REAL REALITY - RUPAUL'S UK VS THE WORLD - HANNAH CONDA

It's in the news today, but it was actually on TV Reload the podcast last week. They Hey guys, welcome

Yeah, it's wild.

I'm incredibly honored to be able to represent no only RuPaul's Drag Race down Under, but like just down Under Drag in general on a global scale, because I think sometimes we get slept on a little bit so to be able to be there and represent what we do down here, and it's just overwhelming.

It's not something I take lightly either.

Well, you're from my favorite series of the Australian down Under series, so there is actually no comparison. I'm just going to say this. I feel like I'm going to get in trouble stance and it ring me afterwards and tell me to cut it out. But I just feel like that season of down Under was phenomenal.

Look, I have to.

Agree I may be biased, but I just think, like, even just subjectively what watching it and just seeing I think the cast was really fabulous. I think we had so many different characters that brought in so many different

Right like Astrange's locked to Hide It You know, we're like, I'll apply for a reality TV show. I don't need to win, you.

Know, But I think that becomes the charm in us then being on the show, because they're like, oh, you know, when we do say something about winning, we're.

Like, oh, it would be great, but like we're here for a good time.

I get it, and I completely understand it. And it's riddled throughout all Australian television. You just it comes up again and again. We just don't want to act like we want it that much, do you know what I mean? When we do, But.

Then when you get someone that maybe this is what contributes to like the tall public syndrome in this industry is that when you do get someone that outwardly says that they want it, they become vilified.

But then we all know what we're there for, you know what I mean.

It's so weird we have But you look at like a character like George King of the Jungle from Survival, like he was like, I'm here to win, and everyone's like, no, don't say it.

I feel like, actually he might be the subject to the rule, right, like as in some reason, actually no. It took us two seasons to understand King George from so vib do You. We got to see him first being like I'm here to win, and we hated him, but by the time he came back, we were like, oh, we get you, and you can be arrogant and weird because we love that.

It's very much the vibe, and I grew to love him in the second season. I was like, I see what you're doing, and I see your importance. And I think he also realized as well, when you go on a show like that, maybe playing a little bit more KOI is beneficial because I mean it means that more people will be drawn to you, you know, more people like you, so the chances that you're getting eliminated a less which is kind of like similar to what you.

Have to do in UK Versus the World.

You know, I've already had people being like, you know, oh, you're so safe, and I was like, well, why would you want to be anywhere but safe? In this style of the competition, it is a social aspect to the game.

I suppose absolutely, I'm reading between the lines here is UK versus the World your George Season two of Survivor, Ah.

Yeah, I am. I'm like, I'm very I'm very aware of.

What we're doing and how the game works, and I understand it a little bit more. I think that's the joy of going back in because you know what the production is, so you kind of when you first walk in. When I did like what like down under it, for example, I walked in and the first thing you see is just a wall filled with cameras and different people that just stand there looking at you and can't say anything to you because they're filming a show, and you're like oh.

Top tier competition. If you're in the bottom, I'm just going to get rid of you.

But then also like I've loved being like aucky contentious contestant within the fan base, this time, I love it because I hated my sewing challenged dress.

They hated it.

The fans are like, yeah, you should have gone home, And I was like, well, I pit the breath.

They said ballgown.

I gave you ball gown, and I argue that what La grand Dam made was not a ball gown, just saying controversy it.

Bright, But I gave you the brief.

I had the story down, I had like a whole story art or my characters matched. And yes, maybe I knew it was ghosh. I knew it was like a little bit, but it didn't say it had to be fashionable. Why why does drag have to be fashionable? Can't it just be tacky and gross?

Well maybe that's your brand, you know what I mean? And if it is right, you know what I mean.

But I thought I looked nice.

I still maintained to this day. I loved it, But yeah, so the fans were like, they were like, you're discussing you should have gone home like a rancher should have been saved, all this drama, and I was like, oh, shut up, hut you bitch face. I love it because I'm like, if they're going to say stuff to me now, I have every right to say it back, you know, because that's how life works. It's not it's not a bark something at someone and it's a one way street.

You know.

We're people on the other side of this things. So I'm like, nice stuff is, I'm going to say it. I don't care anymore. And then last week they thought it was robbed, they thought I should have won. I'm getting whiplash, fandom, calm down, what do you want?

