Emmy winner/ interior designer Bobby Berk has been gone from our screens for far too long! Since he left Queer Eye back in 2023, Berk has kept busy with various endeavors, including writing his book, Right at Home: How Good Design Is Good for the Mind. However, Berk has been waiting on the right project to jump back into reality TV. Enter WWE legend and all-around nice guy, John Cena with HGTV’s Junk or Jackpot? “He was at dinner one night talking with friends about a specific collection that he was going to get rid of part of because he wanted to fund the renovation and expansion of a different collection,” explained Berk. “He was like, ‘this is actually a really great idea for a show.’”
And who better to host than someone as experienced and versatile as Berk? “When John Cena asks you to host a show he’s created, you say ‘yes,’” said Berk with a laugh. The concept of the show also was appealing to Berk. “We come into these people’s lives when something that once was the heart and soul of their lives is starting to be the source of problems in their relationships or mental health issues,” said Berk. “The thing that brought them the most joy is the thing that is actually causing the most harm now.”
Luckily, Berk was prepared to help these clients with the emotional part of the renovation process. “We always say in the industry that we aren’t just designers, we’re marriage counselors,” said Berk. Berk knows that buying a home or renovating a space can cause “a lot of friction in relationships.” “I’m used to helping people meet in the middle and make compromises,” explained Berk. Berk also helps collectors get rid of some of their valuables to pay for a renovation or just free up space in their homes. “Saying goodbye to things that you’ve gotten a lot of pleasure from doesn’t have to be hard,” said Berk simply.
Berk stopped by the Decider studio to discuss his new series, share the most “challenging” client he has worked with, and reveal the one item he used to collect himself.
DECIDER: I saw that John Cena is an Executive Producer on Junk or Jackpot and that he handpicked you to host the show! How did he get in touch with you? Did you need much convincing to sign on?
BOBBY BERK: This show was totally his brainchild. He’s not only an EP on the show; he also created the show. He was at dinner one night talking with friends about a specific collection that he was going to get rid of partially because he wanted to fund the renovation and expansion of a different collection. He was like, “this is actually a really great idea for a show helping people whose collections have gone overboard to get them under control or take them in a new direction.”He started talking to his team at WME. I’m also with WME, and he was a fan of Queer Eye, so he’s like, “I want Bobby to host it.” Our people reached out to each other. When John Cena asks you to host a show he’s created, you say “yes.” [laughs].
The concept of Junk or Jackpot? is so fun! It’s like all the HGTV shows you love plus King of Collectibles. Were you purposefully trying to find a reality TV project that is unlike your previous series?
I think the show is similar to Queer Eye in the sense that it is about helping people. Renovation shows are great, but they’re not always about helping a specific problem that’s going on in somebody’s life. The thing about Junk or Jackpot? is that we come into people’s lives when something that once was their heart and soul is starting to be the cause of problems in their relationships or the cause of mental health issues. The thing that brought them the most joy is the thing that is actually causing the most harm now.
It was an honor to be able to come in and help them get their collections under control and help them put the spark back into what they love so much so that the thing is no longer a burden. It was really important to me to do a design show that was truly helping people emotionally as well. I have a book called Right at Home: How Good Design Is Good For The Mind, and it’s all about mental health and design. I want people to see that when you change up your home, you really can change your life and your relationships. Design has a huge impact on who you are.
You are not only the host and the designer, but you are also a kind of therapist for your clients. How did you handle that unexpected role?
We always say in the industry that we aren’t just designers, we’re marriage counselors. It’s something that I’ve been used to for years. There’s a lot of stress that goes into renovating a home or buying a new home. There are so many choices and decisions that must be made, in addition to all the financial stuff. That can cause a lot of friction in relationships. As a designer, I’ve been in the middle of some of those fights. I’m used to helping people meet in the middle and make compromises. [Laughs] This was just another day at the office for me.
While some may call your clients’ possessions “junk,” you treat their collections with respect because getting rid of things you love is hard! Was it important for you to lead with kindness during this process?
Absolutely. One of the things that I said from the start was, “I don’t want to go into this making people feel ashamed for their collections.” I didn’t want people to feel self-conscious about that ways that their collections had begun to affect their lives in a negative way. I wanted to celebrate their collections because their collections are really things that bring them joy, but what I did want to help them figure out is how to make their collection a harmonious part of their life, instead of something that was controlling their life.
I love that the collectors give you their budget, you give them your dream budget, and then they are given the option to sell some of their items to make up the difference. Why is this such a great incentive?
If I went in and I was like, “okay, I’m paying for everything,” the collectors wouldn’t get rid of anything! [Laughs] Also, this wasn’t about making people get rid of everything. This experience was about teaching them that you can let go of some things and still love your collection. It was a really good exercise for them to learn the value of their possessions, which sometimes makes it a bit easier to part with certain items. Saying goodbye to things that you’ve gotten a lot of pleasure from doesn’t have to be hard.
I wanted them to learn to treat their collection as almost an art collection. They can rotate things in and out, sell some things, and bring in new things. It was important to me that they rediscover the joy of their collection instead of viewing it as something overwhelming and all-consuming.
In the premiere, we see you honestly change the lives of Patrick and his partner, Roger. Were all your clients as willing to change as Patrick was?
No, no they weren’t. Some were a little more difficult [laughs]. In the end, I think we all ended up where we needed to be. But yeah, some collectors dug their heels in a little bit more than Patrick.
I thought Patrick had a really special collection, but there wasn’t a lot of crossover between the Disney memorabilia and the pinball machines. Was it easy for you to identify what needed to go and what should stay?
The pinball machines were taking over their entire home [laughs]! Patrick’s condo had a good amount of space, but it didn’t have huge amounts of space. 50% of his living room was taken up by pinball machines! Those were obviously the first thing that needed to go.
In the trailer, we see some of the collections that we will see over the course of the season, including Wonder Woman memorabilia, vinyl records, etc. Which collection was the most daunting to tackle as a designer?
Vivian’s Wonder Woman collection because it wasn’t just one thing. The record collection all fit in square cubes. I knew exactly what to do with them. But Vivian’s collection had everything from tiny little figures to underwear to comic books. There was not one real cohesive way to display it. We just had to just go all out and display it as well as we could. Vivian was also the collector who was the least willing to part with things, so that made things a bit more challenging.
Do you personally have a collection?
Years ago, I used to collect vintage thermoses, but only because I love the patterns from the ’60s and ’70s. I was using them as inspiration for new products like wallpaper and bedding.
And where are they now?
Gone with the wind [laughs]. I don’t know.
So, you would describe yourself as a minimalist?
Absolutely [laughs]. I don’t collect many things.