Paula Nyland From Queer Eye Shared An Exciting Update

Just in time for family viewing over the holidays, Queer Eye is back, with the Fab Five transforming lives in Las Vegas for Season 9. The premiere episode features Paula Nyland, a seamstress and loving grandma who previously worked as a showgirl. Although, as Tan France points out, “Once a showgirl, always a showgirl. She’s not retired.”

Indeed, throughout her week with the Fab Five, Paula taps into the confidence and artistry that defined her days on stage — and even gets to perform with Dita Von Teese.

Here’s an update on where Paula from Queer Eye is today.

A Journey Of Rediscovery

Like viewers at home, the Fab Five are struck by Paula’s warm and welcoming energy. The 63-year-old seamstress is a mother to daughters Summer and Briana and a grandmother to two little boys. She’s also been with her partner, Gregg, for 14 years.

Despite her happy family life, Paula describes feeling a lack of identity on Queer Eye. “Sixty-three is certainly not a young chicken, but I’m not very old either, though,” she tells the camera. “So you kind of find yourself in the middle of trying to figure out, maybe, who I am right now at this age.”

Through her time with the crew — including Queer Eye newcomer Jeremiah Brent — Paula began to answer that very question. During one particularly moving moment, she did a triple take after Jonathan Van Ness did her hair and makeup. “It was so fun to be me,” she later told Gregg as the pair took off for a night out (something they resolved to do more together after Queer Eye).

From returning to her burlesque roots to enjoying a redesigned home and workspace, Paula ended her episode with renewed confidence and excitement about the future. “Who knows? Maybe I’ll be another silver fox on stage at 80,” she said after performing in Dita’s show.

Here’s Where Queer Eye’s Paula Is Today

Fortunately, Paula seems to be enjoying life to the fullest after filming Queer Eye. Since September, she and Gregg have been running a new travel vlog series on YouTube called Wandering with Paula. She has documented everything from a Las Vegas Raiders football game to a three-week journey from Japan to South Korea, where she worked as a seamstress for a cruise ship’s upcoming Christmas show.

As Paula said during her episode, she and Gregg often talked about traveling “someday” — so it’s exciting to see them take on the world.