Courtney Act reviews the year in drag… henny

23rd December 2018

Jack Alexander

20gayteen has been a sickening year for drag.

We’ve been gagged over not one, not two, but three seasons of RuPaul’s Drag Race, including two editions of All Stars, which has boasted some of the most incredible episodes in the show’s HERstory.

Former Drag Race star Courtney Act also became the first drag queen champion of Celebrity Big Brother, and engaged in some truly wonderful and educational conversations about gender identity with Ann Widdecombe, who is notorious for her anti-LGBTQ stance in British politics.

Because Courtney is having the best year of her life, career-wise (she’s about to host her own Christmas Extravaganza on Channel 4!), we caught up with the Australian fish and enlisted her to review the year in drag. Get your jush below!

Your Celebrity Big Brother win…

“That was a pretty good start of the year, the year of drag, 20gayteen. It was amazing and so exciting to think that an Australian drag queen who was an American reality show could come to the UK and win Celebrity Big Brother and be celebrated for more than just a wink-wink nudge-nudge and a dick joke, and actually be able to participate in conversations and explanations of gender and sexuality.”

The internet phenomenon that is Miss Vanjie…

“Was that this year? That took the world by storm. I think in many ways, it was bigger than the individual. I think Miss Vanjie has made the most of it, and I see her everywhere. But yeah, those six words were iconic.”

Athena Heart being banned from her talent show and subsequently being invited to DragWorld…

“I spoke to Athena when she’d been banned. That was a weird one, because it was a school talent show and it really seemed like a misstep by the school. It was disappointing in 2018. You can dress up as anything you want in a talent show, but because it crossed genders it somehow became taboo? It was lovely that it took on a life of its own and that she got invited to DragWorld. It turned the frown upside down.”

BenDeLaCreme eliminating herself on All Stars 3…

“Oh, controversial! Probably slightly too soon. Like when it happened, it was all the rage, and then there was a few weeks where I was like, ‘I wish Ben was still there.’ So, whilst I support that she felt like it was the right time for her, as a selfish viewer, I would’ve liked her to stay.”

The Vixen calling out racism on Drag Race…

“That was fascinating because obviously, you say lots of things on reality television, but only certain things make it to the edit. There was something really special about Monique, Monet, The Vixen and Asia, the four of them in the very first episode of Untucked. To see The Vixen call out racism, and to see Monet sort of narrate it so beautifully, that was really great. And then the finale, there was something so tone deaf about it, which made me think, ‘Wait a minute, maybe they didn’t actually realise what they were doing.’ Everything The Vixen said, that they displayed, sort of came back in the end as an example of what she was talking about. Ironically, from another person of colour, RuPaul as the host, I just thought the way they left it in, they’re not gonna make RuPaul intentionally look like an arse. But I kinda think they did. And so that made me think that they’re tone deaf to the conversations that are going on, which is disappointing, but I’m glad it got aired, and Asia’s reaction was important. The Vixen walking out, like yeah, don’t feel the need to stick around for people who are going to be disrespecting.”

Bianca Del Rio becoming the first drag queen to announce a headline show at Wembley…

“That’s exciting. I don’t know, is that 14,000 tickets? She already sold 10,000 tickets in London over three nights at the Apollo, so I don’t think the actual possibility of her selling out is that limited. I think she’ll do it. She’s nervous, I think, because it’s such a big deal, but I’m really excited. I can’t wait to be there!”