Why Is Bobby Berk Leaving ‘Queer Eye’ After Season 8?

Queen Eye fans got bittersweet news when the season 8 premiere date was announced as interior designer Bobby Berk revealed it would be his last season on the show. Although the TV host got an outpour of love from costars Tan France, Jonathan van Ness, Karamo Brown and Antoni Porowski after his announcement, people are wondering why Bobby decided to leave the series.

Why Is Bobby Berk Leaving ‘Queer Eye’ After Season 8?

Bobby announced via Instagram on November 13, 2023, that season 8 would be his last hoorah on the show. He shared the news alongside photos from his favorite moments on Queer Eye.

“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,” his lengthy caption began. “It’s with a heavy heart that I announce that season 8 will be my final season on Queer Eye. 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. I love you all so so much and I’ll meet you all in Nola for one final season.”

Bobby did not publicly disclosed the reason behind his decision at the time.

However, a source told Us Weekly that the Netflix star was “asked to leave” the show “because he wasn’t vibing with the cast.”

“There were many challenges with scheduling [and] there was a loss of interest from Bobby filming the show,” the insider explained to the outlet on November 16. “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.”

That being said, a second source told Us Weekly that Bobby “was not asked to leave” and the “decision was amicable.”

How Did the ‘Queer Eye’ Cast React to Bobby Berk’s Season 8 Exit?

Karamo shared his sadness on his respective Instagram account with a sweet message to his costar.

“With todays announcement date of the new Season (8) of Queer Eye… My heart is broken that season 8 will be @bobby ’s last on Queer Eye! He is magic in what he designs and how he makes us all feel. #ForeverTheFab5,” he captioned his November 13 post alongside BTS photos of Bobby.

The Right at Home: How Good Design Is Good for the Mind author replied in the comment section, “I love YOU with all my heart. I wouldn’t have made it this long without you there with me.”

Jonathan, on the other hand, left heart emojis under Bobby’s Instagram announcement and Antoni wrote, “#foreverthefab5 indeed, and don’t forget it.”

Tan is the only Queer Eye costar who did not publicly address Bobby’s exit.

When Did Bobby Berk Join ‘Queer Eye’?

Bobby joined the cast of the revamped show during season 1 in 2018 with Karamo, Tan, Antoni and Jonathan.

Over the past seven seasons, Bobby has brought life to the “heroes’” homes and gave their abodes a brand-new look. The Fab 5 have transformed the lives of residents in Atlanta, Missouri, Philadelphia, Texas and New Orleans.

The same day Bobby announced his departure after season 8, news broke that the show had been renewed for a ninth season that will take place in Las Vegas.

What Did Bobby Berk Say About Leaving ‘Queer Eye’ and His Feud With Tan France?

As season 8 dropped in January 2024, Bobby sat down with Vanity Fair to clear the air about why he decided to leave the show. He also addressed the elephant in the room, i.e. his rumored feud with Tan that had fans up in arms.

“I hope this interview will help extinguish some of the speculation,” Bobby started. “I want people to know that Tan and I—we will be fine.”

Explaining that he had ridden the wave of his contract with Netflix, Bobby said that the entire Fab Five thought the show was coming to a close. “We thought we were done. Mentally and emotionally, I thought we all moved on. I know I did, and I started planning other things,” he said. However, Netflix came back to the table with another four-season contract, and the other four members – who Bobby claimed were on the fence about their future with the streaming giant – chose to renew. 

“There were definitely emotions. But each one of us had our reasons why we did what we did. I can’t be mad — for a second I was,” Bobby said. “All the plans that I had made when I thought we weren’t coming back, 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.”

As for his rumored feud with Tan, which fans took notice of when Bobby unfollowed the fashion expert on social media, the interior designer wouldn’t give too much detail.

“Tan and I had a moment. 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,” Bobby said. “Should I have unfollowed Tan? No. 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.”