11 hours ago
Could Tom Daley be Part of a Fab *SIX* on 'Queer Eye?'
Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 2 MIN.
Olympic gold medalist Tom Daley dropped into the comments of an Insta post from "Queer Eye" fashion pro Tan France to suggest the show could use a "workout expert" - namely, himself - and France was all for it.
"A sneak peek at what's to come on Season9," France captioned the post, which included a teaser for the Netflix series' ninth season.
France is shown in the clip standing next to new series addition Jeremiah Brent, who replaces OG cast member Bobby Berk as the show's interior design expert this season. "Even our cast has changed," the clip notes.
"We cannot wait for you to fall in love with our beautiful Vegas heroes," France's post says.
Daley - who took the gold for a men's diving competition in 2020 in Tokyo, and came out of retirement to compete one last time in last summer's Olympics in Paris, winning a silver medal - jumped into the comments section, writing, "Call when you need a workout expert ;)"
Replied France: "@tomdaley just come along for a season. The heroes will be overjoyed!"
So would viewers, if the other responses to Daley's suggestion are any indication.
"@tomdaley oh YESSS 😇," one fan exclaimed.
"@tomdaley please make this happen!!" another cried in excitement.
"@tomdaley this would be everything! Yes!" a third chimed in.
Neither Daley nor France would actually be in charge of such casting decisions, of course - something that France pointed out in the wake of Berk leaving the show and Brent replacing him. Rumors circulated that France had maneuvered to oust Berk and install Brent, who already had established himself in the reality TV universe with a show of his own.
However, France pushed back on those rumors, posting on Instagram that "My former colleague getting fired had nothing to do with me trying to get my friend hired."
Brent has spoken out in the months leading up to the Season 9 premiere, saying there was "no drama" to taking up the interior design mantle on the show. Later, he recalled that filming his inaugural "Queer Eye" season had been a "beautiful" experience.
Netflix has embraced Brent as a new cast member, placing him prominently in promotional materials for the new season. It seems that signs point to fan acceptance of the newcomer, as well.
Season 9 of "Queer Eye" comes to Netflix on Dec. 11.
Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.