It was announced in November that Season 8 would be the interior designer's last on the show, with Bobby himself writing on Twitter, "It’s not been an easy decision to be at peace with, but a necessary one. Although my journey with Queer Eye is over, my journey with you is not. You will be seeing more of me very soon."
To the Queer Eye Community who have become family to me.
The love that I have received from you all over the last 6 years has been absolutely surreal. You have tuned in and been dedicated fans and together we were able to share the healing powers of design.
Rumors as to why Bobby was leaving the show, specifically if it had anything to do with a falling out with various cohosts, were subsequently exacerbated by eagle-eyed fans noting some fairly suspicious Instagram behavior (See: Tan France and Bobby unfollowing one another, and Bobby not tagging Tan in a Season 8 poster).
Bobby spoke to Vanity Fair in a new interview, which he hoped would "extinguish" the "speculation." He said, “I want people to know that Tan and I — we will be fine.”
According to Bobby, the cast was signed for seven seasons and treated the wrap of Season 8 in September 2022 as the end of their time with the show. However, he said it was the writers' and actors' strikes that led to the show being renewed for a ninth season. He recalled, "Mentally and emotionally, I thought we all moved on. I know I did, and I started planning other things.”
However, while the rest of the cast agreed to sign on for Season 9, Bobby did not, leading him to be recast. “There were definitely emotions. But each one of us had our reasons why we did what we did,” he explained. “I can’t be mad — for a second I was.” Ultimately, he attributes his choice to leave to not wanting to put the "brakes on multiple other projects that are already in process."
He further denied that the apparent difference in workload between him and other members of the Fab Five (the common meme being that he has to renovate a house while another member makes guacamole) had anything to do with his exit: "You will have never found me quoted as saying that I have the most important job and I do the most work. All five of us are of equal importance."
That being said, he did admit that things took a turn with Tan. “Tan and I had a moment,” he recalled. “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."
“Should I have unfollowed Tan? No," he added. “Maybe I should have just muted him. But that day, I was angry, and that’s the end of it. We became like siblings — and siblings are always going to fight.”
Bobby said that the two "embraced" at the Emmys, calling it the "first bandage on that wound." He continued, "I will always have a very special place in my heart for him and Rob [Tan's husband] and the kids. I can foresee in six months or a year, Tan and I at each other’s house being good."
All in all, Bobby praised his time on the show and his friendship with the cast. "Queer Eye has been the most amazing gift that I couldn’t have ever imagined,” he said, reportedly appearing visibly emotional.
