Carson Kressley Clarifies His Comment That Queer Eye Isn't as 'Groundbreaking' as the Original

Carson Kressley wants to set the record straight: He’s a huge fan of Netflix’s Queer Eye reboot.

Appearing on PEOPLE Now Wednesday, the former Queer Eye for the Straight Guy star addressed a comment he made over the summer in which he called the original series “more groundbreaking” than the reboot.

“I did a red carpet during the Emmys and the reporter actually said: ‘The show isn’t as groundbreaking.’ And I said, ‘Well, maybe it’s not as groundbreaking in that it’s not the first version, but it’s certainly a great show and the guys do a fantastic job,’ ” said Kressley, 48, the fashion guru of the original Fab Five. “We are all big fans of the show!”

Kressley’s fellow former Queer Eye alum Thom Filicia also chimed in to defend his longtime friend.

“I live with Carson day in and day out — I’ve never, ever heard him say a negative thing about the show,” he said. “He loves the guys, he loves the show and we’re both thrilled that the show is back. It’s wonderful for the show to be back. It’s a win-win for everybody, for people who are out there and are benefitting from it.”

Plus, the reboot’s popularity has prompted Bravo to air reruns of the original mid-2000s cable show.

“That’s been fun, too,” Kressley said. “It’s a walk down follicle lane, because some of our hairdos…”

Variety previously reported that Kressley made the comment at an event celebrating the Emmys turning 70 in August.

“I’m thrilled that they’re nominated,” he said. “But it was a little more groundbreaking back when we won an Emmy in 2004.”

But Kressley praised today’s TV landscape, adding, “It’s really having a renaissance right now and so inclusive and diverse.”

He later clarified his comments in an exclusive statement to PEOPLE, saying: “I loved being a part of the original Queer Eye, and I love the reboot. When I said the original was more groundbreaking it only meant that the original aired in an era when there was far less representation of gay people on television.”

“We have come a long way and I am very proud to have passed the torch to the wonderful and talented new cast,” he continued.

The original Queer Eye for the Straight Guy won the 2005 Emmy for outstanding reality program, with Kressley, Filicia, Ted Allen, Kyan Douglas and Jai Rodriguez as hosts.

The reboot, which took home this year’s Emmy award for outstanding structured reality program, stars Antoni Porowski, Tan France, Karamo Brown, Bobby Berk and Jonathan Van Ness.

Seasons 1 and 2 of the reboot are streaming on Netflix.