ELIMINATED QUEENS Week 7 - RUPAUL'S DRAG RACE DOWN UNDER - Reality TV Contestant

It's in the news today, but it was actually on TV Reload, the podcast past deep their line Welcome back guys to TV Reload. As you may know, my name is Benjamin Norris and this is your podcast to get all the inside goss on the popular TV shows you may be watching from around the world. Undeniably, our TV sets are a major part of our home entertainment, and yet very little is known about how our favorite shows

How are you?

I'm very well, very excited to be talking to you. However, I'm just going to say to you right off the bat, I did not pick you going home from that lip sync at all.

Neither did I. Obviously you know. I haven't seen it.

I can't see it, but I remember what I did because I'm still feeling it.

I just can't get over it. Like it it normally Okay, it's just a bit of a spoiler for people who listen to the podcast. We do get to watch people in the media. We'll get to watch the episodes without the results. So we watched it a couple of days earlier, and in the history of doing that, I've never got it wrong. I just assumed I actually wrote out an interview for someone else. So look at You're exciting to be talking to you.

Oh my god, that's hilarious. It was quite surprising for me as well.

So when you watch RuPaul's as much as I do, and as much as people do from around the world, with so many different incarnations, we often follow certain edits and my thoughts with you from the first episode was you were getting a final Girl edit, a top three edit at least. How did it feel in the moment? Did you feel as though you were a Top three girl right from the start.

Right from the start, I knew I was going to make Top three. I knew I was to make Top three.

But it's just because I was so laser focused on getting to the Top three that I was like this. It was an ultimatum for me. I was like, I have to do well.

You did so well, like as in, I think we're going to remember you. You're very iconic for this season. You really did stand out. So look, I can't believe that you've come out at this stage, but I think that there's big things happening for you.

No, definitely, Like you know, I got a lot of airtime, really did. It's not all about winning nowadays, you know, like if you even thinking about it, like sometimes you don't even remember some of the winners. It's the people that you know do iconic things and say things and have these taglines and like look at miss Vanjie, she went out first, and look at her. She's like over a million followers and work the world doing all these things.

Chandela.

You know, she's not the only person you know who has done so many seasons. You know, in her season she people thought that she was going to win her All Stars and you know that, you know, kerfuffle have happened with her and stuff, Manila los On. You know, things like this always happen in drag Race and it's kind of iconic, you know when things happen like this, and it kind of it goes to show that, you know, winning is in everything because you can still be very successful.

I think that's very true, and I think more so in Australia, I think because we have a bit of tall poppy syndrome here. Sometimes the winner we feel like we've given them the win and then we want them to go away, you know, then we follow the story of the people who came second and third. I mean, but I think I'm really looking forward to seeing what you do with this experience. I mean, if you've got a plan as to where you want to take it.

Oh absolutely, I've I've waited for a platform for a very long time, and I think people will see Hollywood as you know, this fresh young queen and yes I am. You know, I've a live been doing Drag Wron Now in November, it'll be two years. But I have been performing for my entire life and I've waited for something like this for a long time. So now to get this platform and to have this voice, I'm not taking it lightly. I think to have a platform and to not make change, I think, why have it?

You know.

So I'm looking forward to doing stuff, more stuff with the community, more things for you know, other you know, POC people and immigrants and you know that migrate to Australia and stuff like that. So I just feel very grateful that now I can finally do that.

Well, you did say in the show, you know you're relatively new to doing drag. What has the journey been like? How did you come to Australia. I feel like there's a lot that we don't know about you.

Yeah, definitely, and I talked about it, but a lot of it didn't get shown. But yeah, I was born and raised in America and then I moved to Australia nine years ago. I came for a visit, just came for a visit for a month and thought, oh my god, people actually live here. This is like holiday, Like literally, look at me. Saying holiday very Australian of me. We say vacation. It's like vacation, you know. You can go to work and then go for a swim in like

And I also love the accents.

We love your accent. You're sounding very sexy today.

I'm just gonna say thank you. You know, it's just for you, just for you.

I'm just starting to hear that you can hear the Australian in your you can hear the Australian accent in your American accent, which I'm really enjoying.

Yeah, it's nice.