I think you'd have whiplash from the fact. And we need to talk about how protective we are of you in this series. And there's only one of you representing Australia, and I mean, I don't know anyone that doesn't like you. So that's a good start. It does feel like there's

Oh babes, well you know what I have to say. I felt I feel the love of the Australian people behind me. I feel so much support and so much love coming by way from people here and in New Zealand, which is just so heartwarming. Like it has been so lovely, and that's why I'm like, I went there to do us proud and to showcase us as a whole.

I guess there was a part.

Of it's for me obviously, but for me, my goal was to showcase what we do down here as drag artists, but also just as people, like we're really.

Good time people.

You know, we have all the American UK girls come here on tour and they're like, oh my god, you're all amazing.

It's so much fun. And then you.

Know, we never really get invited to go back over there to perform or whatever never reciprocated.

So going into the show was like, I just want the world to.

See how fabulous we are as a country, Like we're really good people where you know, we're very lucky in this country, and I don't think until you travel outside of it you realize how lucky we actually are. And I think some I think some people could definitely do with a little bit more traveling if I what is or actually like reading things outside of their own little bubbles,

And that's all I wanted to represent for.

How do you get asked to do a version of a series like this though, because I don't know whether or not you have to fill out an application because you can only imagine if there was an application process, every single one that every single queen that had ever been on Drag Race would obviously apply. But I was wondering, is it an application or do you get tapped on the shoulder for something like this?

It is like it's like a random tap on the shoulder. I had no idea that I'd ever be going back. To be honest, I didn't think I would ever get asked back. Like I knew I did a good job, but I was like when I watched down Under. Although I'm really proud of it, I just didn't really see myself in it. Be that because I didn't showcase it I thought I did, or be that it just didn't make the cut, or it wasn't what my character was

Because it's you, you know what I mean. So it's hard for you.

And I think I'm a toughest critic. Yeah, we all are.

We did that to ourselves. It's just human nature. Something about your drag that is very ex scessible, even to people that are not a part of that community. Do you know what I mean?

Did you just is that a way of just saying that I'm bad dressing?

No? What does that say about me? Then?

No, I'll just take it. I don't know, but.

No, that's not very accessible about your warmth. You know that. That's what I'm talking about. I'm actually talking about even the I'm talking about a collection of things I must have been.

I feel you and I understand it. I think you know, but I have to say that.

So when I went into what I'm saying with the down Under things, I didn't really feel like I saw myself. And maybe that also could have been a mindset that I was in when I was watching it, and so I was like, oh, I just didn't I felt like I had more to give, but I was like, I don't know. If I ever get asked, I'll do it.

It's you've gathered your stories and it's something that we all need to do, do you know what I mean? Like it is that level up. You've had that experience and you've grown from it, and we all start to become more comfortable inside our skins with our nuances. You know, we start to embrace the things we didn't like about ourselves and just think, you know what, that's anaconda. I'm going to lean into that. You know.

I want to each of us and this is who I am.

And and I think I stopped caring as well, what like what people are thinking of me? Ye, Like it's too hard, Like I'm never going to please everyone. I'm never going to be perfect. It's never going to happen. So just to get there and just to let that go. The freedom that gives you is so wild, and I

And also do what we need to add in as well. I think we need to be more generous in our observations of other people as well, and that's what we seen to be missing. I was watching Marshall Heinz on Australian idol over the weekend and you know, she says you're welcome, and I don't know just the language that she's using. That's just reinforcing something kind and why not filter spaces with kindness?

You know, well, this is the thing.

And I know that they go, oh, that's kindness is not a reality TV show make but I do believe that there is space for that. And I think, you know, the world can be quite harsh and in amongst the campness and the bitchiness and all that, I think showing elements of humanity and kindness I think is important because otherwise we lose touch of that. I think that could be for every reality TV show to be fair.

Like You're dangerous though, with the way like you walk this dangerous typewrope though, of being in an industry where you can be sassy and you can read people, but then you still manage to make things not that, do you know what I mean?

Ye?

Look, I think there's also like an element of it that where I come from, and you know, we understand that we're humans and in the industry. I came up before drag race, so you know, I've got quite a thick skin, and this is our love language. The way that we talk, especially down under, you know, throwing quips back at each other, pulling a party to those looks or whatever. It's always done with love and with the fact that we all know that we're all on the table.

The audience gets it like is in yes, something's you know, if you retell the story of some of the sassy things that people say, be like that's mean, and you're like no, no, no, you have to watch it. You have to wonder stand because if it is truly coming from a place.

Coming from a place I hate, you'll know me, you.

