Queer Eye Forced These Guys to Come Out

On the heels of Sunday's tenth anniversary celebration of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, we find out who wasn't even out when they got the gig.

Diane Anderson-Minshall

Diane Anderson-Minshall is the CEO of Pride Media, and editorial director of The Advocate, Out, and Plus magazine. She's the winner of numerous awards from GLAAD, the NLGJA, WPA, and was named to Folio's Top Women in Media list. She and her co-pilot of 30 years, transgender journalist Jacob Anderson-Minshall penned several books including Queerly Beloved: A Love Across Genders.

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Diane Anderson-Minshall

October 19 2013 1:02 PM EST

November 17 2015 5:28 AM EST

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It's been 10 years since Bravo's Queer Eye for the Straight Guy introduced the concept of gay "lifestyle experts," opened up reality TV for gay people, and made meterosexual living something for Americans of all stripes to strive for. Now a new reunion special,e hosted by Andy Cohen, brings the five guys back together.

People offers up one of the special's biggest reveals: Carson Kressley and Ted Allen were not out to their families when the show was about to air. Kressley, who has had two of his own series and became a fan favorite on Dancing With the Stars since the show ended,

"It was for me ... really ironic that it took something like a makeover show for me to actually be honest and empowered, to get over that fear that your family is not going to love you for who you are," Kressley admitted. He says he literally told his relatives he was gay just weeks before the show just aired.

Allen, who hosts Food Network's hit series, Chopped, says he too had to come out right before the show aired. "They were great when I came out to them. They did not like the idea of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy at all" but, he adds, once the show became a hit they changed their minds. "The funny thing about being semi-famous is it sort of makes everything okay."