7 Reasons Jonathan From Queer Eye Is The BFF We All Deserve
A remake of a noughties classic, Queer Eye burst back on to our screens in early February. An emotional and joyous rollercoaster, the show's five hosts - affectionately known as the Fab Five - are a collective of life coaches, each with their own superpower to help men revamp their lives. Jonathan Van Ness, the Groomer of the series, became an overnight success. One of the ways you could describe Jonathan is if Mary Poppins was real, a man and a master of hairspray and one-liners.
Considering the state of the world, Jonathan is the person we need on our screens right now. Fun, uplifting, emotional, charming and kind with a glimmer of sassiness, Jonathan is our ideal BFF and it's not for any old reason:
1. Shamazing hair
What do Chris Hemsworth, David Beckham, and Jesus all have in common? They've all had long hair. All great prolific leaders have long manes of hair so if anything Jonathan is Queer Eyes' Hercules. A hair stylist by trade, Jonathan believes in the power of hair so much that he encourages you to talk to it.
2. He isn't just relying on Queer Eye to get his message of fabulousness out into the world
If you haven't watched Gay Of Thrones, the Funny Or Die Youtube series were Jonathan cuts peoples hair and unpacks the megalithic Game Of Thrones, then you haven't been living.
The concept for Gay of Thrones began when Jonathan, styling a clients hair, began to passionately discuss his joy in referring to Daenerys as Christina Aguilera or Yara Greyjoy as Lena Denham. Starting from season three of GOT, the show is turned around in 24 hours with it's editing and producing resulting in it being nominated for a PrimeTime Emmy. It's not the end of the show now Jonathan's on Queer Eye. Jonathan will be back to shoot every episode of the final series.
3. He appreciates Derry Girls just as much as we do
A couple of weeks ago Nicola Caughlan, aka Claire from Derry Girls, posted a fangirl moment on Instagram that stole our hearts. Fed up with not being able to buy the merchandise she needed, Claire made her very own Jonathan jumper.
After Nicola posted the Instagram, Jonathan was so moved by Nicola's love that he shared a teary-eyed post:
4. Jonathan loves practicing self-care and so should we
Suffering from psoriasis for years, Jonathan knows what it's like to feel self-conscious about your body and continues to be a massive addition to the body positivity movement. Jonathan manages his psoriasis by using steroid cream and decided to give an eff you to feeling bad about yourself by posting a stunning topless nude on Instagram with the caption: "Sickeningly Gorge, I left my psoriasis & my body unretouched, why should I dim my shine henny? ? The moment was inspiring for fans who posted comments under the photo in their droves how inspirational Jonathan is for refusing to let his condition define his confidence and for smashing stigma around psoriasis.
5. His favourite shows include the Great British Bake Off, Downton Abbey, and Broad City
Does bad taste exist in this mans vocabulary? Speaking of vocabulary...
6. Can you believe the endless catchphrases and sayings he's introduced into our lives?
"Spray, delay, walk away", "Yes, balance!", "Yes, symmetry!", "fiercedom honey", "right now you're giving me...", "second-day hair" and "Don't dim your shine" is just of the lines we're taking with us into the real world - friends and family, be prepared for my glow up.
7. He presents the podcast we all need
Not just a person to focus on the exterior, Jonathan's podcast provides an in-depth thought-provoking look at the problems of the world. Guests and chats include everything from chronic pain, opioids, artificial intelligence, what white people need to know about racism and the Armenian genocide. To listen to the Getting Curious podcast click here.