Know, yeah, but we know, we all know, we all know moving away from us both being very oprah right now, Yeah, I need to say, were Queen Kong and Spanky Jackson super duper jealous of you? Being asked? I feel like they would be. I know that the three of you have a bond. I've seen it in the flesh and it's remarkable. But was there a small amount of jealousy?

You know what?

I have to be one hundred percent honest. I'm not talking to them anymore. I'm just joking out.

I'm so jaggy. They honestly, they were like, shouldn't tell anyone of them. I did tell that when I got on the show.

Can you fly over with Queen Kong?

Though?

When you're already doing something over there? Or is?

We were on two up, we were on the Babs store when I got the flight the confirmation, and they honestly like, again, maybe it's a down under nature, but it's like they were just the best support for me. They were just so proud of me, so happy and thrilled it. But it was the same thing when Spanky won, you know, like it didn't matter to us because one person succeeding is all of us succeeding and it's just another stepping stone so for me to go and do

But we just had like they were.

Willing to take it on the chin, and like, you know, we lost a little bit of money on it because I had to go, but there was just no question, like they were like, you have to do this, this is your moment. Go out and do it, and you know, and everything that they achieved now I'm right behind them, like just cheering.

Them on in their audience. I mean, we all and this is again we're back at Oprah. But I mean, I think it's true though we do need to support the people.

I mean, I enjoyed watching people succeed.

It is a conscious decision, and I think it's silly if we don't say that it is. But those feelings that we sometimes get of ih wish that was me or whatever, you know, flip that those are the moments where you need to make a conscious decision to support the other person, because if you do that for someone, boy, you're going to get that back, you know, oh.

Yeah, one hundred percent.

And like, and you know it's natural to be like you know, whether or not they were jealous or upset or anything.

They never voice that to me at all.

They're on the phone now, told you.

But even if they were, like you know, like I understand, it would be very easy to do that.

But like, it's how you deal with that.

And you know, jealous is a very natural thing and it's a human thing, but it's what you, like, like I said, what you do with that feeling and that energy. You know, you can either push it out there into the world and act jealous and be mean and not talk to people or whatever, or you can process why am I feeling jealous? And this is how I do it. I go, why am I feeling jealous about that?

Okay?

Because they've got something that I would love to get? Well, that wasn't for me. But what can I do that gets me to a place where I can achieve that? And that's how I shifted, because then it's like you're flipping the switch on the jel and you're using it as a driving force rather than taking it out on the person that you're jealous of.

This is why you where you are, you know what I mean?

Like he I had new age parents that took me to a lot of therapy and I've done a certificate one in hands on healing reiki.

I think it's the years and years of therapy that got me there.

Whatever it is, it's working for you. I have to ask about you know, everyone talks about the access to RuPaul himself. You've done the down Under version, which was filmed in New Zealand, but now that you're in the UK versus the world filmed in England. Yeah, you're seeing him again in a completely different environment. Is he just exactly the same as he was in Australia or was there different?

Just the same.

Honestly, She's so much fun and I think, like, again, I don't know if this is just my nature, but it's always been like a thing that I've had, Like when I've been working in like retail or whatever, people get freaked out by the area amount of jug but I'm.

Like, it's just another person. I don't give a shit.

I don't give a shit their status like when I go to like a Rick Carpter event and stuff, I'll walk up to anyone and be like, oh, Hi, how how's it going.

I don't give a shit. They're just people.

And yes she's mother rou and whatever, and there's a grandiosity about her and whatever. But she's so much fun, Like I just enjoy being with her, and she's she's easy to make laugh. She tells you exactly what she wants. That's why I'm like, you can't, like you could, honestly, the shittest drag queen in the whole time world could win drag race because Rue Paul would tell you what she wants. She literally tells you every challenge what she.

Wants to see. So it's like you just follow what she wants and give them.

What they want, you know.

Yeah, yeah, But she's fun, Like she's just an old school camp time And like, I just enjoy chatting to her when she comes in because you're not with her like all the time.

We're not hanging out or whatever.

But you know, when she comes into the workroom, does her chats and does her welcomes in the morning. You know, like you pretty much see all of her time with us on camera, but you know, they'll be like hi, and she'll like, oh, you all look great, Like how's the morning going?

Having fun?

Like she checks in on us just to make sure we're good. There's just another sister, Like she's really just a good person.

And it's a good way to see it like that as well, do you know what I mean? Like, you know, when we start to put people on pedestals or treat people differently by you know, their privilege or whatever. You know, you're sort of jumbling it up. You know, we should just be true to ourselves.