Like my mom, whenever I talked to her, She's like, you sound Australian, but of course you know, when you're here for a long time, like you start to, you know, pick up different accents, and accents are just generally of people, you know, being understood and stuff, So I kind of I like, but my American accents very neutral as well.

What did your mom think about when you told your mom you were doing drag? What did she say?

She loved it? I think.

So I did Kinky Boots, and my performing I have a history in performing background, so I was accepting to Julliard in America, I went to Manhattan School Music. I've done operas all over the world, and then I moved into musical theaters. So I've done professional productions with like The Book of Mormon, and so that Kinky Boots was the first time that I've.

Ever been in drag.

And my auntie and my grandmother flew all the way from South Carolina to watch me do Kinky Boots in Australia. And that's the first time my family kind of saw me dress up as a woman, and I was quite shocked that they were so just open and beautiful about it. And when I got into RuPaul's drag race, they were so excited. They're watching it now and my mom is pissed.

Of course, I'm pissed. I'm not even related to so angry.

She was like, I cannot believe this, Like you know, I was like, Mom, you have to remember reality television show. You know, it is a competition, but it's also reality television. I just I had to explain to her, like, you know, look at you know, the airtime, and like how people were going to feel now that you know that didn't get to the finale. Of course I'm feeling this type of way. But you know, I'll let other people say it. I won't have to say it.

We'll get over it. Tell me how did you get Hollywood stuff? I'd love to know how you you got the name.

I have been obsessed with pop culture since I was a child. Michael Jackson, Withitney Houston, you know, Dorothy Dandridge. I always loved watching these old Hollywood films, and I loved Betty Boop and Lucille Ball, Like when I was a child, this is my mom used to watch all

I lived there for six months, and I remember when I first got there. I mean, i'd been there on a holiday when I was a kid, so I kind of had some idea. But I remember after i'd been there for like a week, I was like, this place is a cement hole.

Yes, exactly.

So that's why it's kind of funny. Like that's why I said, and I like, welcome to the Queens. I said, Hollywood is a facade. You think that, you know, but there are the cracks. And that's why I kind of changed it to Hollywood. And then I added star at the end because I just thought I was a.

Star and yes you are. Girl. The thing about Hollywood when I leaved there was that the more you lived there, the more you got into a bit of a routine, and you sort of stepped out of all of the bizarreness of the nature of that place and you could go run run in canyon and go to the farmer's market, and there are some very beautiful things about Hollywood, just in case people come for me and be like, there are What did you think of watching yourself back on

Ultimately, I was not mad at it. I wasn't mad at it.

Think they showed some really great moments, but I do wish they would have shown some more of like you said, some more of my background and talking about some of

It's not really who you are. Like you said, even in your final episode, there is a really beautiful moment with your makeover, and the way in which that you're relating to her is really empathetic and it's very kind. I think that I do think that people and audiences will walk away with a very positive look at you overall once you watch the final thing all come together.

Yeah, Oh that's nice. That's nice to know. I do have a lot of empathy for people.

That's one thing that I hold very close to my heart because I know how it feels and a lot of different ways of try mind to be left out and singled out, and you know, just to feel disappointed about a lot of things I reckon.

I could count on my hand the amount of times that of cry watching RuPaul's or not really cried, like I wasn't sobbing, but I had tears in my eyes for watching you talk in this episode. So that's an amazing thing to do in a show like this, because I mean, it is supposed to be very fun and very light, you know, so I think they've made a bold choice with that story that you get in the final episode, which I think, yeah, you haven't seen yet, so it'll be interesting for you to watch.

Oh that's I am looking forward to it. I'm gonna grab my tissues, you know.

I think I was talking to my partner and I was like, oh, I don't even know if I want to watch this episode. I might take a few days for me to watch it.

I don't know.

It's hard because I remember the experience and having those conversations with Arlene was hard. But then also it's going to be quite disappointing to see me losing on television and knowing how I felt in that moment of just disappointment. Of course, you know it's been months now and stuff, and I've gotten mostly over it and things like that. But you know, I just I might take a day, who knows, and then I'll just today, I'll watch it right at five pm.

