Random Things You Wanted To Know About Fab Five Behind 'Queer Eye' (15 items)

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  (#6) Jonathan Tackles Tough Issues In His Podcast

  Jonathan tempers the humor a bit on his podcast, Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness, in which he tackles some pretty intense issues. It started in 2015, but the podcast surged in popularity after Queer Eye's debut.

  Episodes focus on politics, religion, health, sexuality, and science, to name just a few areas of discussion. He's interviewed celebrities, scientists, doctors, and political and religious figures. New episodes are released on a biweekly basis.
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  (#9) Karamo Was The First Openly Gay Black Man On Reality TV

  In 2004, Karamo Brown, Queer Eye's culture authority, became the first openly gay Black man on reality television when he appeared on The Real World: Philadelphia. He knows this very visible role comes with a lot of responsibility, and he takes it seriously. Karamo has his own nonprofit organization, 6in10.org, which focuses HIV/AIDS prevention and destigmatization in the Black LGBTQ+ community through education and empowerment. He also volunteers at a Los Angeles youth center for LGBTQ+ adolescents.
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  (#3) Tan Was Once Dumped For "Letting Himself Go"

  With his spot-on fashion sense and his thick shock of salt-and-pepper hair, it may be hard to imagine there was a time in Tan's life when he wasn't the polished fashion authority he is now. But apparently there was, and it had a profound impact on his relationships and self-esteem. 

  "It’s a true story," he explained to Time. "My boyfriend dumped me because I let myself go. And not just with my clothing, in every facet of life." From that experience, he learned that men too have a responsibility to invest in their lives and take pride in their appearance. "Men need to take as much ownership... as women do," he said.
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  (#4) Jonathan Has Always Been Out

  Jonathan Van Ness is Queer Eye's hair and grooming expert, and he's always been out and proud. Originally from a small town in Illinois, Jonathan was the first male cheerleader at his high school. Sadly, he was bullied mercilessly throughout his childhood.

  But Jonathan emerged a stronger person, having found humor to be an effective coping mechanism. He told Vulture, "So much of what life is [is] getting through it in a balanced way where you can still look at yourself in the mirror and be like, 'Good job, girl. I love you.'"

  Jonathan trained at the Aveda Institute in Minneapolis and has been a hairstylist ever since.
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  (#8) Bobby Bought A Décor Company That Was $600,000 In Debt

  Bobby may be a superstar designer now, but it wasn't always that way. He was once fired from an Italian home décor company, only to have that same company return to him years later when their business was failing. Failing to the tune of $600,000, to be exact.

  Though he was just 24 years old, Bobby agreed to buy the company, having built his own home design brand to financial success online. The newly-acquired store became Bobby Berk Home's first physical location.

  "Within six or seven months, I had completely paid off all the debt," he told Time.
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  (#5) Jonathan First Gained Attention For His Web Series 'Gay Of Thrones'

  It was Jonathan's wit and wicked sense of humor that made him stand out to Queer Eye producers. In 2013, he launched a web series through Funny or Die called Gay of Thrones, in which he takes a hilarious deep dive into the HBO mega-hit Game of Thrones. The web show has been a smashing success, and Queer Eye producers took note of him.

  On Gay of Thrones, he gives the characters of the show pop culture-adjacent nicknames (like "Lena Dunham," "Baby Kristen [Stewart]," and "Blond Cher"), recaps the episodes, and discusses what he wants to see happen. Despite a hectic Queer Eye schedule, as of 2018, Gay of Thrones is still in production.

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