Rhys Nicholson - RUPAUL'S: DOWN UNDER- Judge Comedian etc

It's in the news today, but it was actually on TV Reload the podcast past weep.

They might welcome back guys to TV Reload. My name is Benjamin Norris and this is your podcast to get all the insight goss all the popular TV shows you may be watching from around the world Underniably, our TV sets are a major part of our home entertainment, and yet very little is known about how our favorite shows

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This chat, I'm joined by the wonderfully entertaining comedian Rhys Nicholson and the first eliminated queen from RuPaul's Drag Race down Under, which has its third season premiering this weekend on STAN Australia. Reys Nicholson is an Australian born comedian writer and actor who has been lucky enough to feature in the Australian version of RuPaul's Drag Race as a

I've all got a place in Dale fin It's a hovel and it's going to be financially ruinous. It needs to be like re stumped to the whole fucking nightmare.

I love that you're starting off really positive to start. No, it's good to be able to get out into the country after COVID. You kind of can do that because we've worked out that we can do more away from being locked.

Yeah, stuff like this, I'm in.

My underpants, which I was wondering, are you often in your underpants? But like good from the top up when you're doing rupe Paul.

No, because we and I think everyone has these like fantasies that were like youth readers or something, and like and say that, you know, the whole thing that like Ruth not even in drag most of the time. It's like not true. And also like sometimes yeah, but no, we always we might get more comfortable, Like if I'm wearing uncomfortable shoes, I might take them off because we have to do the runway and then you've got to kind of take photos of it. It's like I wish,

I just thought it's a really fun place to start. I didn't mean to ask you whether or not you're but you've given me some really good tea.

There.

People be like, oh my gosh, Ben, you didn't ask anything and you've got.

Oh yeah, I'm an open book. I'm happy to talk about anything other than the same usual four questions like it.

Oh do you know what's so weird is that people ask the same questions and like, I don't think they all know, because the look on their face when they approach you on the street to ask you that question looks like it might be brand new information or a brand new question, or they're the new Oprah Winfrey asking you this one.

So sometimes you get shocking. When I was in I went to London Pride a few weeks ago, and a woman, a very drunk lady and I don't know if she was just drunk or maybe she was under the influence of other things, came up to me and was like very passionate to tell me that she loves me. On drag race and because I'm just an asshole and I'm just myself on that show. Those are exact words, and I was like, Oh, I'm not aware that was.

My How about your drink lanscation?

Yeah, you know, like just like because you're just You're just an asshole and you're just you. You're just you on there, and I was like, Oh, I thought I was the polar abdull of the group.

I think it's very strange though, because like I did Big Brother ten years ago, and people still come up to me and say I'm the bitch in my friendship circle and I'm like and I'm I'm like what, I'm like, it's not who you think you are. But isn't that funny that the interpretation of you on television can be taken anywhere someone's watching it and relating to you because they think they're.

Like you, or an actual fact, they're nothing like you.

Yeah, they just have red hair. I think they've just confused the shape of their head.

I saw you and Joel last year at your Christmas Special and I honestly laughed for days. It was my first time that I've ever seen you live, and I've never laughed so much. And I honestly say, you are the funniest comedian that I've seen live, and I haven't seen a lot because I'm actually like a comedian, I find not all comedians. I get like I have a

God, well, it's like it's hard as well. I think also if you work in the kind of if you work in the media and stuff, nothing really shocked this c anymore either, and so like, and as a comedian, I don't laugh very much in comedies anymore. If I'm laughing in a stand up show, it means it's like it's really you've gotten me. It's very nice of you

They've just got you in a box, ready to get you out, Ready to be a drag judge.

That's all you do all year.

I was doing it in Refringed last year and in Scotland, and Karen from Finances on them in the same venue as me after me, and so I would walk past her audience every night, and so I would do my show and they were selling quite well. I was having fun and I'd walk past her audience and every night someone would say, oh my god. Recent because they play drag Race down Under on BBC over there, so it's like free too wear, so a lot of people watch it. Sometimes I find myself a little bit more famous in

Petry of the penis? What do you think after the show?

