Antoni Porowski Says He's 'Not Really in Touch' Anymore with Former Fellow 'Queer Eye' Star Bobby Berk

"Queer Eye" original cast member Bobby Berk is gone from the show but not forgotten. Or maybe he is, to a degree: Former castmate Antoni Porowski says he's "not really in touch" with Berk at this point.

Porowski talked about Berk a little in an interview with Red Magazine that was primarily geared toward his upcoming food-centric docuseries "No Taste Like Home," which blends celebrity genealogy with regional cuisine, diving into the lineage of actors like Florence Pugh and Awkwafina, and the foods their ancestors would have enjoyed.

"I didn't think that we would go as far as the jungles of Borneo and on to the coastlines of Saint-Louis in Senegal, but we did, and it was just one of the most magical experiences," Porowski said of the show, which is set to air on National Geographic and on Disney+.

Of his long-running "Queer Eye" gig, Porowski noted that new cast member Jeremiah Brent, who replaced Berk for the recently released Season 9, brought a different vibe to the show; being a husband and father of two brought "a different perspective into the chaos of the five of us," the food maven said.

Invited to say more on the subject of Berk and his departure, Porowski offered the observation that the "Queer Eye" castmates are "a middle-aged boy band, and we've experienced this really bizarre phenomenon together."

But things do change, especially with a series that has been running as long as "Queer Eye" has.

"I think I try to lean into the impermanence and just have faith that everything is as it should be, even if there's sadness or joy that comes with it," Porowski philosophized, before going on to say that he and Berk are "not really in touch" any longer.

"I support anything that he chooses to pursue," the culinary expert hastened to add. "I did have some really wonderful years with him; no matter what happened or happens, we will always have these memories and these things that we experienced," he continued.

Porowski went on to add that though "there isn't too much communication" between the two of them at the moment, "I don't have any resentment or ill-will or anything like that..."

The somewhat anodyne comments and open-ended, if vague, sentiments of good will were in line with the ongoing saga of Berk's departure, Brent's addition, and speculation that infighting among the five original cast members may have contributed to Berk's exit. Some rumors even posit that Berk was forced out, with Tan France maneuvering to put Brent in his place.

France denied those rumors, saying in a video posted to social media that in the wake of Berk's departure "Netflix and the production companies did a full-on casting."

Added France: "I didn't prop my friend up for the job. They ended up getting it because they were the best person for the job."

Still, that claim seemed to be in line with rumors that the two former co-stars were having some kind of spat, with those rumors being fueled by fans noticing Berk not tagging France in a promotional "Queer Eye" post and taking note of the two unfollowing each other on Instagram.

The rumor of France lobbying to replace Berk with Brent also did not seem to contradict a November 2023 report from Us Weekly that, according to unnamed sources, "there was a loss of interest from Bobby filming the show," that his "heart was not in it," and that he was "not vibing" with the rest of the cast.

Other reports suggested that there has been friction among the five cast members around the question of who, if any of them, constitutes a breakout star.

Various members of the cast have headed up other projects, with Tan France starring in two seasons of the reality show "Next in Fashion," while stylist Jonathan Van Ness took point on the documentary series "Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness."

"Queer Eye" culture expert Karamo Brown has also appeared in a number of other reality shows, and stars in his own talk show, "Karamo."

Berk, the show's original interior design pro, explained that his departure was simple: The cast's original eight-season contract expired and when Netflix decided to renew for more seasons, everyone else signed on; Berk, however, had already gotten other projects lined up.

Brent came to the show having already established his interior decorating company, Jeremiah Brent Design, and led another reality program, "Nate & Jeremiah by Design," with his husband, Nate Berkus.

Viewers, as well as the show's remaining cast, seem to have moved right along, welcoming Brent to the show with its ninth season. Berk, however, reportedly bristled at the way Netflix removed his icon from the show's promotional social media posts, commenting on the show's Insta page, "Wow... Y'all really went and erased my icon instead of just adding Jeremiah?"

"Damn," Berk's clapback added. "I'm done."