Queer Eye star announces brand new HGTV show after Netflix cancels hit series

Former Queer Eye star Bobby Berk has joined the brand new HGTV series Junk or Jackpot? from John Cena.

The six-episode first season will follow “collectors as they discover the true monetary value of their massive and unusual collections”.

“Bobby will support the homeowners through the process of sorting through, appraising and letting go of their stockpile, discovering the ‘found money’ along the way to achieving their dream makeover.” the synopsis reads.

“Collecting is a personal pastime that brings joy and inspiration, but it’s easy to get carried away which can negatively impact your living conditions,” said Bobby. “I’m excited to help passionate people sift through their cherished items and give them reimagined spaces that will best honor what they hold dear.”

© WireImage

One episode will follow one homeowner as they hunt through an overwhelming stash of superhero figurines, to other episodes that focus on cramped spaces “stuffed with rare puppets and dolls and miniature sets that leave no room for actual, life-size furniture”.

Executive producer John Cena added: “The idea for Junk or Jackpot? was born out of a conversation I had with friends. People often wonder if their collections are trash or treasure, and this show will help them find out.”

© Netflix

The news comes a day after Netflix confirmed that the Emmy-winning series Queer Eye would end after its upcoming 10th season.

Antoni Porowski, Jonathan Van Ness, Karamo Brown, and Tan France returned for season nine without Bobby, with Jeremiah Brent joining the Fab Five as the home interior expert.

Bobby left the series at the end of season eight, alleging that he stepped back from the show with the understanding that the show was at its end and the other four were also not returning.

© Getty Images for Elton John AIDS

In an interview with Vanity Fair, Bobby claimed that on their final day of filming season eight in New Orleans they “stood there, and we took pictures and cried”.

But due to the WGA and SAG strikes in 2023, Netflix reached out to the five about a new contract and Bobby revealed that he “wasn’t willing to change” the plans he had already made when he believed the show was not returning.

Reports later emerged that Bobby and Tan had fallen out, particularly after Bobby unfollowed Tan on social media and Tan claimed Bobby was “fired”.

“My former colleague getting fired had nothing to do with me trying to get my friend hired,” the fashion designer said in a video he posted to Instagram. “Netflix and the production companies did a full-on casting. I didn’t put my friend up for the job. They ended up getting it because they were the best person for the job,” he continued.

“Am I so happy they got the job? Uh huh, I really am, and I think they’re going to be incredible on the show, but I didn’t get them hired by getting rid of somebody else.”