But like, what do you think? I went to like drag law school and became a drag lawyer and then worked my way up and had to become a judge. Like what do you I'm hoping to get on the drag Supreme Court the next year.

It's crazy. It's crazy.

I mean, I just thought it was funny because I went along to see the show and I'd met you once before, and I think you might have been like not in your best mood, and so I was like, oh, okay.

And then when I saw you do it.

I think we met at a bar, right, I think.

Yeah, Joel might have introduced us.

But two am I think from memory it was like quite late.

Yeah, we both fewt like this.

Yeah yeah, and I think we're in the smoking area of a buck.

Yeah, there we go.

But you remember, I was thinking, I'm going to bring this up anyway. I went to go and see the comedy show and I saw Joel. I think Joel's funny, you know, you know, he's a mutual friend of ours. But then when you came on, I laughed so hard. And then Joel texted me afterwards and said, what did you think of the show?

And I wrote back and said, was so funny.

And then I realized that I always come across like I'm a bitch like you comparing two people, but I just, well, I.

Remember watching you ten years ago, I'm big brother and going I'm the bitch in my friendship group.

Oh well, I'll tie my hair red and we'll just have it. We'll have a love of I just I don't know. For some reason, I feel like I'm the Simon Cow of comedians and I just go along and I'm just like really cranky where this is a good plug just for your shows, because I've never laughed so hard. And then I went home and was like repeating your jokes to my partner, who didn't laugh because I didn't have the skill set of being funny like that.

Do you know what I mean?

Like comedy is like stand up with very hard to repeat as well. But I'm glad you like those shows like we're doing We're gonna do we haven't announced the dates yet, but with Joel and I are doing another.

Yeah, that's what I liked about it, though it was kind of conversational. I mean, you do in that show very cleverly, get to have your monologues or whatever you call it, when you kill and you do your bit, but the bits in between didn't seem like they were all pre rehearsed. Like you watch to listen to a lot of radio these days, and radio producers are like, be you didn't know that we pre planned everything, and you're like.

Oh, it did sound like yeah, I did know that. I did know that.

But with you guys, it seemed like that we were allowed to be a fly on the wall with some real friendship going on, which I thought was really clever.

Anyway, Yeah, yeah, no, that was the dream.

Thanks well, and now we're here sorry, welcome back to another series of Roupulse drag Races.

B Oh the way we should talk about this?

Yeah, yeah, Like it's very exciting to be doing a third one. It's nice. You know, you never know what's going to happen, and I'm glad that we're doing a third.

When you first signed up for the series, though, did you have any idea that was it was going to be an ongoing get Do they say to you, look, we're going to try it in Australia and see how it goes, or were they or did you think you were joining like this franchise that it is now?

I mean I think you hope, like you hope it's going to be a franchise, like and you know, but I didn't. You never know, like I was on a on a year to year thing, like it's not they don't and it's beside it every year what's going to happen with it? And I hope I wasn't going to be santinoed.

You'd imagine with these sorts of things, you'd be like, well, there's so many gay comedians now, I mean even cheap.

It's not that.

But it's good that you can keep coming back on the show. I really appreciate it as well.

Yeah, yeah, it is like and it's it's nice to like, I definitely feel part of the furniture now, kind of part of the family like it. You know, we we

It's fun.

Yeah, I mean that's the thing is like I think when it was through COVID, there was so many things. I mean, you did have big names, like you think you're Kylie and Danny in the first series, but yeah they're on zoom and so that's not fun. You want to be there next to them to be like hi, yeah.

And I never got to be like, you know, I didn't get to meet Tiger because he met the Queens and I wasn't there that day because it was in a runway day.

Yeah, I forget that you wouldn't be there for those those sorts of bits.

You know.

I want to ask you about this. How you got started on this. I heard a.

Rumor that RuPaul was watching you on Conan O'Brien all one of those up laid shows and saw you doing one of your sets, and that they reached out to you.

