Queer Eye's food and wine expert Antoni reveals who he thought was the toughest to transform in season 1

The food and wine expert, Antoni, admitted that getting through to Neal was extremely challenging, especially because he found it hard to make eye contact when talking.
UPDATED FEB 6, 2020
(L-R) Bobby Berk, Karamo Brown, Tan France, Antoni Porowski, and Jonathan Van Ness (Source: Getty Images)
(L-R) Bobby Berk, Karamo Brown, Tan France, Antoni Porowski, and Jonathan Van Ness (Source: Getty Images)

It’s time to stock up on some Kleenex boxes, because the Fab 5 are back with season 2 of ‘Queer Eye.’
With something to look forward to, it doesn’t hurt to look back a little. Digital Spy sat down with Antoni Porowski, the food and wine expert, for a little chat about who he thought was the toughest transformation of season 1.

Hope you all remember Neal Reddy from episode 2. He had a rather long beard, slouchy posture, and had an adorable dog named Forever, who also happened to be one of the only other living creatures to roam the floors of the apartment in almost 10 years. Antoni opened up about why he thought Neal was one of the most challenging transformations yet. He told Digital Spy that he had to work extremely hard to get through to Neal.

He said: "He wouldn't engage in any eye contact with us when we first met, would not look us in the eye. I thought it was an act at first... But then I realized, 'Wow, this is how he functions in the world.'" He added: "So, to see that transformation occur during the week, for his posture to change and his shoulders drop and for him to look us in the eye and be really affectionate and sweet. I want to remember that for every single person that we meet. They're all vulnerable, compassionate and kind and ready for a change, but with Neal, at least for me, he really affected me."

In an interview with Buzzfeed, Jonathan Van Ness – the grooming expert, said, “I've never washed someone's hair and given that gorgeous of a head massage and had their legs be, like, bolt outright. He was literally so nervous. No one was hard to work with though."

The king of culture Karamo said: "If you just change the outside without fixing the inside, then of course you're just going to go back to your bad habits. But when your heart is changed, your soul is changed, your mindset has changed, then you can have long-lasting change that sustains."

The Fab 5 truly do care, and they sure are successful in creating meaningful changes in people’s lives. It was truly remarkable to see Neal transform into a confident man who embodied the spirit of a young creative professional. Watching him become the person who projected his warmth by greeting every person at the door with a hug from a person who could barely make eye contact and his behind jokes and facial hair was definitely worth an entire box of tissues.

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