Chef Stuart O’Keeffe revealed on his podcast “Don’t Let It Stu” that he was originally cast as part of the Fab Five for Netflix’s “Queer Eye” reboot, alongside Jonathan Van Ness, Karamo Brown, Tan France, and Bobby Berk, to handle the culinary aspects before being replaced by Antoni Porowski. O’Keeffe claimed he was informed he didn’t get the part due to having too much prior experience, a decision he found out through Instagram, describing the way he was informed as “really shitty.”
Chef Stuart O’Keeffe claims he was originally cast for Netflix’s “Queer Eye” but was replaced by Antoni Porowski, finding out via Instagram and receiving what he considered a “lame excuse” for the change.
So, picture this: Stuart O’Keeffe almost became a part of the Fab Five on Netflix’s *Queer Eye*. Yeah, you heard that right. He spilled the beans on his podcast, “Don’t Let It Stu,” about how he was this close to snagging a spot. Imagine, O’Keeffe and Antoni Porowski, battling it out for the culinary spotlight. Wild, right?
O’Keeffe, only 33, was all set to dive into Netflix’s reboot. He was going to be the one whipping up magic in the kitchen, not Porowski, who’s 39. But then, bam! A month rolls by, and our guy hasn’t heard a peep about a contract or filming dates.
Here’s where it gets juicy. O’Keeffe’s chatting with the others, right? And they’re all, “Yeah, we got our contracts.” And he’s sitting there like, “What’s the deal?” Fast forward to a dinner that Tan France mysteriously skips, and O’Keeffe’s alarm bells are ringing. He’s thinking, “Something’s fishy.”
Next thing you know, O’Keeffe’s back at Netflix, thinking it’s another audition. But nope, he’s out of the Fab Five, and Porowski’s in. Netflix kept mum about the whole switcheroo. Classic, huh?
O’Keeffe didn’t even bump into Porowski during the switch. He says they all got along great, except JVN was kind of doing his own star thing, and Tan was… well, Tan was being Tan.
Then, the kicker: O’Keeffe finds out he’s been replaced through Instagram. Talk about a slap in the face. He thought he was perfect for the gig, especially since he’d worked with the production company before. But nope, his agent breaks it to him that he’s done “too much stuff.” Sounds like a cop-out, doesn’t it?
Fast forward, and Porowski’s been the “food guy” since *Queer Eye* hit Netflix in 2018. Meanwhile, the show’s seen its share of drama, especially with Bobby Berk dipping out after season 7. Rumors of behind-the-scenes tension were flying, and then JVN got accused of creating a toxic environment. Drama, drama, drama.
So, there you have it. O’Keeffe’s wild ride with *Queer Eye*, a tale of what could’ve been. Makes you wonder how different the show would’ve been with him in the mix, huh?
