously. "I want to create things, cultivate, and help discover talent that you don't see on TV - different nationalities, different origins of people in design," he told the outlet. "It's my era of building and developing." In May 2023, Berk also launched a line of custom model houses for Tri Pointe Homes, a Nevada-based construction company he began working with in a small capacity in 2015. Speaking of his new venture, he told the outlet in February 2024 that he was interested in "democratizing design." "The thing that excites me about design is the ability it has to really change people's lives," Berk said. "It excites me for people in the real world to know that they can have beautifully designed homes and not break the bank to do so." He also participated in other projects, including renovating the Los Angeles LGBT Center in June 2024 alongside Paris Hilton.

Who is replacing Bobby Berk on Queer Eye?

In February 2024, Netflix announced that Jeremiah Brent would be joining the cast of Queer Eye, taking on the role of the interior design expert and decorating guru. "I love an install. I love the stress. I love the pressure. And this is not my first rodeo - I know what I signed up for," Brent told House Beautiful in March 2024. "I'm excited to get in there, roll up my sleeves, earn my keep, and hopefully show people some really beautiful designs." Brent is a father of two - a daughter, Poppy, and a son, Oskar - and is married to fellow designer Nate Berkus, whom he starred alongside on HGTV's Nate & Jeremiah by Design and The Nate and Jeremiah Home Project. Brent also was featured on Netflix's Say I Do, a series created by the same team as Queer Eye that helps bring couples' dream weddings to life. "I haven't laughed this hard in a long, long time," Brent told House Beautiful of joining the cast. "In some ways, Queer Eye is connecting me to a part of myself that I had left behind, because I'm in dad mode and I run a business. With them, I get to be a little bit more free."