10 hours ago
Jeremiah Brent Addresses His 'Queer Eye' New Guy Status, Says He'll 'Earn People's Respect'
Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 4 MIN.
Jeremiah Brent is the new kid on the "Queer Eye" block, and he's ready to own it – and "earn people's respect" as the replacement for Bobby Berk, Entertainment Weekly reported.
"With the show, there's a lot of loyalty that comes with that," Brent said in remarks to EW. "People don't know me. People are used to their friend group the way it was, but I'm happy to earn people's respect and I'm happy for them to get to know me and for me to get to know them."
Berk left the show after its eighth season, when the cast's contracts expired and he didn't expect the show to continue on. When "Queer Eye" was renewed, Berk already had other projects lined up and had to pass on Season 9 and beyond.
But, EW noted, his "highly-publicized departure was swept up in a tabloid maelstrom after an exposé alleged tumult on set and tension among the group made up of Tan France, Antoni Porowski, Karamo Brown, and Jonathan Van Ness."
Though Berk denied there was anything more to his departure than the way timing and opportunity had played out – and though Tan France spoke out against rumors that he had sought Berk's ouster in order to install Brent – those rumors persisted.
With the advent of the new season, and as viewers now get to see how well Brent fits in, the interior design expert offered his own thoughts, humbly acknowledging that it would be up to viewers to welcome him into their homes and hearts.
"For me, creativity should never be adversarial," Brent mused. "This show was, and still is, about connection."
As for his own connection to Berk, the newcomer said there was none, telling EW that he had not spoken to Berk about taking on the role of interior design maven in the show and telling Andy Cohen during an appearance on "Watch What Happens Live" that he doesn't know Berk.
"I've never met him," Today reported Brent telling Cohen. "I think we did a panel once together," Brent insisted. "I'm not being shady. We've never met ... Never spoken," he said.
Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.