You should, because this is a celebration. This is your time to reclaim that moment like, this is a powerful moment for you. This is a celebration of you. That's how I see it. So and I think you'll watch this episode. I think you're going to be really proud of yourself. I do.

Oh that's so great.

Well then I will I watch it today and see what happens in what mpauls.

I think for a very long time, Sydney was like the gay capital of Australia. Do you think that it still owns that title here in Australia and New Zealand or do you think that Melbourne and New Zealand have kind of taken away some of that?

Oh definitely. I used to live in Melbourne for three years. I love Melbourne. I love both cities equally. Yeah, No, I think that like the scene definitely in Melbourne is equal in that sense, and I think there are other you know, cities that are coming up as well. Even in Adelaide, Mary's Poppin's, like Stephen Kradacht is doing such amazing things there for that, you know, just for little old Adelaide, and Brisbane with Harry Kay is doing a

How have you gone with interacting with your fans online? Like what do people want to know when they hit you up?

Oh my gosh, They've been so amazing, Like I like got a little shout out from like Jeremy Scott the other day, Tay sent me a message I love tas.

I love taste.

Everyone has been so sweet and just like living for my drag and things and it is so cool. And you know, even people like have been messaging me and saying, you know, the way that you hold yourself in this confidence that you know you have and stuff is so inspiring for me.

And when I.

Watched the show, I feel it's like my might get away, and you know that means a lot to me that you know, I'm you know, making change, and I've yeah, I've just always wanted a platform to make change.

Ashley Madison was actually sharing on her socials this week. She know, she was talking about the breach of privacy on some of these subreddit pages. I don't know if you saw that, but do you think that there should be harsher punishment for revenge porn like that? That's what I call it, revenge porn for like entertainers like yourself.

Absolutely.

I think it's such a private thing and you trust people, you put your trust in people, and like, you know, I think there should be consequences, like if you are trying to you know, hurt harm people, because that's that's that's not something where you're just like, oh, that person's dumb, you know, that's trying to you know, really just take them down. And so I believe, yeah, there should there

If it hasn't happened to you, I don't think you understand it. It's way more psychologically. It affects you in different ways. So that's why I'm you know, I thought it was really powerful for Ashley Madison to share that and get sort of information out about it.

Yeah. No, definitely.

But getting back to the episode, I just wanted to ask what was going on with Gabriella Labucci's face during that pre lip sync post lip sync Gabriella looked terrified. Was there something that we weren't seeing in that moment? I couldn't understand why she looked. She looked like she was about to shit herselves.

I mean, if I had to lip sync against Hollywood, I would shit myself too.

Oh my gosh.

But you know what, in hindsight, she won, so you know, you know it was fine, you know she won.

But you know, I don't know what to.

Say about that because I know I slayed. I know, I fucking slayed, and I was pulling out some tricks that I didn't show in the competition before, just saving it just in case. You know, I don't know how it looks and things, and my only prediction is that they probably just didn't show all of my things, because like if anyone would have seen what I was doing and stuff. I think, Yeah, I don't know. I just

What happens when you get eliminated? So you get eliminated and we say it like play out as you say, sche away, But how quickly do they send you back home to Sydney? I mean, what sort of a process goes into place once we stop seeing you on screen?

So you get eliminated, you say your exit line, you do your exit interview, and then you have to come back and do your like normal interviews, and they ask you about your day and stuff, which is actually quite hard.

That would be really hard. And then are you back at home in Sydney like in forty eight hours? Like what happens?

Like they usually fly you back very soon.

Yeah, yeah, but like I guess the really hard experience for the whole show is like not having contact with the world.

And few peers. With the people that support you, you know, well absolutely.

Just like you can't get their advice on so many things.

I guess at that point where you sort of Sunday morning quarterbacking thinking about things that you could do differently, were you thinking, you know, you would do the snatch game differently. Once you've done the RuPaul experience reflectively looking back, do you now think, oh, I could have done it different I could have done this.

The only thing that I have, like I guess regrets in a way would be my snatch game because I had another character and which was it. It was Regina hall okay from Scary Movie.

Of course showed the wig.

