Bobby Berk is headlining his own show on HGTV, which premieres on December 26. Ahead of the debut of “Junk or Jackpot?,” the “Queer Eye” alum admitted that one moment in particular really shocked him while filming.
The ‘Queer Eye’ Alum Was Truly Stunned at Times
Berk talked with the Los Angeles Times about his new series. Fans who know Berk from his days on “Queer Eye” know he is not one to hide his reactions, or to mince words.
However, Berk admitted that one of the people he worked with on “Junk or Jackpot?” truly did leave him speechless.
“Junk or Jackpot?” features Berk visiting homes in Los Angeles where the homeowners have collections that are fully out of control. He works with the homeowners to pare down their excessive collections and renovate the space.
HGTV viewers will see pinball machines, action figures, and marionettes, along with one home filled with trading cards.
Berk told the Los Angeles Times that at in one instance, a collector revealed one of his trading cards had a stunning value. The card had been appraised for around $100,000.
“I’m pretty sure I said, ‘What the [expletive]?’ though I assume it was bleeped because it’s HGTV,” Berk revealed.
Berk joked that while filming that particular episode, he knows he said the full expletive. “I’m used to Netflix, where I could say what I wanted,” of his days on “Queer Eye.” He figures that HGTV is less laid back in that sense.
He also admitted the client’s revelation about the card’s value was “just crazy to me.”
Bobby Berk Wanted to Help Families Find Joy on a Minimal Budget
While Berk is his typical excitable self in “Junk or Jackpot?,” he also has to deal with serious issues at times. He shared that in one case, one partner had moved out of the house about a week prior to filming. His partner’s collection had simply become too much.
“Obviously, I’m not a therapist. I’m a designer, even though in our field, we often make the joke that we’re not just designers, we’re marriage counselors.”
Berk explained that for all of the families he worked with, the collections that used to bring joy had become the center of conflict and negativity. “I wanted to come in and really bring back the joyous part of their collection,” Berk explained of his goal.
The show filmed specifically in Los Angeles, a detail that was important to Berk.
“We were really lacking for entertainment jobs here in the city so that was a big plus for me to be able to bring jobs here to L.A. to all of our amazing crews,” he explained.
Another part of the show that is somewhat unique, Berk noted, is “The homeowners are the ones footing the bill for this, because again, a portion of this is the exercise of letting go.”
Berk added, “I wanted to make sure we made budget-conscious decisions…You can do a thing like micro cement and you can completely change it for a minimal cost.”