This way, Have I made this a Netflix?

I have a Netflix special and I think he's seen because he tweeted out of the Blue my special on Netflix and just said hilarious and I had an aneurysm.

Because that was never been the same again.

It was bonkers, and and yeah, so we did that, and then yeah, I got it. I knew there was kind of names being floated around, and I knew that I was on the long list, and then yeah, I got a call on a Sunday to say that it was happening. And yeah, I think because he is. I

It's the only time in the world where you're going for a job that your recollection of doing ketamine gets your job.

You know your weaknesses. I've done drugs, Great, we'll take You've got the job.

Oh my god, it's crazy. It's crazy.

That's fantastic and I love that for you. You know, the show's produced in New Zealand, which requires you to pack up and relocate. I've got two questions for how long do you have to move to New Zealand?

Four?

And do you get to hang out with Michelle Veasage and RuPaul, you know on the off days, like to go to subway?

Oh yeah, and get a roll together?

Yeah? Yeah, we go get we go get subway together. That's exactly what we do. No, we we do hang out. We're usually there. I think it's like close to a month, like usually it kind of depends on like COVID. COVID was different. It's not as long as the like the American ones, I know is longer. When I've met American queens, they're like.

Were we were there for six years?

Yeah? And I think also because we have a Sometimes the American show has like eighty queens on a season and they have to like get them, but you know, we've got ten. Yeah, we do hang out. Michelle and I we both like males, were like going to a male and like we live near each other, Like we go for luncheon and stuff, like we're not unless we

I'm picturing you both in like these Valua sort of Julie Cooper Nickel from the OC track suits together walking through News, Yeah, walking through Target and walking through Target in big w.

Like her and her hair guy Craig, who does her incredible, like I think he does her in the UK as well. We tend to kind of yeah, we all just kind

To get a critique? Was it?

Like?

You know the show?

Did he? Yeah? I did get a chante you stay, that was lucky.

The food was okay.

You know, things like Adam Lambert was on this year and he took us out for dinner afterwards, Like it is kind of amazing to see how excited people are to be on the show. Like I'm so excited to meet Adam Lambert, but then Adam Lambert, it is excited to be on the show and meet off and we all want this incredible sushi restaurant afterwards, and like partied and talked about how we're all against a zempic.

I need a zempickctually. No, that's not a plug for that. I would never do it, but I've definitely been watching.

We'd never do it, but if it was more known, it would absolutely do it. Like if there was more known about it, I would absolutely do it, but if there was more anyway.

I keep thinking about all the people that I've assumed that are doing it, And as soon as I assume it because I've seen a picture of them on Instagram, they say that they haven't done it. The next day and I haven't said anything, I haven't written to them, but I'm like, Oh, Kyle Richard's from Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, definitely ombic. And then like the next day, I am not on ozembic. I'm like she in my mind,

I can confidently say I was not intimidating to her. Someone could be holding a machete to her neck and they would be intimidated by her. Now she's not. She's not intimidating at all. And I think she actually puts work in to make sure that she's not my publicist and are actually just talking about this off air that like she's this incredible person who wants everyone to be comfortable. I think there's this idea of what she is and

Oh well, well we'll take that offline, but I'll definitely tell you that one because I was really surprised because I actually only had an interaction with her before and after she was on a series of Big Brother in the UK. Oh yeah, yeah and so and yeah. I just remember thinking she was incredibly warm and and she takes no bullshit.

Yeah, that's one thing, like she won't she won't bullshit around with someone. No, like she won't talk about something if she doesn't want to talk about something.

But I don't just remember like then as well, there was like an All Stars season where Ador Delano came back and we saw this scene and then left, and we saw this interaction between those two, and I loved that. We don't normally get to see them in the car park, do you know what I mean? Like we only see them on the things. So I found that super duper interesting.

You for being honest, you know, thank you for being here. I would get so stressed.

