Bobby Berk facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bobby Berk
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|---|---|
Berk in 2020
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| Born |
Houston, Texas, U.S.
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| Occupation |
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| Television | Queer Eye |
| Spouse(s) |
Dewey Do
(m. 2012) |
Bobby Berk is an American interior designer, TV star, and writer. He is well-known for being the interior design expert on the Netflix show Queer Eye for its first eight seasons. He has won one Primetime Emmy Award and been nominated four other times.
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Bobby Berk's Early Life
Bobby Berk was born in Houston, Texas. His maternal aunt and her husband, Connie and Jerry Berk, adopted him. He grew up in Mount Vernon, Missouri, which is in the middle of Amish farm country.
Growing Up in Missouri
Bobby has shared that it was tough growing up as a gay person in the "Bible Belt" area. He also attended an Assemblies of God church. He faced challenges because of his identity during his childhood.
Starting Out on His Own
Bobby left home when he was fifteen years old. He moved to Springfield, Missouri. He found a job at Applebee's in Branson. During this time, he sometimes slept in his car or stayed with friends. He drove home for school during his sophomore year. He then attended Kickapoo High School for his junior year. After that, he worked as a telemarketer for MCI Communications. Through this job, he met his biological father for the first time. Just before he turned eighteen, he moved to Denver, Colorado. There, he got a job at the Bombay Company.
Bobby Berk's Career Journey
In 2003, Bobby Berk moved to New York City. He worked at stores like Restoration Hardware and Bed Bath & Beyond. Later, he joined Portico, a company that sold fancy home furnishings. Even without a high school diploma or special training, he worked hard. He eventually became the creative director at Portico.
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Starting His Own Business
After Portico closed, Bobby started his own online store in 2006. It was called Bobby Berk Home. A year later, he opened his first physical store in SoHo, Manhattan. He opened more stores in Midtown Miami, Florida in 2010 and Midtown Atlanta, Georgia. Later, he started Bobby Berk Interiors + Design. This company focuses on interior design services. Its main office is in Downtown Los Angeles.
Becoming a TV Personality
Bobby has appeared on many TV channels. These include HGTV, NBC, CBS, and Bravo. Through his businesses, Bobby Berk also has his own collections. These include wallpaper, furniture, and art.
In 2018, Bobby Berk became a star on the Netflix reality show Queer Eye. He was the expert for interior design. While on Queer Eye, he appeared in Taylor Swift's music video for "You Need to Calm Down" with his castmates.
Leaving Queer Eye and New Projects
In 2023, Bobby announced he would leave Queer Eye after its eighth season. This season aired in January 2024. He explained his decision when the season came out. He had already planned his next projects. So, he chose not to sign a new contract. This happened after Netflix decided to renew Queer Eye a year after their first contracts ended in 2022.
In 2021, Bobby competed on The Masked Singer in season six. He was the wild card contestant known as "Caterpillar." He was eliminated in the semi-finals.
In 2022, Bobby received an honorary degree. It was a Doctor of Fine Arts from Otis College of Art and Design. In July 2025, HGTV announced that Bobby Berk will star in his own TV series. The show is called Junk or Jackpot? and is set to premiere later in 2025.
Bobby Berk's Personal Life
Bobby Berk and his husband, Dewey Do, met online in 2004. Dewey Do is a maxillofacial surgeon. They got married in 2012 as soon as it was legal for them to do so. In July 2018, the couple moved to Los Angeles, California. They had lived in New York City for over ten years before that. In 2023, they started living part-time in Portugal. They live there with their dog, Bimini, whom they adopted in 2021.
Supporting Important Causes
Bobby Berk supported Elizabeth Warren in the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries.
On June 23, 2020, Bobby Berk and his Queer Eye co-star Jonathan Van Ness praised some important court decisions. These decisions ruled that it was against the law to discriminate against LGBT people in jobs. This was based on the Civil Rights Act of 1964. However, both of them still encouraged the United States Congress to pass the proposed Equality Act. Bobby said this act would change the Civil Rights Act. It would help extend healthcare and housing rights to more people.
Bobby Berk's TV Appearances
Bobby Berk has appeared in several TV shows:
- Queer Eye (2018–2024) – He was a main cast member for 58 episodes.
- Nailed It! (2018) – He was in the episode "3, 2, 1...Ya Not Done!!"
- Lip Sync Battle (2019) – Season 5, Episode 1.
- Big Mouth (2019) – Season 3.
- Alexa & Katie (2019) – Part 3, Episode 8.
- Miss Americana (2020) – A documentary.
- The Masked Singer (2021) – He was the "Caterpillar" contestant in Season 6.
- Blown Away (2021) – He was a guest judge and host.
- Hell's Kitchen (2023) – He was a guest diner for the Red Team.
Awards and Nominations
Bobby Berk has been recognized for his work, especially for Queer Eye.
- He has been nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program four times (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023).
- He won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Structured Reality Program in 2023 for Queer Eye.
- He was also nominated for the same award in 2024.
See also
In Spanish: Bobby Berk para niños