You need to just let go, you know what I mean. So if you're freaking.

Out about the fact that she's sitting there looking at you being a dick, you're never going to win.

What can you do? You know what I mean?

Queens do often say to me though that you know, you become addicted to the laugh, you know, because she has that very iconic laugh, and so you just.

Take me so hot. I'm like, every time I'm a maker laugh, I'm.

Like, oh, yes, I need to ask you about two queens. I was going to ask you a lot more other things, but we are getting towards the end of our time, so I want to ask you about tear cop Tea because love the mess that this that she is. She's a mess. She's a mess, Like I just what is she like in real life? Is she a mess in real life?

She's She's not. She's just wild.

She's such a fun human that thinks that million miles an hour. She's always got so many ideas. She's such a creative of little soul, and she is just a ball of fun.

Like we got along really well.

I thoroughly enjoyed just spending time with her, and like, and I think you saw in the episode three, saw me and her sitting there together gett their makeup on.

And I'm like, just.

The baby's ass, and she'd sit there giggling. I love making her laugh. We're very much on the same wave like and she But you can see that the glow up, you know, in her drag and the way that she paints and stuff. But fundamentally the same Tea is there. She's still just a quirky little nerd that is just fabulous.

I don't know why, but you know, I love people for their uniqueness, do you know what I mean? Like there's something she's very aids. Yeah, and you just like, I don't know, I just it's not fake either. You could have you would recognize that again, like there's another thing you recognize as a view of really quickly if someone's putting something on. She just genuinely is mad in the best way possible.

Yeah, and she's just and again she's like me. She just says what she thinks like that. It's kind of like we should have a filter.

Over our mouths, but it just sometimes the filter doesn't work.

Never.

So Scarlet, though, is someone who I've enjoyed in two other seasons because she's American? Was she a bit of an uppity bitch? Like you know, they're very competitive? Like was there? I feel like, as much as I love her, again, I love her for being authentically that. But what's your take on her? Was it strange having someone American?

Then?

Yeah?

Well, so we had Mayhem and Scarlett our American divas, and I'd met Scarlett not long before we went to film. She was very quiet, she never said anything, and I didn't need it obviously because I'm a good girl for the NDA. But we'd work together and she was a gem. She was such so much fun. But in a drag race setting, the competition. Americans are incredibly competitive and I've noticed that now being in the room with them, and

What worked in Australia that didn't seem to work over there. Did you come across stuff that you were like, oh, that really landed in Australia, But I've tried it here and it's not working as well because it is a collection of environments from all around the world.

Yeah. To be honest, I think I just.

Amped it up, okay, I elevated it.

Yeah, because it was like I felt at points that people thought I was talking a different language, you know, because just the colloquialisms and the things, and they found it funny, like you know, the kick it in the dick thing. That's just the thing that Queen Spanky and I say to each other all the time, like kick it in the dick.

And we thought it was just a.

Very casual teen but they were like, sorry, do you speak English?

And I'm like, yeah, kick it in the dick. But now I.

Think as a cultural exchange, I've got Marina and the Philippines saying kick it in the dick now, so with.

The Australian accent as well.

Yeah, with the Australian accent. So I think I've achieved something.

I'm like Jesus, Okay. So there's obviously a lot of mystery around what you can prepare for something like this. I just wanted to know in advance. Do they tell you some of the challenges so you can prepare stuff and how much did you try and lace your Australian theme into some of the challenges.

Well, I think so we do get like brief of certain things. So obviously you know that like the Snatch game is going to be there because they're like, you've got to prepare your characters, so bring options. So there was that you get a few like costume clues because you're like you have to bring a packing so you have like certain costume things that they go this is for a challenge and you're like, okay, well I'm getting this done. So it kind of starts getting your brain

I'm not.

When you've got the ground dam in the room and she's getting like she has, She's like, I'm there was one of her outfits that's in the in the room that I saw and I was like, where is this from?

Who made this?

And she's like your book joking, like I can't compete with that. So you know, I'm like sitting there, like, you know, putting my pink and green dress on with mice stuck all over it, like I'm a costume girlie.

That's what I do.

I do drag that is costuming, and I think that's very Australian as well. We're very campy and very fun and I leant into that a.

Little bit more.

And I'm just trying to think if there was anything more iconically Australian. Oh well, Kylie, I did my so my pope into the show girl that was that was modeled after Kylie's show Girl outfit.

