The Fab Five is saying goodbye to one of their own.
Bobby Berk, the interior design expert on the Emmy-winning Netflix series “Queer Eye,” announced Nov. 13 that he will be leaving the show after the upcoming eighth season. He shared the news in a lengthy Instagram post.
The 42-year-old uploaded photos from his interactions with some of the show’s heroes throughout the years. Berk ended the slideshow with a sweet photo of him smiling next to the other members of the Fab Five: Antoni Porowski, Jonathan Van Ness, Karamo Brown and Tan France.
“To the Queer Eye Community who have become family to me,” Berk began. “The love that I have received from you all over the last 6 years has been absolutely surreal.”
He said that his life has changed since “Queer Eye” premiered in February 2018 and that he has learned more about kindness, love and acceptance from the show's devoted fans.
“The way you have embraced me and accepted me for who I am is something that l will truly carry with me for the rest of my life,” Berk wrote.
He then addressed the show’s “heroes”: the contestants who are highlighted each episode.
“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. I’m so very proud of all of you!” he gushed.
After years of helping heroes transform their homes as the reality show’s interior design guru, he will be departing the series, he added.
“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,” he said.
He concluded, “I love you all so so much and I’ll meet you all in Nola for one final season.” Berk ended his post with the hashtag #foreverthefab5.
Members of the “Queer Eye” family left kind and supportive messages in the comments.
Porowski, the show’s food and wine expert, wrote, “#foreverthefab5 indeed, and don’t forget it,” and included a series of red heart emoji.
Culture and lifestyle expert Brown agreed, writing, “@bobby we are #ForeverTheFab5 | no matter what. I’m about to be a Netflix’s door & e-mails telling them you can’t leave!”
“Who is coming with me? I love you!” Brown added.
Van Ness, the grooming and beauty expert, simply left three red heart emoji in the comments.
Berk’s announcement was posted around the same time the show confirmed on its social media accounts that it had been renewed for Season Eight.
“Queer Eye is coming back for Season 8 on January 24, 2024!” the show shared on Instagram beside a photo of the Fab Five taking a selfie.
“After six incredible years of life-changing transformations, Season 8 will be Bobby Berk’s last with the Fab Five,” the show said. “We appreciate the heart and dedication he has brought to Queer Eye and wish him the very best.”
Netflix, as well as "Queer Eye" producers ITV Entertainment and Scout Productions, provided a similar statement to TODAY.com, saying, “He will always be a member of the Fab Five family and we wish him the very best.”
Season Seven of “Queer Eye” premiered in May. At the time, the co-hosts spoke to TODAY.com about the lessons they learned on the show.
Berk told TODAY.com that working with the heroes, particularly one Season Seven standout named Stephanie Williams, helped him see how important it is for queer people to not “dull” their shine.
“We dull our personalities to make other people comfortable. I really hope that (the world) and all the queer people who still do that realize they don’t have to do that. They need to live for themselves,” he said.
Berk also reminisced about filming Season One of “Queer Eye,” before the show became a huge hit.
“I remember the last day of filming the first season,” he recalled. “We all got in the car together to go to the airport to leave and we were like, ‘Well, it’s been fun. You know, maybe we’ll see each other around.’”
Now, eight seasons and 10 Emmys later, Berk's time with the group is coming to an end.