I often think about it because, like when you're in the industry for so long, you think, what would I do if I'm rectacles And in this I would think is there a lot of pressure on what your critiques are during those runway looks, and is there an opportunity to be able to to revoice something later on in like post production and a pickup because or does it just have to happen there all the time?

It just has to happen then on the time. We record pretty much what you see if how we record it, like the turnaround, Like I remember my very first day

Yeah, yeah, change it.

But when they go and go on untuck, we do our deliberations and there's like a ten minute turn around to do that. But in terms of like the runway and everything, it is snappy. And so the way that we do the puns is they walk down the wrong way and this is all common nose people walk down the run way once with music and it's very loud. Rel likes it very loud, like kind of clubby, and we see them and then they walk down with no music, and that's when we say and it is straight away.

You've just like one of the most like thought of I've never missed a series of Rue pouls. Don't watch all the international ones, but essentially all the mainstream ones. And also I will say I'm enjoying Australia these days more than the US one.

So it's nice.

I've obviously not read enough on the Internet to not know the answer to that, or I've been waiting for you to tell.

Me I can like and you know, I don't think this is tea but like there's no writers on set. There's no like teleprompters on set. Rue has an earpiece in, but only to talk in the same way that you know every.

Like Scotty Cam would have that on the block.

Yeah, yeah, exactly, Like so the producers can tell you something's gonna happen. Everything is his decision, like it kind of my experience of it, at least, it sometimes annoys me. Like you know, the biggest conspiracy that Ru's not there. Of course Rus there. But the thing of like, you know,

Thing, Reza I's going to say.

The thing that's funny about these shows is that there is this I'm going to use your word riggory in all reality shows. But the more popular they are, the more scrutinized they are. And then you've got all of these extra voices that are watching it and interpreting it a certain way and thinking, oh, I think I know what's going on. And then what we do on social media these days is we write what we think is an opinion as a fact, and then people then just

The queens are probably treated a little bit differently than than.

I am in the morning and snuffle you in a bag and drag you out of the room.

Like I know that, like and I think this happens in all the franchises. They stay in their hotel rooms and like they can't they don't have their phones and all that kind of stuff. But that's pretty regular of all reality television programs. They don't have phones on Survivor, for example, it would have made it a lot easier just order a pizza. But the no, it's like there's

Just like that's in every apartment it depends on in the car park.

The but yeah, there's not too much secrecy really, Like I get to work every day and get told what happened the night before and that sort of thing. But you know, it's not this kind of like, oh, no one can know, like because I think we're getting to the point where with all the franchises, people want to keep it a little bit of a fun secret to understand. It's like, you know, they don't want to ruin everything.

Oh god, every note I don't think that's gonna happen. I've had I've had Courtney on the podcast, and I don't think that's happening.

Just from some of the tea that she's built.

It's like not getting involved in that. I'm not getting involved.

In that, no neither of mine.

Did you see me trying to look the other way to try and bring something else in. But it is like a lot of people these days are like they're they're like psychics, you know what I mean, Like they're not very good psychics, so theyre just to think, oh the psykicks. Yeah, yeah, great, I'm glad that we've got that clear.

So psychics, that's what they're like.

And then they write something we are running out of time, So I'm going to get into just some other things really quickly that I just can't not not ask you. But so we've been around the drag circuit of Melbourne for a long time, and you more so probably right around Australia. Is there a drag queen in Australia that you are surprised that we haven't seen yet?

She doesn't work so much of the drag queen anymore. And this is more from my Sydney Partty Daves is a queen called Dallas Della Force. Oh is this wild? Like you got to look her up. She's incredible and she she's moved to Tasmania now and doesn't do as much drag anymore, but she and she does a lot of the costuming for has like people might remember speaking of courtneyc for earlier the Australia had the indigenous flag on it. Yeah, her season, Dallas delas Force made that.

There's some Melbourne ones that I think of, and I'm thinking of like DTS because I'm not even DTS. I love Paris the drag queen, like Laura Gravity Paris.

Oh my god, why did I think of Paris.

