Bobby Berk Reveals ‘Queer Eye’ Season 8 Will Be His Last: “It’s Not Been An Easy Decision To Be At Peace With, But A Necessary One”

Queer Eye is losing one of its beloved Fab Five members. Bobby Berk, the Emmy award-winning Netflix show’s interior design expert, announced his departure from the show following Season 8 — which is set in New Orleans — on social media today, per Variety.

“It’s with a heavy heart that I announce that season 8 will be my final season on Queer Eye,” he penned. “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.”

Noting that the Queer Eye community has “become family” to him, Berk expressed his gratitude to the series’ “dedicated fans” and the show’s heroes, who he is “so very proud of.”

Berk has starred on the reality series reboot alongside fellow Fab Five members Jonathan Van Ness, Karamo Brown, Antoni Porowski, and Tan France since it first hit Netflix in February 2018.

“We appreciate the heart and dedication Bobby Berk brought to Queer Eye over eight amazing seasons,” ITV Entertainment, Scout Productions and Netflix shared in a statement with Decider. “He will always be a member of the Fab Five family and we wish him the very best.”

Netflix also confirmed to Decider that Queer Eye has been renewed for a ninth season, which will be filmed in Las Vegas.

Read Berk’s emotional goodbye below.

“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. You have tuned in and been dedicated fans and together we were able to share the healing powers of design.

I learned from you all about kindness, love and acceptance and that has changed my life for the better. 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.

Throughout these years, you, the die-hard fans of Queer Eye, have all shared so many stories with me about how the show has touched your lives and I could not be more grateful to each and every one of you for being brave enough to share your experiences.

To all our wonderful, loving, amazing, and brave heroes there is so much I want to say, and so much gratitude I want to express to you all for letting me into your homes and hearts. 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! Being able to help guide you to find the best version of yourselves is something I never took for granted and never will.

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. #foreverthefab5″

Queer Eye Seasons 1-7 are streaming on Netflix. Season 8 premieres on Jan. 24, 2024.