Throughout an look on the Networth and Chill with Your Wealthy BFF podcast, the inside designer received candid about his obvious lackluster payday throughout his years on the present, claiming that he “misplaced cash” whereas taking pictures the primary two seasons.

Berk starred within the Netflix collection for eight seasons from 2018 till 2024 alongside Jonathan Van Ness, Tan France, Antoni Porowski, and Karamo Brown, earlier than asserting his departure in 2023.

When podcast host Vivan Tu requested Berk if he made a “lot of cash” on Queer Eye, Berk replied, “The primary two seasons, I undoubtedly misplaced cash being on the present.”

“As a result of, I imply, they have been paying us mainly nothing,” he continued. “And the amount of cash that I used to be dropping from not working my firm and being gone as a result of we needed to transfer away. We have been gone for 5 months, and so half the yr we have been gone, after which we have been on simply fixed press excursions. Which was nice, however yeah, the primary two seasons, I undoubtedly misplaced cash.”

The Emmy winner went on to notice that the “in all probability broke even” throughout Season 3 and 4.

“To be frank, they by no means actually paid us effectively. You recognize, in comparison with what they pay scripted stars, we made a single-digit share,” Berk continued, earlier than including, “Clearly, what it did, although, was open up doorways for working with manufacturers, working with firms.”

The house makeover professional famous how followers would complain about him and his co-stars selling manufacturers on the present.

“I keep in mind through the years, followers would get aggravated with the Fab 5, as a result of we have been typically selling manufacturers, selling firms, doing model partnerships,” Berk mentioned. “They’re like ‘Oh, we’re simply so sick of this.’ And we’re like, ‘Nicely, woman, we do not become profitable off the present. Like, that is our type of earnings. How do you assume we proceed to do the present?’”

When requested if he believed the publicity and alternatives Queer Eye introduced him was finally “price it” and a “win,” Berk mentioned, “Completely.”

“It was powerful the primary few seasons, however the doorways that it has opened for different issues — completely,” he defined. “I imply, you possibly can’t pay for that kind of publicity. We received actually, actually fortunate to seek out lightning in a bottle, and the present got here out, you already know, proper at a really defining second on the planet.”

Berk famous that the primary season was launched throughout Trump’s first presidency when “folks have been actually distraught and everyone was [at each] others’ throats,” emphasizing the present’s influence on the time.

“We have been this comfortable feeling of 5 gays strolling into pink states and getting alongside and assembly folks within the center and being people as a substitute of political affiliations,” he recalled. “It actually grew to become a cultural phenomenon. I by no means regretted doing it.”

Berk introduced his exit from Queer Eye in November 2023, a few months earlier than of Season 8, which marked his remaining season.

He launched a prolonged and emotional assertion on Instagram on the time, expressing his gratitude towards the Queer Eye neighborhood.

“The love that I’ve acquired from you all around the final 6 years has been completely surreal,” he wrote partly. “You’ve got tuned in and been devoted followers and collectively we have been capable of share the therapeutic powers of design. I realized from you all about kindness, love and acceptance and that has modified my life for the higher. The way in which you might have embraced me and accepted me for who I’m is one thing that l will really carry with me for the remainder of my life. All through these years, you, the die-hard followers of Queer Eye, have all shared so many tales with me about how the present has touched your lives and I couldn’t be extra grateful to every considered one of you for being courageous sufficient to share your experiences.”

An alleged “scenario” and rumored feud together with his co-star Tan France apart, Berk mentioned on the Networth and Chill podcast that he felt that it was “simply time” for him to say goodbye.

“We had signed up for — together with the season we did in Japan — 9 seasons, and in my thoughts, that was all the time the top level,” Berk defined. “And that is after I had made the choice to depart, and that is when my husband and I made a decision that is after I was going to depart. My castmates determined to maintain going, which is nice. Good for them.”

He confused that it “wasn’t a monetary choice,” jokingly citing his earlier level that he “did not make a ton of cash from that present.”

Following Berk’s departure, he was changed by Jeremiah Brent.