Their Secret Sauce?

Netflix Original ‘Queer Eye’ is back with season three — and it continues to pack a punch.

While still headlined by the Fab Five, this time Netflix Original Queer Eye pulls the focus back to the heroes it features. It’s not to say that the show intentionally veered away from discussion on overarching social issues, but the show has managed to strike gold in the balancing act between talking about today’s societal problems and highlighting the importance of telling a personal story to a listening audience.

The show does an even better job of interlacing these two seemingly polar topics. The format changes with each succeeding season are minimal at best. We got more self-care tips in the last two seasons compared to the current one — but in season three, we notably get more stories that resonate.

So, it doesn’t come as a big surprise that people come back to watch the show, but we wanted to dig deeper into the process.

SUPREME: It seems like you’re all so open and that it’s something you just carry around with you everywhere you go. Where do you guys get the energy? How do you all connect so well with the people you meet on the show?

JONATHAN VAN NESS: I think that my energy is really something that I carry with me. I don’t know — people ask me, how do you stay so positive? I don’t know! I just try not to burn out on both ends.

ANTONI POROWSKI: Jonathan is very good at multitasking!

(The conversation is jumbled on the line, everyone is laughing and talking at the same time.)

JONATHAN VAN NESS: I just can’t help it! Um, yeah. I forgot what I was saying! (Laughs) 

“I think the heroes we get to interact with bring us all different experiences,” says Jonathan. “There’s so much we’ve learned from each person.”

It’s a given that you all have your respective expertise. We’re curious — are there new things you get to learn on the show? And do you guys try to enrich yourself before each season to apply during the shoot and the makeovers?

JONATHAN: I think we try to keep it pretty fluid. I think the heroes we get to interact with bring us all different experiences. I think they’ve all taught us things about, you know, the role they play in their families. There’s so much we’ve learned from each person. I think Jody (from Season 3, Episode 1), like, taught us that it’s important to be open to people’s compliments — you know, it’s important to be open to people’s gratitude and be able to hear that.

What were some of the most challenging moments in the show?

TAN FRANCE: There’d be many (difficult moments) for my part of the show because there’ll be a person who doesn’t like certain colors or a certain fit, which are the ones that are, I guess, the ones we would have wanted to put them in and that’s where they get stuck in a rut, because they (can be initially very strict on what they will or won’t wear). Every person’s body shape is different, and there are so many variables. The majority of our makeovers are quite difficult.

ANTONI: I would say that kind of like a recurring challenge was something that was really showcased beautifully with Jess (Season 3, Episode 5). Not beautifully, but very clearly. I feel like, when we came in, we saw her as this strong independent woman who’s overcome such adversity but she didn’t see herself as that — at all. And I think that was just a reminder that the way we view people is very often not the way that they view themselves. Yeah — it was just a reminder to always lead with kindness and positivity and to really focus in on the positives! ‘Cause we’re there to fix a lot of things that we have expertise in, but we also have to remind them of all the amazing things that they already have going on in their lives.

TAN: Hey! You smart, beautiful boy!

(We all laugh as Tan repeats this several times while laughing, too.) 

JONATHAN: Whaaat?

TAN: You smart, beautiful boy! 

ANTONI: Are you telling me I’m beautiful, because I don’t think that I’m beautiful, Tannie?

TAN: Yes!

ANTONI: (Talking to us again) I need Tan to remind me 10 times a day that I’m beautiful!

The interview was quick. We did ask about the Jones BBQ sauce recipe from Episode 3 and if Antoni had figured it out yet (to which he replied — sadly — no). We may never get that recipe, but what’s clear from our short conversation is that Queer Eye has all the ingredients it needs to concoct a great show. At the heart of the series is a genuine connection between all the people involved. The sauce for this show, I’d say, isn’t so secret: it’s in the Fab Five as individuals and as a group, and it’s in the heroes they feature, as well as the stories they have to tell.

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Queer Eye season three is now on Netflix.