Bobby Berk Is Leaving Queer Eye After Season 8

After half a decade together, Queer Eye Season 8 will be the last to include all original members of the Fab Five — much to fans’ heartbreak. Bobby Berk announced he’s leaving the show in a Nov. 13 Instagram post.

Queer Eye’s design expert expressed his love for the fans and the many heroes the show has helped over the years before writing with a “heavy heart” that his role on the show was ending. “It’s not been an easy decision to be at peace with, but a necessary one,” he wrote. “Although my journey with Queer Eye is over, my journey with you is not. You will be seeing more of me very soon.”

Bobby tagged his post #foreverthefab5, signaling his love for his castmates on the Emmy-winning series.

Why Is Bobby Leaving Queer Eye?

Bobby didn’t share a specific reason for leaving Queer Eye, but he has been working on other projects recently — including a new book, Right at Home: How Good Design Is Good for the Mind, which was released earlier this fall.

Recently, he opened up about the practical challenges of working on the show. “I used to work with contractors and carpenters to renovate homes as quickly as a week per episode,” he told HuffPost in June. “Now it has been shortened to three days due to the cast’s scheduling.”

The Fab Five Sends Their Love

Bobby’s Queer Eye co-stars showed their support in the comments. “#foreverthefab5 indeed, and don’t forget it ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️,” wrote Antoni Porowski.

“We are #ForeverTheFab5 | no matter what,” Karamo Brown said, adding that he planned to email Netflix so they wouldn’t let Bobby leave.

Jonathan Van Ness commented three heart emojis, while the official Queer Eye Instagram sent love in a separate post. “We appreciate the heart and dedication he has brought to Queer Eye and wish him the very best 💖.”

There’s More Queer Eye On The Way

On the bright side, fans will get one more season of Bobby on Queer Eye — and like Season 7, the upcoming installment takes place in New Orleans.

According to Variety, Season 8 drops on Jan. 24. And looking further ahead, there will be a Queer Eye Season 9 that takes place in Las Vegas.

So, will Bobby be replaced for Season 9? Or will the Fab Five become a party of four? Queer Eye has yet to announce specifics. Interior design is an important part of each hero’s transformation process, though, so it’s hard to imagine that aspect of the show would be done away with altogether.