‘Queer Eye’s’ Karamo Brown Dishes on New Talk Show and His Passion for Helping Others

Since becoming the culture expert on Netflix’s critically acclaimed show Queer Eye in 2018, Karamo Brown has opened hearts and changed the lives of many. Now, the Emmy winning reality star is bringing his gifts to daytime television with his nationally syndicated talk show Karamo.

Airing weekdays, Brown wants to have tough conversations with guests and hopes to use the platform to unpack personal experiences. Myriad topics will be discussed including race, relationships, and infidelity.

“My show is all about everyday people,” he tells OFM. “For those who have watched my career, whether it be on Queer Eye or anything I’ve ever been on, my only goal is to help people and help them know that they can live better lives.”

Additionally, with the amount of success Queer Eye has received throughout the years, Brown is hoping the show can inspire the next generation of creators to reach their full potential.

He took some time to talk more about Karamo, his passion for helping others, and additional projects with OFM.

Hi, Karamo! How does it feel to finally launch your new talk show?

KB: It feels amazing! As someone who dreamed of this since being a child, it’s as if I entered the NBA. This is my NBA; this is my Super Bowl moment where I’m like, I worked for this. I’ve done the work; I’ve tried to ask for help, be kind, and now I feel like I’m in the right space at the right time to be able to help people and have fun five days a week. So, it just blows my mind that I was able to accomplish it. Growing up, I was poor; I didn’t have any money; I had struggles of people not accepting me as gay, and I have immigrant parents who didn’t know what was deserved for me because of the way the country treated them. Now to be living this dream, I’m like, anything’s possible.

For those who have not yet tuned in, what can viewers expect?

KB: As much as I love celebrity culture, my show is about everyday people. It’s about the things that I’m going through with my partner, my parents, my siblings, which is the same thing that so many of us are going through. My only ask is that when people come on my show, be vulnerable and talk about their challenges and feelings. That way, I can help and give them the tools they need to be better when they walk away. It doesn’t matter what socio-economic background you come from or what race you are; if you have an issue, I’m going to make sure that people at home can relate, but you’re going to walk away knowing that it can be better.

Can you tell us how Karamo initially came to fruition?

KB: Yeah, my mother and father met (laughs). I’m joking. Honestly, it’s because I have an amazing team behind me. I tell everyone, you have to thank the people that come with you and are helping you. Not just my friends and kids, but my publicist, agents, and everyone else who knew my dream, and they got me to guest host The Maury Povich Show around five times, and I thought it was amazing. It was my first time ever sitting in the seat, and I was like, this man has been on for 30 years.

Although our content is different; I don’t do what Maury does. The only thing that’s similar is that we both help or talk to regular people. The fact that I was able to sit in that seat, I was like, “Oh my gosh, I just hope the right people see me.” When I sat in his seat, I was able to keep his ratings, and in some cases, up the ratings. I was blown away, and I think that caught the right people’s attention. Then they came to me shortly afterwards and were like, “How about we do this with you?” And I said, “Hell yes!”

What are you personally hoping to take away from this experience?

KB: For me, it’s really about understanding that as I’m growing, other people can grow as well. It’s about me always making sure that I’m continuing to be as vulnerable as possible with my own life. One of the things that has been part of my success is that I’m an open book, I talk about everything. I’m going to be doing an episode very soon with my son Jason, and we’ll be talking about something in our own personal lives that we have never talked about.

I’m doing that because people may look at me and think, “Oh, he has his own talk show; everything’s great.” Like, no. I’ve been through some stuff as well with my own children and my own life. I’m excited to show the world my vulnerability and encourage people who come on my show to be even more vulnerable with me.

Are there any talk shows, past or present, that you regularly watch?

KB: Phil Donahue, Oprah Winfrey, Montel, and Rolonda. These shows are ones that I watched all the time because they were fun, but they dealt with real people. People forget that it was really Oprah that changed daytime talk to celebrity culture. Before that, she was just talking to everyday people about their issues. I wanted to make it where celebrity culture is great, but the more we see ourselves on TV, the better we’ll be. I kind of hope to swing that pendulum back within five to 10 years, and people are excited to see everyday people talking about what they’re going through.

Have you always had this desire to help others?

KB: Oh my gosh, yes. It was fueled by the fact that so many people helped me. Like I said, I grew up gay, Black, and with immigrant parents in the South. If it wasn’t for the kindness and love of people who saw me and wanted me to be better, who knows where I’d be. That was inspiring me to say, I’ve got to pay this forward, and I’ve got to give it back. So, that is what I do every moment whenever I have an opportunity. Pay it forward.

Of course, we see that passion shine through in every episode of Queer Eye. Is there anything you can tell us about the upcoming seventh season?

KB: I can say that we have a lot of fun, and we are expanding our heroes as well, which I love. There’s so much beauty in humanity, and there’s so many stories that haven’t been told. I’ve been a proponent for learning ASL and supporting the deaf community, and these are things I hope and pray will be highlighted in the next season.

What would you say is the best part about working with Antoni, Bobby, Tan, and Jonathan?

KB: Oh, there’s so much! I would say it’s just the fun we have. I think it’s about having people who you can bounce your ideas off of because they’re your peers and equals, but then you can also be super vulnerable with. It wasn’t until my 30s when I found my group of friends who I knew I could be vulnerable with. We could just literally sit around and talk, and now I have that not only with my personal group of friends, but with my TV family as well.

You also have a new children’s book that came out, I Am Okay to Feel, which you collaborated on with your son Jason. What’s the story behind this project?

KB: I’ll let Jason go ahead and take this one!

JB: My dad used to give me so many mantras growing up, and I think this is probably the best one because he was teaching me how to identify my feelings. Listen, growing up with Karamo as a dad wasn’t always the easiest (laughs). He was a bit strict, but he was a great parent, and whenever there was something going on, and I didn’t know how to express what I was feeling, he helped me out with it. So, this book is a way to give back and help others.

And how was it to work alongside your dad on this project?

JB: It was beautiful. Every time I get to work with my dad is always super, super special.

Karamo, what are some future goals you hope to accomplish with your career and platform?

KB: Right now, my main focus is to continue working on the talk show, make it better, and keep growing that platform because I hope to have a show that’s on for 10, 15, 20, 30 years. That is my hope, but right now, let’s make it through Season 1. I also hope to write more books. Some with my son, some on my own, and then I also have some political aspirations that kind of went away because of having Donald Trump in office. I was like, I think we’re done with people who are on TV being in office right now. So, I’m looking at how I can assist more with legislation that supports people’s rights and help them feel seen in this country.

Connect with Brown by following him on Twitter and Instagram @karamo. For more information and updates on The Karamo Show, visit karamoshow.com.

Photos courtesy of NBCUniversal/Syndication Studios