This Is The Queer Eye Makeover Jonathan Van Ness Regrets Most

Ever since the modern iteration of Queer Eye burst onto our screens in 2018, bubbly hairstylist Jonathan Van Ness has been transforming lovable schlubs into sleek gods and goddesses, always while imbuing his subjects with the requisite confidence required to pull off their new looks.

The frank and often hilarious reality star just wrapped up his first-ever stand-up comedy tour, The Road to Beijing, which saw Van Ness regaling audiences with funny tales from his childhood, demonstrating his impressive gymnastics prowess, and even educating them on the surprising correlation between U.S. politics and competitive roller skating.

Meanwhile, a New York Times interview coinciding with the release of his memoir, Over the Top, revealed the unflappable Fab Five fave has been silently battling with HIV for years. 

It seems Van Ness isn't done shocking us with massive revelations either, as a recent chat with Buzzfeed's AM to DM showcased (via YouTube). Sitting next to cast-mate Antoni Porowski, the incomparably chatty hairstylist was questioned about which, if any, of the Queer Eye makeovers he regrets most.

"Ted Terry," answered Van Ness immediately, referring to the subject of the second season's finale episode, a 30-year-old hipster mayor of a small Georgia town who revealed he'd been growing his impressive beard since Trump was elected president.  

Controversially, Van Ness shaves Terry clean during his makeover which, the proud beard aficionado now admits, he wasn't too on board with doing. "I'll be honest: I never wanted to take that beard off," he revealed. "I was very pro-beard. I was very pro–Resistance Beard."

Van Ness even hinted that producers might have forced his hand, telling AM to DM, "I definitely got my little arm twisted on that." Terry himself told CityLab last year, "The show really wanted a transformation," which is probably why he agreed to get shaved. 

However, the young mayor has since grown his facial hair back, though he promised to abide by Van Ness's grooming tips regardless. In response to the Queer Eye star's revelation, Terry tweeted, "Viva la #ResistanceBeard!"  

On the much-anticipated release of Over the Top, Van Ness told AM to DM it was, "Definitely a weight off my shoulders, but also a big wake up call as far as the amount of work that's still left to go, and the amount of education that still needs to be shared."

He pointed to the "pervasive" and "worldwide" stigma associated with those who are HIV positive, and hoped the book continues to expand on a much-needed conversation on the subject. 

Van Ness opened up to the New York Times about his previous struggles with drug addiction and sexual abuse, explaining he'd agonized over whether to come out publicly about his HIV positive status since gaining fame on Queer Eye.

With the show recently debuting its fourth season, quickly followed by a four-part special, We're In Japan!, on Netflix, the hairstylist and amateur figure skater felt the time was right to reveal himself as a "member of the beautiful HIV-positive community."

He explained, "I do feel the need to talk about this," particularly under the current administration which, as far as Van Ness is concerned, "... has done everything they can do to have the stigmatization of the LGBT community thrive around me." 

The reality star recently found himself at the center of controversy alongside his Queer Eye cast-mates when the show returned to his hometown of Quincy, Ill., for a special episode focusing on his beloved high school arts teacher, Cathy Dooley.

In an interview with The Guardian, Van Ness revealed how a local pastor organized protests over the Fab Five's visit. "He sent a letter to the newspaper that blasted the normalization of LGBT culture, and said we should not be rolling out the welcome mats at a public school," the hairstylist explained.

Rather than an isolated incident, Van Ness feels this is symptomatic of our turbulent times, admitting, "I don't think we've come as far as I wished and hoped that we had."

However, Van Ness credits all his hardships, including the HIV diagnosis, with preparing him to fight for what's right, acknowledging, "I absolutely do not think I'd have been as socially aware or conscious or want to make as much of a difference. It gave me a reason to really fight."