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After nearly a decade of helping others open up on Queer Eye, Antoni Porowski is reflecting on how much the hit Netflix series and the heroes who’ve shared their lives have changed him.

Antoni Porowski on vulnerability, ‘Queer Eye,’ and sexual health

“When I joined the show, I remember telling the showrunners, ‘I’m not talking about my sexuality or my family. We’re just gonna make food and that’s it,'” Porowski tells Showbiz Cheat Sheet with a laugh. “But then we met these heroes who opened their homes and hearts and brains and their histories and all of their wounds to you. You can’t make it a one-way street; it has to be a conversation.”

That spirit of openness has become a defining theme in Porowski’s own life. The Queer Eye food and wine expert, 41, says the series helped him become more comfortable discussing topics that once felt off-limits, including his sexuality and sexual health. “I knew that there was always a possibility that I would end up with a guy … It was something that wasn’t linear,” the Canadian TV personality explains. Porowski has dated both men and women over the years, with his past few relationships involving men.

Porowski believes that communication and curiosity are keys to growth, whether in relationships, friendships, or personal well-being. He cites community and connection for giving him “peace and safety.” “Connecting with friends, seeing my therapist, speaking to my physician about options like PrEP — it’s all about being proactive,” he continued. “The more we talk about things, the less precious and scary they become.”

PrEP, a medication that helps prevent HIV, is one of the tools Porowski wants more people to feel comfortable discussing with their doctors. “Sexual health is definitely under the same umbrella for me as the importance of community, especially these days,” he says. “I think the more that we have those conversations, the less precious it becomes.”

Still, vulnerability hasn’t always come easy. “I’ve been a pathological people pleaser with my own abandonment issues,” Porowski admits. However, he has learned that after a few times of being honest, you realize it’s not that scary. “I’m not gonna pass out from sharing that I’m upset about something,” he elaborated. “And the same goes for speaking about sexual health.”

Porowski reflects on 10 seasons of ‘Queer Eye’ and future projects

That willingness to keep showing up, even when conversations feel awkward, mirrors the lessons Porowski has witnessed across 10 seasons of Queer Eye. “We’ve had the same sitting president that we had season 1 as we do season 10,” he says. “As terrifying as that is, while we were in DC, we were able to have conversations with a lot of people who are doing a lot of amazing things for advocacy.”

Porowski says they reminded him that “progress isn’t linear,” comparing it to grief and healing. “We’re gonna take two steps forward, one step back, or one step forward, two steps back,” he says. “But we’re still moving in the same direction.” The upcoming season, which Porowski expects will premiere in 2026, is an “emotional one,” he teases.

Outside of Queer Eye, Porowski is continuing his storytelling through food. His National Geographic series No Taste Like Home explores cultural identity and connection through cuisine — a theme he hopes to keep expanding. (You can catch No Taste Like Home on Disney+.)

Personally, he’s finding grounding in nature. “As much as I’m a city boy, born and raised, I have my sights set on balancing life with growing my own stuff,” the cookbook author says. “Being a little bit more of a man of the land, and balancing that out with being in the city.” Porowski credits “community and nature” as the two things that have helped him connect to his true identity, sexually and otherwise.

Learn more about sexual health and HIV prevention options, including PrEP, by visiting Healthysexuals.com and discussing these choices with your doctor.

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