They showed the wig and then they were like and they showed me saying, oh, guess what I'm doing, and it went Naomi. But then they showed the Brenda wig and I was like, that's not even the right wig. That's not the right wig. Anyway, I had the conversation with Rapaul and she she somehow changed my mind.

I think I got scared and so I didn't do that.

But I love that character.

I know it would have.

Been epic, and I know that it would have been way more funny than my Naomi.

But I was fine, like, you.

Know, you look good. You look good. But you know, I love that character from Scary Movie where one of my gay best friends is. One of our most quoted moments is from Scary Movie three, you know, in the classroom where she talks about Asian drivers.

Yeah, I had so many quotes. I could have literally just set all the snatch game. I just set all the quotes, and all the quotes are so funny. So yeah, you know, maybe I'll use it next time. But I'm actually quite sad because I think I talked about it and I don't want someone else to steal my character.

What was your relationship like with all of the queens. I mean, early reports came out from this season that there was far less drama this time than from first season and second season. Is that an accurate report? Did you guys have a closer bond than what had probably been seen in previous seasons?

Oh?

Absolutely, we did not have a lot of drama this season. Like, we all legitimately just liked each other, and it's quite hard. I think also just there's been so many seasons of drag race and stuff, and so we all know when we get cast in things that we have to create

Do you think you're the miss congeniality or who do you think the miscongeniality of this season is?

Maybe I am, Maybe I am. Maybe I don't really know. I think a lot of people might say Avana. I think she was very sweet as well.

But I don't know.

I feel like even watching it back, I was running to lots of people that were upset.

You know, it's just in your nature.

Yeah, absolutely, Ashley Madison. I think they showed when Isis was upset, you know. So I don't know, maybe I am.

But you can take yourself out of this equation because I'd really be curious to know have we got the right top three out of this season? And I want you to take yourself out of it, because I think everyone knows that you had a rightful place in that top three, so I kind of want to remove that element out of it. But how do you feel about our top three?

I would probably take one out, And if I had to take myself out and take one other queen out, I would put in Ashley Madison.

And who do you think deserves to win? And not how you felt when you left the competition, not what you probably know now, but like, who do you think deserves the crown?

I believe.

I mean I love floor like FLOORA. I think showed so much. And also I think she should have she should have gotten some wins. I think the Talent show like and that whole episode was hers, and you know, I put myself aside in that, and you know, I was happy with what I did and things, but I thought she just really turned it out and to also just educate us on the CPR, like.

You know, he was what you know, And I thought she did really great.

And also she's not used to you know, speaking to you know, public, and she's a different language and things like that, so I thought she did really really well. And her fashion okay, oh the fashion has been so good and she's so charismatic, So I would say floor and definitely Isis and Isis has shown so much and such beautiful and has been just so well rounded as well. So you know, those two for me have like really really really made an impression.

If you can finish this sentence for me, if anyone in this season needs a redemption.

Story, it is Hollywood Star.

Are you guys looking forward to this tour that's gonna happen. Are you're a part of this tour that's going to happen? Can you tease us about work the World Australia Tour.

Well, you know, I am so grateful that they asked me, because they could have asked just the top three, but they brought me back in and you know, so I feel very grateful for that, and I'm looking forward. I have a new mix, you know, I'm doing some Kelly Rowland Nicole shirt singer. I'm going to put my song a little mix in that as well. I have some

People, well whoever's organizing and understands bums on seats because you deserve to be there before you go. There's something I ask everyone who joins the podcast, is what is something from behind the saint something that we don't see that we won't see, kind of like a bit of a behind the scenes secret or something that happened to you personally throughout your time on the show.

You know what.

I Actually you don't see how RuPaul actually cares about the queens.

She really does.

So when we get our critiques after the judges speak to us, she always asks us, would you like to take up for shoes? And I thought that was just a really kind thing. Obviously we're sitting on stage for a very long time, but she is worried about us, you know, are just how we are, how we're doing. And also with the lip syncs, because we're always wearing

Think you've given me, out of the three seasons, the best, the best answer to that question. I appreciate that. Oh, thank you, Hollywood Star. I am a fan and I think I will be for a long time. Thank you so much for your generosity. And yeah, I look forward to watching what you do with this.

Thank you very much.