Yeah, Like there's some ones that I'm like, I don't know whether they've been asked or they're too expensive or the too old, or their style of drag or their camaraderie is not going to be right fit.

I don't know what it is.

But yeah, there's a queen in Melbourne called Scarlet So Hung Sun and she's pretty incredible. Like, I think there's we're going through a fun transition in drag where yeah, there is that kind of and we saw in last season with like Minnie Cooper there can be clashes between those two like the kind of and it's you know, I think it happens in our community for a long time. It's it's the same in like the Vogue scene, Like there's the old style and the new style and within

Mini Cooper was one of my favorite. I love Spanky as well, Like, but Mini Cooper and Spanky Jackson last year, like and the Queen Kong. I mean, the season the Girls last year was so good. I mean it was so amazing, Like I liked the conflict between people because it wasn't too much, it wasn't too toxic. I just I just really enjoyed the way that it all came together. I thought it was really amazing.

This year will be really interesting because yeah, I can't reference to this earlier, but like there's less of a focus this year on drama. I think I haven't seen all the edits, okay, so don't blame it on the edit, but like there's not as many like you would have seen the list, there's not as many kind of like, oh, you're a famous queen that I know from social media

What do you think about Queen Kong's LOGI nomination considering that she didn't win, Spanky Jackson won and then now Queen Kong's getting all of these acknowledgments. Do you think that has anything to do with the fact that Spanky Jackson's from New Zealand or well?

Yeah, probably.

I want to know what your tea on that is, Well, I.

Got note you like, I think Queen had an incredible and I don't know, maybe there is some sort of load. Do you have to be Australian to get nominated for LOGI Best Newcomer? I don't know, Like it's got to be best Australianalent probably the I think they like the three of them, Hannah, Queen and Spanky are like best as a friends. They still do a BABS and it's They are all perfect examples of Queens using drag Race as a launch pad and not as an end goal.

Because I mean, also what I appreciated from Queen Kong was the work that we've seen her do afterwards as well, Like I've seen important work done there afterwards. Anyway, so many questions to ask you, and people be so annoyed because I'm sure I've missed all the big questions, those top four questions that you've probably been asked by everyone, and I've forgotten to ask any of them. But maybe

What is it about? What am I in for?

It's a book, It's a book of it. It's not really about like, it's a book of essays and there's like kind of some recipes in that. Like it's kind of a writ called David Sedaris that I'll be like and it's kind of meant to be like I would not compare myself to him, but it's like a similar style.

But I love that.

I mean, it's it's a little trip into your I love the idea that you're telling me about because it's just really going into your mind and finding out, Yeah, what's going on in there?

Yeah, it's kind of it's it's a cathartic exercise for me, and I got paid a tiny bit of money for it.

Is Anthony Hopkins in there at all? Is he referenced at all? She referenced she the dog that you met the actor.

I was like, yeah, yeah, there's a couple of little Hopkins stories in there.

I think, yeah, okay, yeah.

So that's one of my favorite things is when you were talking about that, you were like, Anthony Hopkins, she is the dog. That's just the most bizarre dog mame ever, But.

I love it. Well.

She the Welsh Springer Spaniel the best.

Just before you go, what is everyone gets this? What is something from behind the scenes, something that we as an audience won't see, but maybe like a behind the scenes secret or maybe an anecdote, something strange that might have happened to you. Whilst making the third series of down Under.

Yeah, Aj from the Backstreet Boys turned up to set one day and we all went to see the Backstreet Boys together.

Oh wow, it was like a wild.

Me Michelle and Rue went to see the Backstreet Boys and the producer of the show.

Did you do some dancing a little bit? Like?

We all like it was very funny sitting there together, like and just I was sitting in between Ru and Michelle, It's just like what's in the back Street Boys? As you do, I get the feeling like that kind of I mean, that's kind of an anecdote.

Sure, I love that. People will love that as well.

