Interior designer and reality TV star Bobby Berk has opened up about his earnings during his time on Queer Eye.
Back in November 2023, Berk announced his departure from the long-running Netflix series after eight seasons.
“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’ll be seeing more of me very soon,” he wrote on Instagram.
Since that fateful day, Berk has been an open book about his time on Queer Eye, including the unexpected pay he received during the show’s earlier seasons.
In a recent interview on the Networth & Chill podcast, the Big Mouth star revealed that he “lost money being on the show” during seasons one and two.
“Because, I mean, they were paying us basically nothing. And the amount of money I was losing from not running my company and being gone – we were gone for five months, and we were on constant press tours,” he explained.
While the first two seasons were not financially kind to him, Berk admitted that he “broke even” during seasons three and four.
“To be frank, they never really paid us well. You know, compared to what they pay scripted stars, we made single-digit percentage,” he explained.
“Obviously, what it did, though, was open doors for working with brands, working with companies.”
Elsewhere in his interview, Berk reflected on some Queer Eye fans having issues with him and the other Fab Five members promoting their various brand partnerships – which he said helped them earn more income.
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“We’re like, ‘Well, girl, we don’t make money off the show. How do you think we continue to do the show?” he continued.
While Berk’s time on the show ended in a somewhat dramatic fashion, he credited Queer Eye for bringing an array of opportunities his way, adding that he has no regrets about participating in the makeover series.
“It was tough the first few seasons, but the door it has opened for other things? You can’t pay for that type of exposure. We got really lucky to find lightning in a bottle,” he said.
“[Queer Eye[ came out at a very defining moment in the world. [Donald] Trump had just become president for the first time, and people were really distraught and at each others’ throats.
“We were this happy feeling of five gays walking into red states and getting along and meeting humans instead of political affiliations. It really became a cultural phenomenon. I never regretted doing it.”
Berk’s recent interview comes a few months after the ninth season of Queer Eye was released on Netflix.
Like previous episodes, the new batch of episodes follows the Fab Five as they take their “transformative magic” to Las Vegas, where they meet “a fresh group of individuals ready for a life-changing experience.”
The synopsis teases: “From a former showgirl struggling to regain her confidence to a dedicated librarian in need of a change, watch as the Fab Five light up Sin City and transform the lives of their heroes in spectacular Vegas style.”
Season nine also featured the introduction of Jeremiah Brent, who joined Tan France, Karamo Brown, Antoni Porowski and Jonathan Van Ness as the Fab Five’s new interior design expert – following Berk’s departure.
Check out Bobby Berk’s full Networth & Chill podcast below.
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