Top 10 Behind the Scenes Secrets About Queer Eye
For this list, we're looking at all the things they don't want you to know about this Netflix reboot and the new Fab Five.
#10: The Fab Five Didn’t Know They Were Getting Pulled Over
One of the show’s most controversial moments came when the Fab 5 were pulled over by a police officer while Karamo was driving. Everyone involved was decidedly uncomfortable and nervous. It was actually a prank and this cop turned out to actually be the episode’s nominator, but it wasn’t supposed to happen that way. Originally, Bobby was meant to drive that day but Karamo insisted, and Bobby was also the only one who knew it was a prank, just in case anything bad happened. Karamo says he was ultimately glad that it happened because it allowed for a conversation about race and policing in America, even though the incident almost made Tan quit.
#9: They Stay in Contact with Heroes
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The Fab 5 only stick around in town for a short period of time, but the lessons they teach can span a whole lifetime. To find out how much their heroes really take on board, the guys keep in touch with quite a few of them on social media. They all receive frequent updates from Neal about he’s how he’s doing, hair pictures for Jonathan, food pictures for Antoni, and so on. Karamo even keeps in touch with Cory. He may have made the biggest change of all, now cooking and cleaning – he and Karamo even have matching shoes.
#8: The Wesley & Maurice Conversation Almost Didn’t Happen
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A particularly poignant moment in season four was the conversation between Wesley and Maurice, the man who paralyzed him. Karamo has said that this moment almost didn’t happen though, as both parties kept almost backing out. Ultimately they stuck with it and did talk to each other, leading to understanding and healing for both of them. Though it had to be cut down, the actual conversation they had lasted for over two and a half hours. In interviews, Wesley has said that after it was over, he felt tremendous relief despite how scared he’d been going in.
#7: Joe Took Down His Website
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Not every hero takes the Fab 5’s advice, however. Karamo said it was hard for them to relate to Joe as much as they did to other heroes, and he was resistant to them throughout filming, to the extent of taking down the website Karamo built for him during the show. While you can still get in touch with Joe through social media, it’s hard to imagine anyone not trusting the Fab 5! A similar shocking moment came from AJ’s makeover, where two weeks after filming had finished he sold his remodelled apartment, much to Bobby’s surprise.
#6: Karamo’s Contract Stipulates That the Show Has to Hire Diversely
In 2004, Karamo made history as the first openly gay African-American man to appear on reality TV, and since then he’s taken the effort to help other black gay men get into the industry to increase diversity behind the camera as well as in front of it. A stipulation in his contract says that the show must hire two to three gay African-Americans to work on the crew. He said in an interview with A&U Magazine that “if the person coming behind you doesn’t have access to open the door, and you don’t prop the door open to let them come in behind you, then you are doing them a disservice.”
#5: Bobby Works the Most Hours
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Of all of the Fab 5, Bobby easily has the least screen time, but he’s also doing the most work. Where the others will all spend a day or a handful of hours with that week’s hero, Bobby is working hard behind the scenes to remodel huge spaces, often entire houses. He says that a lot of his work involves taking risks because lots of furniture needs to be ordered before even meeting the hero. Bobby goes above and beyond with certain houses too, when clearing them out takes even longer because of the sheer volume of clutter, not to mention an incident where a whole house was infested with termites.
#4: The Fab 5 Get Details on Each Hero Before Filming Starts
They don’t start out the week completely in the dark about their hero, nor do they only have those few days to put together the things they want to show and teach them. They’re given a dossier of information by the producers before filming so that they can start planning before they get to the location. That could be reaching out to restaurants for Antoni to use; finding out which clothing stores Tan wants to go to; letting Karamo get a head-start on his exercises; enabling Bobby to order that furniture; and helping Jonathan get started on his grooming regimen.
#3: The Fab 5 Have No Say Over Who Goes on the Show
Despite the fact that they’re the ones doing all the work, they don’t actually have any say in who the heroes are. They credit the casting department with choosing the people who are featured on the show, which Tan says makes the experience more authentic. The heroes are chosen to be the best fit for the show; and as the seasons have progressed, this has helped make the heroes more balanced and diverse, featuring people from all walks of life, who aren’t only straight men anymore. While it might be nice for the Fab 5 to choose who they make over, this formula has been working so far, so why change it?
#2: A Lot Gets Cut Out
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Since the show films for five days in a row, it would be impossible for everything that happens during the week to make it into the episode. Often, huge chunks of filming have to be cut for time. Season one alone cut out many of Antoni’s recipes, and he actually teaches the heroes how to cook more dishes than the ones we actually see. Scenes where Bobby helped Cory to understand he had to spend time with his daughters and wife, as well as Karamo taking Bobby Camp to a job interview, were also lost. Other times, long conversations, like Tan’s talk with Skyler about trans issues, were cut down to barely a few minutes. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few Honorable Mentions: Contestants Get to Keep Everything The Jones’ BBQ Sauce Was a Hit Antoni Had a Connection with the Original Cast Bruley Belongs to a Producer Tan Was Discovered on Social Media
#1: The Fab 5 Regret Some Makeovers
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Even though the show’s tagline is “more than a makeover”, the makeover itself is still an important part, and is where the audience can visually see the changes that have happened. Jonathan revealed that sometimes the producers push harder than they should and make the Fab 5 do certain things: specifically, shaving off liberal mayor Ted Terry’s trademark beard. Jonathan said he didn’t want to do it at all and gave Ted the clippers to shave it himself. In spite of pushy producers, Jonathan always tries his best to do what’s best for that person, rather than doing a big change just for the sake of change.