It was such a long show, like it was a fun show to watch, but boy, howdy with it? They turned out the back three boys have a lot of thongs, and I get the feeling. The long whoever the long haired one is with the beard, I don't think he's allowed to talk on stage. Everyone else everyone else said something and he said nothing, and he said nothing. Everyone had this moment that's like Auckland, it's been ten years since we were here, blah blah, and then no talking from him, not.

Even like the chewbaccer sound.

People like, I think he's like maybe ultra religious or something, and maybe when he gets chatt and he might get a little preaching purity rings. Yeah, but yeah, sitting there with Ruin like because I kept thinking I got invited and like we're all going yeah. So AJ turns up on the set. It's the day that Adam Lambert is also there, and so I'm just like sitting at the panel just being like, what the fuck is going on?

I love that.

You know, You've really given me an amazing snapshot today of all of these people in a way that I've always wanted to know, Like I think you know, it has been so amazing. I'm a huge fan. I am in your audience and will always be. Thank you so much for being so generous with your time and chatting with me it's amazing, and good luck with the third season.

Thanks, I can't wait for people to see it. Good to see you.

I absolutely love Reese, and I loved how chilled out he was and how much tea he was able to spill. I didn't really expect that anyway, here's a treasure. Now stick around for our first eliminated queen. Please switch off now if you don't want to know who has been eliminated, and you have pretty much drawn out to do so, because I'm going to welcome in right into the podcast.

Now, Hi, Amil, how are you good?

Crazy situation? Very well, how are you?

I'm very excited to speak to you. I mean, you're the first queen coming out of down Under season three. I definitely did not see that coming as the show was going on, which is evidence to me that I would never be a good judge on this show.

Well, you know, I feel like I also didn't see it coming, so you know, we're in the same boat together. I don't think I have a career in judging ahead of me either.

You know, you were the only queen that I actually knew of before the show. So, like the groundswall of people talking about the show, and someone who I had known of. I feel like I jinxed you because I was like, oh, I can't wait to watch Amil knock this out of the park.

Thank you. I'm glad. I'm glad that I've made an impact. Get to keep doing that as well.

In reality is the pressure to perform in week one almost a little bit too much?

Absolutely? You know, the pressure was insane and like the night before, I had been up in my hotel room until like three am doing the steps. Even though the pressure was a lot, it did't feel good as well.

Well, I think, you know, it's luck, chance and circumstance, and I believe this across all reality TV shows since the beginning of them.

Yeah, I think it's it's definitely better to go at first rather than second. Or so I'm you know, sorry to the girls who are going to follow me, because I think, you know, first out you have, I think you're fresh and people's memories for a while and people feel sorry for you. So I think there are you know, a couple of good things that definitely come with it.

Where did the name Amil come from? Is that a name that you've had since you started drag?

Yeah, so initially When I started, my drag name was Amial Clooney because it was a joke about Amaal Clooney, George Clooney's wife and Amil substance. And I was like, my kind of sounds like Amil. That was my drag name. But no one got the joke. Too many people, I think. I think I think a lot more about human rights layers and than everyone else a little bit about the people do. So I said, you know what, we're driving the Clooney it's just Amil, and I feel like it stands well on its own.

I think it's a great name. I mean, it's it's something that's kind of traded. It's something that I've remembered from hearing you doing drags, So I mean it's it's a good name to have. I wanted to ask you, though, do you know, and this is just a personal question, can you still buy Amil in Australia? Was that?

Do they ban Ammil from being bought?

I remember, correctly you can't buy it without a prescription, but you can if you go to you know, select sex stores by VCR or let the Cleaner.

Still Wow, Okay, Because I really want I thought if anyone's going to know it's going to be you, And I'm just wondering, wonder what you go to the doctors for to say I need a prescription for amil.

Like a sex, I believe you can't say it for gay sex.

I believe. So that's that's sort of the I think it was the Therapeutic Goods Administration that like did this whole thing into it, and so yeah, I'm pretty sure that's that's why. So there you go.

Well, I'm glad to clear that up.

What makes Australia and New Zealand at this point in twenty twenty three, you know what makes our drag story interesting to tell?

Do you think?

