Queer Eye: Tan France denies involvement in Bobby Berk being ‘fired’

Tan France has denied he was involved in his co-star Bobby Berk being “fired” from Netflix series Queer Eye.

A Rolling Stone report had alleged that France had “campaigned to replace Berk” with his friend, interior designer Jeremiah Brent.

Berk announced he was leaving the makeover show last year, saying it had “not been an easy decision”.

France, the show’s stylist, said his efforts to get Brent hired were not connected to Berk’s exit from the show.

In an Instagram reel, France said: “My former colleague getting fired had nothing to do with me trying to get my friend hired.

“Netflix and the production companies did a full-on casting.

“I didn’t put my friend up for the job, they ended up getting it because they were the best person for the job.”

Berk has since tweeted a gif of Michelle Obama, which includes her catchphrase: “When they go low, we go high!”

The Rolling Stone report also alleged that hairstylist Jonathan Van Ness was a “nightmare” to work with on set, who made filming “difficult” due to his behaviour.

Van Ness, Netflix, the other Queer Eye cast members and ITV Entertainment, which produces the show, did not respond to the BBC’s request for comment earlier this week.

Berk and Netflix have been approached for further comment following France’s comments on Friday.

Other than France, none of the parties involved have said publicly that Berk was fired from the show.

France did not address the alleged tensions on set in his Instagram post.

He continued by saying he was happy that Brent – who has presented shows on home channel HGTV with his husband, fellow designer Nate Berkus – had joined the show.

“I think they’re going to be incredible on the show but I didn’t get them hired by getting rid of somebody else,” France added.

France went on to say the rumour about his own involvement in the situation originated from a comment on a gossip blog, that “has almost become gospel”.

In January, Berk told Vanity Fair that he and France “would be fine” after it was widely speculated the pair had fallen out.

He acknowledged some tension between him and France, commenting: “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.”

In the same interview, he said he had been offered a contract by Netflix to return to the series after the streamer unexpectedly decided to renew it for another season.

He said he and his co-stars, known as the fab five, were not planning to return – but he claimed the other four later changed their minds.

By that point, he said, he had made other plans on the basis there would not be a new series, and aid he “just wasn’t willing to change those [plans]”.