Queer Eye star Tan France has said he believes the hit makeover show has inspired a trend for new “positive” reality television.
The subject is referred to as the “hero” of the episode, and the show aims to help them improve their lives while challenging prejudices they may have had about LGBTQ+ lifestyles.
France, originally from Doncaster and now based in Utah with his partner, told the Standard: “We hopefully remind people that we are way more similar than we are different, and we are encouraging people to talk and have conversations no matter how different we seem...Thankfully the younger generations are much more open minded than my generation was.
“Up until our show, the majority of the entertainment you would see, and I mean reality, was negative. It was vapid. People were seen being incredibly mean to each other - it was very much about negativity and aggression and that is what made for entertaining television. I think TV and entertainment is changing. Since Queer Eye came out, I have seen new shows coming out are really trying to put a positive spin on relationships, or trying to be more positive because they are seeing what a positive response people have had to our show.”
The star, who has 2.2 million followers on Instagram, spoke ahead of the launch of the show’s third series next month.
He revealed season three will see Queer Eye’s first lesbian “hero” feature in the upcoming season, filmed in Kansas City, Missouri.
He said: “Season three is even more diverse than season one and season two, and every season that we do I just hope that we get to represent more and more communities who are underrepresented.”
Queer Eye series 3 launches on Netflix on March 15