I think it's exciting now because it is so much more diverse than it has been in the past. A season we had seven queens of color, which is insane for Australia and New Zealand especially, but even across the whole drag Race franchise, it's crazy. So that's really I think that's really special and really exciting because I think the face of drag here is changing. But I also think this season especially is great because we get to

Do you think we have our own flavor?

Yes, I think I believe it was RuPaul who said, I think it was the Graham Norton Show that down Under drag is quote unquote a little bit more ratchet, which I don't know if I intrinsically agree with, but I think like we definitely are a little bit more sort of I guess, irreverent, and a bit more I think filthy for lack of a better word, which I

Yeah, I think. So.

You know what's interesting about this third season different to season one and season two. I feel like the chemistry between all of the Girls is quite different. You know, last year there was a bit of conflict because we had Mini Cooper in there, who I love. But this year it seems like there's not as much conflict. What do you think Do you think conflict is good in reality shows or do you think people don't like it?

I think it is a mix of both. I think when it's contrived, you can usually tell when it's not very entertaining. When it's legitimate, it's kind of quite funny and quite engaging. But I think conflict for the sake of conflict is kind of pointless, honestly, because I think people should be coming along to the ride based on the drag, not the not the fights that happened. Yeah, that said, you'll have to wait.

And see because the more conflict to come.

I think there might be a little bit of conflict to come.

It's also like the very first episode of season two, you felt like you got some front runners, Like there's no clear front runner in my mind, that's sort of been set up at this point, and I feel like that we have seen the stronger personalities peering through the crowd. How did it feel while you were there? Could you see who the stronger coins were that were standing.

Out in my mind. The people that I was immediately sort of drawn into were Law and Holly. Holly starting off that number, coming out with such confidence and his azz I was like, Wow, that's incredible. She's the one. And then Flaw. Everything that Floyd did that entire first episode made through cackle and she is just so like arresting as a character in my mind in that first episode. Those are the people who really stood out to me as potential front rowers.

The challenge I thought this week were to me to get you all to perform in a group I thought was really hard and I could see that and I was watching you moving around on the dance floor. I was thinking, that's how I would be. That's that's exactly you were. You were literally physically being the version of myself that I would be if I had a Week one challenge where I had to do like a dance and singing gig I really related to.

It was hard as well, just because everyone was in such big costumes and I was like, I don't want to knockover Reta in her big thing, or like, you know, get one of my eyes poked out by the feathers in floors, shoes that are like this high, or you know, there was so much going on or like to trip ivery over with a like train thing, do you know what I mean. So there was just so much to think about. And it's not a big stage either, so it was there was a lot going on.

I couldn't tell you, Well, how hard is it to get onto this show as well? I mean now that RuPaul's Drag Race is what it is. I mean, it's this just this huge franchise all around the world, and it's kind of side all of these drag queens everywhere.

What did you have to do to get there?

Well, we all have to submit an audition tape. Of course, this is my first time auditioning to my own horn. I know a lot of the other girls auditions several times, but not me. But yeah, I mean it's sort of you've got to put together a bunch of stuff about, you know, like the yeah, the Dad's and not an acting challenge and a new sewing thing and you know, all sorts of different things, and so putting all that together was I feel like kind of a little taste

And then did you have like a favorite queen from around the world? I mean, at certain times, maybe because I was drinking red wine while I was watching it, maybe I'm off the mark, but you kind of gave me some changel of vibes at some point. So I just was curious about which means had influence to you.

I think my top two Drag Race queens ever in the world would be Alaska and Aquaria, who are quite different. But I feel like I think if I would like to be like the love child of those two, I would to be able to do both of those things.

The conversation I was seeing in some of the forums yesterday was that we have a lot of younger queens in season three and less older queens. Do you think that that's being done on purpose? I mean, what's your thoughts on older queens versus younger queens.

I have a feeling that it was relatively intentional because I think the last couple of seasons.

The older queens created a lot of drama to deal with.

