“Queer Eye”'s new interior designer Jeremiah Brent is aware of the elephant in the room: 'I'm happy to earn people's respect'

The Fab Five are back — and they look a bit different this time around.

Jeremiah Brent, an interior designer and television personality who headlined two HGTV programs with husband Nate Berkus, joins Queer Eye as the new design expert when it returns for season 9 on Dec. 11 in Las Vegas. He replaces Bobby Berk, whose highly-publicized departure was swept up in a tabloid maelstrom after an exposé alleged tumult on set and tension among the group made up of Tan France, Antoni Porowski, Karamo Brown, and Jonathan Van Ness.

Brent, too, has since found himself swept into the gossip vortex. Speaking with House Beautiful earlier this year, the designer insisted there was “no drama” whatsoever. But, yes, he knows you’ll still want to pry. And, no, he isn't shying away from addressing the elephant in the renovated room now replete with marble — possibly because he's proficient in the art of redirecting back to the big picture.

“With the show, there's a lot of loyalty that comes with that,” Brent tells Entertainment Weekly. “I'm somebody that’s really good at earning respect, and that's how I've navigated the entire thing. People don't know me. People are used to their friend group the way it was, but I'm happy to earn people's respect and I'm happy for them to get to know me and for me to get to know them.”

Related: See the revamped Fab Five assemble in Queer Eye trailer that already has newest member in tears

Despite the glaring shake-up, Brent assures that the series’ ethos remains the same. “For me, creativity should never be adversarial,” he says. “This show was, and still is, about connection.” Below, he talks the emotional experience of joining the show ("I really kind of came home"), whether he’s connected with Berk, and the upcoming live tour.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Were you a fan of the reboot or original Bravo series before signing on?

JEREMIAH BRENT: I was. The original Queer Eye I remember being so instrumental for a lot of us in the queer community. It was access to friends that most of us didn't have, and a level of toleration and acceptance and awareness and kindness that, at least when I was young and closeted, was super important to me. And over the course of the last 10, 20 years, I've actually become really close with the producers of Queer Eye [and have] had a really nice relationship with them. I love what Queer Eye has always represented, which was really just about connection and the idea of exposing different people, different walks of life [to] five friendships rooted in love.

I’m curious now, because of those relationships, if you were ever in contention when the reboot was getting off the ground. 

I had spoken with them briefly when they had started things up about coming to do the show, but we had just had our daughter, Poppy, which was another dream completely actualized. And there was just no way that I could pry myself away to do it. The timing wasn't right. And that is my priority to this day. But when this opportunity came up, it was just the perfect timing, and I'm already good friends with everybody. I have to tell you, it’s one of the best decisions I've ever made.

How were you approached for the gig this time around? 

[Production scouts] approached and they're like, listen, we would like to talk to you about joining the cast. I had my own questions around it, my own concerns. Like anybody else, I wanted to make sure that I would be the best partner possible to this cast that’s already close knit. I knew two of them already and they were dear friends of mine. But then we all met and hit it off immediately. Something really special happened, and it was like I had known them all for 20 years. One of the first things I felt when I started working with everybody is that I really kind of came home. 

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Have you connected with Bobby Berk at all to chat about picking up the baton? 

No, I’ve never met Bobby before the show. I haven’t spoken to him. I have a tremendous amount of respect for what he did in the show. If anything, it's always just been about coming in and supporting this cast and being a good friend to them, and in some ways, reminding them of what they really do. This show in particular is real. You actually watch people walk into new versions of themselves. You watch people peel back things and reclaim parts of themselves that they had forgotten about. And that's because of the Fab Four, myself included now. But just giving them credit where credit's due and getting to sit back and watch them do what they do and show love through what they do, it was just the best.

Talk a bit about your first hero experience with former showgirl Paula in the premiere. You’re dipping your toes in, and it gets very emotional for you. 

Paula was such a magnanimous and spectacular personality, and so warm and kind. Nobody will argue with me, especially in this cast, that I am very type A when it comes to my work. I'm the one that's hanging every drape, every towel, every book placed, every rug, every furniture put into the position. So with this show, I was never worried about the work because I knew that I was going to put in the work. I cried the whole season because like I said, I love love. But there was a moment she came into the house and turned around to me and said, “Oh Jer, you did so good.” And I fell apart. This show is unique in the sense where as much as you give it, you get back. I reclaimed parts of myself in such big ways through my friendship with these other four and through the people we worked with, and Paula is one of them. She's magnificent. 

Related: Queer Eye drops first look at new Fab Five with Jeremiah Brent, sets season 9 premiere

What do you want audiences to know about filming these five-day transformations that are ultimately condensed down to like, 45 minutes of feel-good TV?

I want everybody to know that all five of us work our asses off, and that's the truth. We love what we do. I don't think people realize everybody is working around the clock to not only get to know somebody, but to extrapolate all the best parts of them so that we can try to be there to champion them on. And I want to remind people that the show is real. These are real relationships. These are five members of the queer community who have been on the forefront of so much change, and they still give it everything they have. I watched it every day. We laughed a lot, we cried a lot. We're just naughty enough, and I just had the best time.

What are you most excited for audiences to see this season?

I really think that this show articulates the best of humanity. I really believe it. The idea that no matter where you are, who you are, where you've been, where you're going, we can all help each other and learn from each other in some way, which is certainly what I felt. We are conduits for connection, which, as a member of the queer community, as a father, you couldn't ask for something more. This show is all about talking and remembering to talk to each other at a time where it might not be that simple, but it's never been more important. Karamo said something the other day; because it's a hard time, a lot of people are celebrating while a lot of people are mourning. And I think it's such an interesting thing to think about, and now more than ever, it's important for us to still show up to that kitchen table and have the tough conversations and to lead from a place of empathy and understanding, and that's what this show's about.

You guys are embarking on your first live tour. What can be expected?

There's going to be a lot of antics, a lot of surprises. Again, when I talk the idea of connection, as well as people may know my cast mates, we want to get out there and get to know you. We want to understand what people are going through, what they're excited about. We want to laugh, play, bring some joy to people. The show's going to be really fun. There's plenty of games, questions, audience interactions. There's surprises, prizes. Whenever the five of us get together, everything goes off the rails, so God only knows. Expect the unexpected.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Queer Eye season 9 drops Dec. 11 on Netflix.

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly