'Queer Eye' Season 5: Fab Five helps Tyreek Wanamaker reunite with the woman who raised him
The focus of Episode 4 is 27-year-old Philadelphia's Fishtown native Tyreek Wanamaker. Tyreek was homeless while growing up but poverty did not make him stray over to the dark side. He was nominated for a makeover on the show by his boss and longtime mentor Christina and 'brother from another mother' Tommy. The latter describes Tyreek as the "most lovable person" who loves helping people and the community.
In a confessional, Tyreek admitted that growing up was a hard experience and the people who stood by his side made a huge impact on him and so he tries to help others now and give back as much as possible. One of the most important people in his life was his family friend Ruth who took him in when he was a baby and raised him till he was 11 years of age. Tyreek misses Ruth and a sense of family that she gave him. The Fab Five help him reconnect with his mother-like figure Ruth and show him that "he's indeed the man that he's always known he could be".
The cause of their separation according to Tyreek was an argument between them post which he wrote that he wished death upon Ruth, in his journal. He thought that was why Ruth sent him to stay with his biological mother but that is not it. The state made her choose between Tyreek and her grandson that was in foster care and she had to take the latter out of the system and that was why Tyreek was sent away. Things with his biological mother weren't easy. His brother killed someone leading to his mother fearing retaliation and that resulted in the entire family's dispersal.
After that, he spent years on the street and slept in sheds, abandoned houses and vehicles. However, he stayed in college and worked towards bettering his community, including handing out food to the homeless and organizing and participating in cleanliness drives. Ruth brought him up with a lot of affection and created a nurturing space for him and that is how he was still able to have compassion for people. He now was stable and had an apartment and a job where he thought the art of writing to children but what he was lacking was the confidence that he is good and he is enough.
Apart from giving him and his home, a makeover, the Fab Five also successfully broke the barriers between Ruth and Tyreek who cleared their misunderstanding over lunch wherein the latter made Ruth's signature crab boil. He had mentioned to Karamo that he needs to know if Ruth still loves him and he did get the answer he was expecting and happiness wrote itself all over his face and he finally came to terms with the fact that he was a good person who's loved.
'Queer Eye' Season 5 is now streaming on Netflix.