David Collins reflects on the new, hit edition of the show, why it works in a divisive climate and how they’ll shake things up again in the upcoming third season.
Fourteen years after it became one of the first reality shows (then a fledgling genre) to win an Emmy, Queer Eye again finds itself in awards contention — this time for its surprisingly well-received Netflix revival that has earned a flood of praise (and tears) for the new cast’s open-minded makeovers in red-state America. “I feel humble every day to realize this little idea from 15 years ago is having a real impact right now,” says creator David Collins, 51, who partnered with David George’s ITV America to reboot the long-dormant format at the streaming giant. “It means the world to me.”
Collins, on the ground in Kansas City, Missouri, to film a fast-tracked third season, caught up with THR to talk about his series’ evolving identity, shooting in Trump’s America and how — contrary to what some Twitter skeptics may believe — food expert Antoni Porowski really can cook.