Well, no, that is kind of true, actually, isn't it. But I think it kind of has skewed older in the past, and so I think this sort of I feel like this season was supposed to be fairly different in terms of, you know, diversity, in terms of age, in terms of drag style. All of those were intentional choices to I guess, you know, show that down to drag is not just you know, the Spanky Jackson's and Mini Coopers of the world.

What was the most surprising thing? So you get onto Rupol's drag race and it's all very new, it's all very loud. But what for you was the most surprising thing about realizing this dream.

It's really cold. It's really cold in there. They keep the main stage like freezing, and so I don't know how those like body girls do it every time, and they they walk out onto the runway wearing like a bra and a anty. I'm like, I would freeze to death.

Race. Nicholson was just telling me.

It was like people would be surprised at how cold it is in there and how loud RuPaul plays the music.

He was like, it's like club level.

Yeah, oh my god, it was. I was shocked. I completely lot about that. It was so loud. Yeah, jumped, yeah crazy.

Did you work out if there's a Queen Bee status at this point? I always love asking right across all reality shows, like is there a person who's going to take charge of this series? Like, maybe not win, but you know, get that Queen Bee status going on?

I think and I say this because I know her personally, not because of anything that she's done on the show so far. But I think Holly has such an air of confidence about that people I think often interpret is quite hostile, even though it's not necessarily that hostile, but I do think people interpret it as such. I think she sort of has that aura about her.

Okay, I'll look out for that one. I'm excited about that. Would you have done anything differently at this point? Now that you're looking bad and it's you know, this was all sort of films a little while ago and it's now on television, you've had some time to think about it. Would you or have you thought about anything that you would have done differently.

I would have put a different zipper in my entrance dress, I would have I think I would have walked in with a bit of an air of confidence that I don't think I had this time around. I say this time around. It makes it sound like I'm angling for All Stars already, doesn't it?

And you should like I think you should. All Stars is definitely. I mean, I like Chandelo and I referenced you as Changelo, and I'm pretty sure that she's been on the show three times now, so maybe we will see am will come back for our first All Stars in Australia.

Anything is possible, But yeah, I think being a bit more confident is something that would have done me quite a while. So if there is the next time, you can be sure that I'll be walking there with all the confidence in the world.

Now that you've done the show as well, do you have an idea of what you'd like to see RuPaul do? Like, is there anything that they could do with this franchise, any different ways to up the ante, Like it's one thing to watch it on TV, but another to actually take on the challenge. I'm sure you'd be the right person to ask that question too.

I mean, this is obviously I'm a little bit biased, but I think I would love to see more seasons when no one gets eliminated, because I just love seeing that everyone has to offer and being in the workroom and looking around there's so much that we won't get to see that it's just so good and so much talent. Sometimes I know that things can feel a little bit contrived, and I think it's probably a good thing to let things play out naturally, which might happen the season.

I guess we'll see a little bit cryptic, but also a bit of a tease to what's to come.

Who do you think is going to win now?

Not what you know now, because you probably know a little bit more, but when you walked out of the competition, who did you think is going to take this out?

Really? Yeah, well million percent. As soon as Holly won that first episode, I was like, it's.

Hurt okay you on that one. We'll go with the betting Ons on this. And then my last question is something to ask everyone who joins the podcast. What is something from behind the scenes, something that we did not see that we won't see kind of like a behind the scenes secret or kind of like a funny anecdote or something that happened to you whilst you were in the RuPauls drag race machine.

I think the most absurd and comical thing that happened is definitely for filming her meat the Queen's video. I have never seen anyone so funny in my life. She was sitting there and she was you know, they asked for a questions. She was like, I'm doing my makeup and I'm getting fucked. They can't do the make up because I'm getting fucked too, And the producers were like, what like getting fucked in? She was like, yeah, fuck's like drunk, and everyone was like, she is so funny.

About, some more filthy language, some more drinking, and some more hilarity.

I can't wait. And well, thank you so much for.

Chatting with me this morning. I think you did a fant plastic job on the first episode. You should be very proud.

Thank you very much. I appreciate it.