TV & Movies

‘Queer Eye’ Stars Believed the Show Was Finished Before Jeremiah Brent Came Aboard

The cast of “Queer Eye” is back and more fabulous than ever, thanks to the addition of their new co-star, Jeremiah Brent.

In February, Netflix revealed that the 40-year-old interior designer would step in for Bobby Berk on the show. With Season Nine now available on Netflix as of December 11, the Fab Five members spoke with TODAY.com about how Brent has revitalized the series during this exciting new chapter.

“It’s incredible how I thought after seven years that we couldn’t return to that spark,” Tan France notes. “But after so many years in this role, it’s challenging to recapture that renewed energy. I thought, ‘Okay, this might be the end for us.’

“However, as soon as we started filming again, and Jeremiah reminded us of just how special our mission is, it felt like we were experiencing joy for the first time again,” he adds.

The “Queer Eye” stars speak with TODAY’s Hoda Kotb about the Netflix show’s ninth season, which premiered on December 11.
Nathan Congleton / TODAY

In November 2023, Berk, with a “heavy heart,” announced that Season Eight would be his final one on “Queer Eye.” The show relaunched in 2018 with a new cast following the original Bravo series, “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,” from the early 2000s. In a January 2024 Vanity Fair interview, Berk explained the reasons for his departure and confirmed some tensions he experienced with co-star France.

This, coupled with a revealing Rolling Stone exposé in March that suggested controversies among the “Queer Eye” team, left them in a challenging position as they began filming Season Nine. However, Jonathan Van Ness recalls Brent’s arrival in March, which created a “safe” and “vulnerable” environment.

“Jeremiah made a point to tell us, ‘You’re safe here,’” the stylist recounts. “He brought us all these quartz crystals to symbolize transparency, openness, and safety. And I’m a huge rock girl.”

Brent also shares his enthusiasm for crystals in the first episode of Season Nine, set in Las Vegas.

Karamo Brown adds that he is eager for “another seven years” of the show as they embark on this new journey with Brent, who expresses the same excitement about joining his new “family.”

Brent hopes the new season highlights just how “great” his fellow cast members are.

Queer Eye
From left to right: Jeremiah Brent, Karamo Brown, Antoni Porowski, Tan France, and Jonathan Van Ness discuss the new season of “Queer Eye” during their appearance on TODAY with Hoda & Jenna.
Nathan Congleton / TODAY

“Every day on set, I was completely in awe of their work—watching them create, love, connect, share, build, and grow was just unbelievable,” Brent reflects. “They are even better than you can imagine!”

“Queer Eye,” which focuses on transforming the lives of individuals with remarkable backstories, debuted six years ago with France, Berk, Van Ness, Brown, and Antoni Porowski. In Season Nine, Brent applies his interior design expertise, complementing his already extensive experience that includes starring in various TV shows alongside his husband, Nate Berkus, and writing his first book, “The Space That Keeps You.”

In a December episode of “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen,” Brent disclosed that he had not had any communication with Berk following his announcement as the replacement, and that they have never met.

During his interview with TODAY.com, Brent noted that it “wasn’t difficult” to dive right into his first season of “Queer Eye,” as his co-stars are all masters in their fields.

“My only objective starting here was to make sure they understood that I was committed to earning their trust,” he states, to which Brown replies, “And did he put in the effort.”

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