Netflix Confirms HGTV Star Will Join Cast of Popular Series

It’s official: HGTV star Jeremiah Brent is the newest member of Netflix’s “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” cast. As Heavy previously reported, Brent — who stars in HGTV’s “The Nate & Jeremiah Home Project” with his husband Nate Berkus — was rumored to be the front-runner for the gig when design expert Bobby Berk announced in November 2023 that he was leaving “Queer Eye” after eight seasons.

Netflix announced on February 27, 2024, that Brent, 39, will take Berk’s spot as the design expert among the “Fab Five” for the show’s ninth season alongside the four other longtime cast members — culinary expert Antoni Porowski, therapist Karamo Brown, stylist Tan France, and grooming guru Jonathan van Ness.

Here’s what you need to know:

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While Rumors Were Swirling About Brent Joining ‘Queer Eye,’ He Said He Was ‘Open to Anything’

The eighth season of “Queer Eye,” still featuring Berk, debuted on Netflix in January. The season had already been filmed by the time Berk announced his impending departure. Though he didn’t give a specific reason, he confirmed to Vanity Fair in late January that there was some truth to a rumored feud between him and France.

“Tan and I had a moment,” Berk told Vanity Fair. “There was a situation, and that’s between Tan and I, and it has nothing to do with the show. It was something personal that had been brewing —and nothing romantic, just to clarify that.”

Days later, on February 1, an anonymous source who called into DeuxMoi’s entertainment gossip podcast claimed that France had been campaigning for a while behind the scenes at Netflix for his friend, Brent, to replace Berk on “Queer Eye.”

When People asked Brent in early February to weigh in on the rumors of him joining the series, he replied, “I’m open to anything. I love those boys. I’m friends with them, and I’ve got a lot of respect for what the show does and what it represents. It’s what matters most to me about design, so you never know. I’m open to anything that life presents.”

After Netflix announced Brent’s casting, he shared an Instagram Story that France posted, in which he wrote, “@jeremiahbrent is JOINING @queereye!! Help us welcome him to the Fab Five!!”

Before the official announcement about Brent, Berk told People that he approved of the person he’d heard Netflix was planning to hire to replace him.

“I hear somebody – I can’t say who, because I don’t know 100% — but if it is who I think it is, I think they’re gonna be amazing,” he said. “I can’t say who because it’s not my place to do so, but I’ve known them for years. And I think they’re gonna do great.”

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‘Queer Eye for the Straight Eye’ Will Move to Las Vegas in Season 9

In January, Netflix’s “Queer Eye” won its sixth consecutive Emmy Award for Outstanding Structured Reality Program, according to Out Magazine. 

After two seasons shot in New Orleans, the ninth season of “Queer Eye” will take place in Las Vegas. The show’s producer, ITV, has been vetting people to feature there in recent weeks, according to KTNV.

“Yes, the Fab Five might look a little different this time around,” Netflix said in its announcement, “but their mission remains the same: transforming the lives of everyday people from the inside out.”

The group, including Brent, is scheduled to start filming there this spring, but Netflix has not released a premiere date for the next season.

Meanwhile, it’s not clear what Brent’s hiring means for his HGTV show with Berkus. The second season aired in 2023, but the network hasn’t announced whether it’s been renewed for a third season.

While buzz continues about Brent replacing Berk, there’s also a possibility that Berk will jump over to HGTV. Berk told People he’s busy working on new scripted and unscripted programming and in recent weeks, he’s been photographed spending time with HGTV’s Jonathan Scott and his fiancée, Zooey Deschanel. The trio were seated together at a fundraiser in early February and Berk attended Deschanel’s birthday party over the weekend.

Scott not only stars in multiple HGTV shows, but is one of the network’s biggest content producers alongside his twin brother Drew Scott. Together, the two oversee Scott Brothers Entertainment, which produces their “Property Brothers” shows as well as shows led by other stars including “Trixie Motel,” “The Great Give-Back” and, interestingly enough, “The Nate and Jeremiah Home Project.”

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