The Living Room's Dr Chris Brown alongside Queer Eye's Jonathan Van Ness. Photo / Supplied
The Living Room's Dr Chris Brown alongside Queer Eye's Jonathan Van Ness. Photo / Supplied
One of the hosts of the revamped version of The Living Room has responded to claims the show is a "rip-off" of Queer Eye.
The hosting line-up is unchanged but the rest of the Channel 10 show has had huge a makeover with the new and improved season set tokick off on TV tonight at 7.30pm.
Promos for The Living Room have been airing over the past few weeks and viewers couldn't help but notice the striking similarities to Netflix's hit show, Queer Eye.
The new Living Room format looks identical to Queer Eye... They’re even marketing it as ‘The Fab Four are back!’
Jonathan Van Ness, Tan France, Antoni Porowski, Bobby Berk and Karamo Brown or Queer Eye. Photo / Getty Images
Speaking to news.com.au, Dr Chris Brown said there are "undoubtedly" some similarities between the new version of The Living Room and Queer Eye.
"We kind of gave it away when they call us the 'Fab Four' in the promo," Brown told news.com.au. "I'm pretty sure Queer Eye use the 'Fab Five', so that's probably what they're referencing.
"Undoubtedly I think there are some similarities there. We just don't have the fashion guy, and trust me, given the amount of double-denim that Barry Du Bois is trying to get away with these days, we do desperately need a fashion guy."
Just like Queer Eye, each episode of The Living Room will now focus on one individual or one family, with each of the hosts helping them out in a variety of areas.
"It's a more cohesive team effort," Brown told news.com.au. "We still work in our passion areas, but at the same time we're crossing over and helping each other out."
The new format will see Brown having to help Du Bois with renovation projects, which he admitted are way out of his comfort zone.
"The last DIY I tried to attempt on Barry's advice was my shower screen which had a leaking seal," Brown said. "He said it would take me 20 minutes and it would be easy."
Spoiler: it took way longer.
"It took me seven trips to Bunnings and eventually I managed to get the shower screen off the frame and took it outside and I dropped it onto the ground. It went from being one decent shower screen to four million tiny pieces of glass," Brown told news.com.au. "I spent the next week trying to retrieve bits of glass from my backyard.
"I like to think I'm the everyman – if I can actually achieve anything in a renovation on The Living Room, then rest assured every man, woman, and child at home can do it as well."
In each season of Queer Eye, the Fab Five operate out of a base known as the 'Queer Eye Loft'. And The Living Room has taken a similar approach this year, with the team setting up shop inside a house in Newtown, Sydney.
The Living Room pose with the award for most popular lifestyle program at the 60th Annual Logie Awards 2018. Photo / Getty Images
"Because we're going into people's homes on a Friday night, the idea was to try and make that a bit more relatable and be in our own home," Brown explained to news.com.au. "That way it becomes our home base from which we set out from."
And just like Queer Eye, Brown has promised The Living Room could reduce viewers to tears with some touching moments.
"You're still getting your guilt-free Friday night in with the four of us (Amanda Keller, Barry Du Bois, Miguel Maestre and Dr Chris Brown) where you're encouraged to crack open a bottle of sparkling water or something a little stronger, and have a bit of a laugh and occasionally a bit of a cry," he said.
