MADISON MEEKS
Editor-in-Chief
mvm7037@psu.edu

There is a new face to the hit Netflix reality lifestyle show! Season 9, which was announced in January, brings a new face to the cast after Bobby Berk announced that he was leaving last year. Berk opened up about leaving the show after filming season 8 of the show in New Orleans. Season 8 ended the cast seven-cycle contract through September 2022.

Season 8 was supposed to be the last season of the show for the Fab Five, which consists of Berk, Tan France, Karamo Brown, Antoni Porowski, and Jonthan Van Ness. But Netflix decided to renew the show for season 9, and Berk decided not to renew his contract for the show.

He stated after filming his last two seasons in New Orleans that he had emotionally and mentally put the show behind him. Once he was done with the show, he started planning other things for his career. He had thought that his castmates had felt the same. The Fab Five were offered to come back to the show, and while Berk had not signed the new contract, the rest of his co-stars did. Berk stated, “We’d just assumed that the show wouldn’t come back if we all didn’t come back. I was like, ‘I’m not going to be having FOMO because the show is not going to happen.’ I had become at peace with it.” 

On Tuesday, Netflix announced Berk’s replacement as the interior designer on the show. Interior designer Jeremiah Brent will be joining the cast in Las Vegas for season 9. Brent, who is married to interior designer Nate Berkus, has the HGTV series “Nate and Jeremiah by Design.” Netflix has not released when the show will start filming the new season or when it will be released. All eight seasons are available to watch on Netflix.