Definitely. I guess before you go, you know, now that you've competed on a global stage, is there such thing as a hierarchy of these RuPauls franchises. Now, I don't necessarily think this is your hierarchy that I'm asking about. I'm talking about the general feel. So do we just assume that America is at the top of it? And then how does it all fall down?

Okay, there are one hundred percent is and you've hit the nail on the head. The American franchise is the mecha that is, so that's your flagship store for those that work in retail, and then I think the next one would be like your all Stars for this for America.

I think that's your next tier.

And then I think you'd go to the UK, and then I think you'd go, oh well, then see it. I would maybe throw any any franchise with rue so I'd be then like UK versus the world.

Then I'd be down under it at the end. I think that's fair.

I think that's the right order. And then all the other ones that sort of spin off that, and.

Then all of you, like all of your foreign language ones, they're in another tier. And I would I would say that because drag Race has a massive, the biggest fan

Shane, we just happened to enjoy it.

I think it's a bit rough the way that we do it here, but that's also very Australian, so I'm fine with that.

Yeah, yeah, but it is like it's without down Under, I wouldn't be where I am and I wouldn't be able to get into that. But it invited me into the franchise and it you know, so I look at it like that. You know, it's an important step and it's an important thing to have here to showcase what we do down Under as best as they can as

I think they're filming another one now on't they Aren't they in the middle? I think, yeah, I mean, I don't know. I always say to people that's somewhere in the world. RuPaul's Drag Race is being filmed right now.

Oh yeah, there's yeah, Rue Paul's Drag Race, the leak season ninety seven is being filmed right now.

But yeah, But I just want to say to you, that's really quite funny. The Americans often say, oh, you know, the Australian one's been unpolished, and I'm like, do you want me to take you back to series one, two and three of your version? Do you want me to tell you how rough.

Yes, And I think it was kind of and I think because it's got so uber polished, I think that actually worked. It's a bit to its detriment because you know, it doesn't allow people to shine because of their personalities, and which is what we loved about the show.

It feels like they always have to.

Have, like spend the most amount of money on all these polish looks. But what we fell in love with in the early seasons was the personalities. Was it was the way that the cast would interact with each other, you know what I mean, like and sometimes gets a little bit too conflated, and I wish that they would allow themselves to go, oh the drag doesn't have to be crazy ridiculous, but break the bank, never make all

Yeah, but I think season two proved that, I mean, you know, season two of down Under proof that you don't need all the whiz bang. I mean, if you've got fantastick talent, we're there for it. I mean, I kind of like it's so strange to me, you know, there's so many episodes around the world that I'll rewatch. But that whole season of the second series of down Under just is such television.

I just like, I think it opens back to the early days of what the show was.

Of course, anyway, well, we've completely the run out of time, so I have to ask you the last question, which ask everyone on the podcast. Read something from behind the scenes, something you won't get sued for that you can reveal about what it's like to be a part of UK versus the world.

Oh, I can two about this. So this is one of my favorite days.

So we're in the workroom getting ready doing our makeup, and we could smell like a burning smell and we're like, what's that and it's mean we're like getting ready and I smell this burning sem Anyway, We're like, what the fuck is going on? And they we forgot that. Like, so you know in the UK thing, all the walls are like lights. Those lights are so hot, like are so hot, like, so you have to make sure that your wigs don't knock down and like wrestling, because it will.

Melt your hair, like and so a couple of coins that they had.

Their wigs like melted see to make sure that your wigs were not up so they wouldn't go.

But anyway, because still this burning, I was like, this is going on? What is going on? Anyway?

Next minute we just see a bit of billowing smoke, bloody tea.

She had like a prop lit up.

Against the thing and it had like gone in and like melted over the top of all the lights and so the so you ended up they like her prop was like fused to the wall and she had to get They had to get and pull out the light. So when they put it out, they had like two light globes stuck in her prop and the whole thing had just melted. There was that hot and it was Yeah, a prop just set on fire.

So that was can I thought you were going to say it was the smell of burning was a rancher, you know, trying to think or use her brain. I am going to hell. Can you just enjoy this to the max? That's all I want from you. I am so proud of you. I think you're doing so well. I couldn't have thought of a better person to go over and do this, And just chatting with you today just makes me feel so happy that we have that kind of representation over there.

So thank you, Beg, and thank you for having me again. Third Times of Charm, Well you're a bloody dream.

Thanks for having us. Yeah, I hope I keep doing you.

Proud but amazing.

I adore you, I adore you.