Queer Eye Fab Five becomes four as Karamo Brown cancels TV appearances over bullying fears
Brown sent a message of thanks to the Queer Eye crew, the fans, and Netflix executives, but not his co-stars
By Aaron Sugg
Queer Eye was down a member yesterday (20 January) as Karamo Brown cancelled multiple morning show appearances due to bullying fears in light of Netflix‘s final season.
Fans were left confused after the Fab Five became four, following Brown’s withdrawal from a planned appearance on CBS Mornings on Tuesday (20 January).
Host Gayle King addressed the elephant in the room: “We call it a ‘Fab Five’ but one of the Fab Five is not here.”
“We received word just – less than an hour ago – that Karamo Brown is not going to be joining us today,” the morning show host continued.
“Focus on and to protect their mental health” – Karamo Brown wrote in a statement, claiming bullying fears
Sitting opposite the Queer Eye cast, Antoni Porowski, Jeremiah Brent, Jonathan Van Ness, and Tan France, she read out a statement from Brown:
“I hope everyone remembers the main theme I have tried to teach them over the past decade, which is to focus on and to protect their mental health and peace from people or a world who seek to destroy it; which is why I can’t be there today,” Brown wrote.
“His assistant also says he’s worried about being bullied,” King continued, before asking how the rest of his co-stars felt about his absence.
“Families are complicated. And we’re definitely not excluded from that” – Antoni Porowski on the Queer Eye Fab Five
Porowski said he was as surprised as King. “Yeah – surprised is a fair understatement,” said the food and wine expert, who joined the franchise in 2018 after former Queer Eye member Stuart O’Keeffe left before filming began in 2017.
Porowski added: “I will say, our Queer Eye family, we’ve been doing this for almost a decade, which is pretty wild to believe. And families are complicated. And we’re definitely not excluded from that.”
Calling back to the show’s transformative life-makeover focus, he said: “And while that is definitely true, we’re also here to showcase these incredible heroes that we have and really honour the legacy of this past decade of our lives.”
“He has taught people to centre what they need” – Jonathan Van Ness on Brown’s absence
Hair stylist Van Ness sent a heartfelt message to his absent co-star on air: “I think one thing that I was so honoured to learn from Karamo during my time – just like he said in that package – we have to meet people where they’re at. And he has taught people to centre what they need.”
He said he was proud of Brown putting his mental health first: “Centre what you need, do the things you need to do to take care of you – I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel like that sometimes… my hat off to him for doing that.”
The segment included a video of Brown, in light of the show’s final series airing today (21 January), sending a message of thanks to the crew, the fans, and Netflix executives, but not his co-stars.
Bobby Berk, former Queer Eye star, left the franchise in 2024, citing alleged “rage issues” with co-star Van Ness.
The show’s tenth and final season is available to stream now on Netflix.
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