Was Bobby Berk Asked to Leave ‘Queer Eye’?
Bobby Berk is leaving 'Queer Eye,' but is he doing so of his own volition, or was he forced out of the show?
This week, reports surfaced indicating that Bobby Berk will not be returning for the upcoming season of Queer Eye. At first, the sad news seemed like nothing more than the usual departure of a long-running character from a TV show. Now, it appears there might be more to the story than initially disclosed.
According to an exclusive source that spoke to Us Weekly, Berk was reportedly “asked to leave” the popular Netflix show after eight seasons.
The reason behind Berk’s departure allegedly revolves around a lack of synergy with the cast.
“There were many challenges with scheduling [and] there was a loss of interest from Bobby filming the show,” the insider revealed to the celebrity-focused publication. They added, “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.”
This claim doesn’t seem out of the realm of possibility, as Berk is incredibly busy with other parts of his career. In addition to filming and promoting Queer Eye, the designer of the bunch owns several businesses in his space. He has also launched several lines of products, including art, furniture, and wallpaper.
While one source states that Berk was essentially pushed out of the show, conflicting reports have emerged regarding the circumstances of Berk’s exit. Another source cited in the same article contends that Berk “was not asked to leave” and characterizes the decision as amicable.
The contrasting narratives raise questions about the true nature of Berk’s departure from Queer Eye. It’s likely that the world may never know the full truth, and it may be best to let the Emmy-nominated TV host move on with dignity, as was initially intended.
Berk shared that the upcoming eighth season of Queer Eye will be his last earlier this week via an Instagram post.
He had nothing but positive things to say about his time on the program, and thanked those who appeared on the series, whom he called “heroes.” Berk is one of the five men — along with Antoni Porowski, Jonathan Van Ness, Karamo Brown, and Tan France — who rebooted the franchise for Netflix several years ago.
The eighth season of Queer Eye is expected to premiere in January. Netflix has already approved a ninth season as well, though it’s not clear when that will arrive.
There has also been no word yet regarding whether the series will continue with four hosts, or if a new member will be added to the gang.
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