The Fab Five are back for Queer Eye Season 5 and this season they’re spreading the love in Philadelphia. There’s been a whole lot of emotion this season, with Tyreek reuniting with his childhood guardian and Kevin regaining his confidence. However, there was one hero who really tugged on fan’s heart strings, and that was Philadelphia sweetheart, Jennifer Sweeny.
Her radiant energy and Port Richmond accent quickly stole the hearts of the nation and the Fab Five, as did her family story.
As with all the heroes, fans are eager to know what Jennifer’s up to now. How are Jennifer and her family doing now? And what was it about her story that really stole fans hearts?
Who is Jennifer Sweeny?
Jennifer Sweeny is the hero of Queer Eye Season 5 episode 7, ‘Silver Lining Sweeny’ and is a 48 year old mother of three. Her three daughters and husband nominated her for a Queer Eye makeover, as she did everything for them but nothing for herself. They felt it was time to return the favour.
The part of the show that really touched viewers hearts was when Jennifer’s husband John revealed he suffered from ALS, a neuron disease which affects the muscles.
John was diagnosed with ALS back in 2010, and Jennifer has cared for him ever since. The pair told the cameras that the average lifespan for someone with ALS is 2-6 years. However, John has now been living with the condition for almost 10 years.
Jennifer told the Fab Five she didn’t want help from her daughters as she wanted the ‘mum’ role, to feel needed. However, the gang quickly made her realise that it’s okay to ask for help and downtime for herself is crucial.
How was the makeover?
So we know why Jennifer was nominated, but how did the Fab Five do with the transformation?
Each member of the Fab Five really helped Jennifer in their own way. Design expert Bobby Berk worked his magic as always and transformed the house so well that Jennifer and her daughters didn’t even recognise it! But Jennifer and John’s favourite addition of Bobby’s was the drinks bar in the living room. As it’s becoming more difficult for Jennifer and John to go out, Bobby thought he’d bring the party to them!
Fashion expert Tan France excelled once again, making Jennifer feel 10 years younger. However, it wasn’t just fashion he excelled at. Being the token British of the Fab Five, Tan is always trying to master the different American accents, so of course he had to try out Jennifer’s Port Richmond accent! In an interview with Variety magazine before the season premiered, Tan said he couldn’t wait for fans to see the ‘accent off’ between him and Jennifer. It definitely didn’t disappoint!
Jonathan transformed Jennifer’s hair, but also helped her to embrace her greys. With just a quick trim and some rollers it’s a miracle what you can do! Less really was more in this instance.
As for food and wine expert Antoni, he’s never looked as excited as he did in Jennifer’s episode! They both revisited their Polish heritage and cooked up some classic Polish Potato Cakes which went down a treat with the Sweeny family.
However, it was culture expert Karamo who really stood out in Jennifer’s episode. Kamaro, who has recently had his wedding postponed due to coronavirus, really helped change Jennifer’s perspective on life. One quote that really stood out to Jennifer was to “live for today but enjoy the beauty of the past.” She told her family that she’s starting to enjoy the time she has left with John instead of worrying about the future.
The cast of Queer Eye looks over a collections display in the Whittall Pavilion, April 3, 2019. Photo by Shawn Miller/Library of Congress.
What did Queer Eye fans think of the episode?
We know the Fab Five and the heroes loved the makeover, but a big part of Queer Eye is the fans take and commentary on the show.
So what did fans think of Jennifer? We took to Twitter to find out…..
Many fans were touched by the episode, being able to relate to Jennifer’s story.
Dear @QueerEye, thank you SO MUCH for including the Sweeney’s! My dad also has ALS, and watching another family deal with the diagnosis was extremely cathartic for my mom and myself. My parents have been married for 46 years, and my mom and Jennifer share a lot of the same fears.
— tiny rebellions (@TheOddestThing) July 8, 2020
And it seems like there wasn’t a dry eye in the house!
https://twitter.com/dangerhamster93/status/1270389178841337856
Where is Jennifer now?
We carried on with the social media investigation and decided to see what Jennifer’s up to now. So how are the Sweeny’s doing now?
Jennifer and the rest of the Sweeny’s are looking good from her Instagram page, spending quality family time together during quarantine. (And making use of the bar Bobby put in!)
https://www.instagram.com/p/CBs3CvOnKLA/
And for those of you who may be sceptical about the Queer Eye makeovers, Jennifer can still be seen in her new clothes and still rocking the new hair do!
https://www.instagram.com/p/B5bXppNn5wl/
Have you seen Jennifer’s Queer Eye Philadelphia episode? If so, let us know what you thought of the transformation in the comments below!
Catch Queer Eye Season 1-5 streaming on Netflix now!
