Drag Race UK: Alexis Saint-Pete shares her elimination theory

After the season five premiere of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK failed to initiate a new recruit into Gothy Kendoll, Joe Black, Anubis and Just May’s “Royal Family” of first-outs, a queen has now been sent packin’. The dreaded design challenge popped in for this week’s episode, with the cast creating an outfit from pet store items (camp!).

Banksie emerged supreme, while Naomi Carter’s “rotten” ensemble and Alexis Saint Pete’s tribute to her dead fish, Jonny, landed them in the bottom two. A fierce lip-sync smackdown to Tiesto and Charli XCX’s cunty dance banger ‘Hot In It’ resulted in the season’s first “sashay away” for Alexis. In a video call from Poland, the choreo queen tells GAY TIMES her theory behind her exit: “It had nothing to do with what I was presenting [on the runway], it was the energy that I brought with me.”

As the series’ first Polish queen, Alexis says she had “such a big responsibility” representing her country, particularly due to their barbaric ‘LGBT-free’ zones. As The House of Hidden Meanings author RuPaul would say, Alexis’ “inner saboteur” got the better of her. Read ahead for our interview with Alexis Saint-Pete, where she reflects on her Drag Race UK experience, why she fumbled in the lip-sync and which famous maxi-challenge she wants to “eliminate” from the series.

Alexis! How are you?

I’m good! I think I’m better than what I thought I’d be. I’m still buzzing. 

Are you back in Poland now? 

Yesterday we watched episode two and went straight to the airport to catch flight to Poland, and I just did an interview for Good Morning Poland. 

Oh, so I’m your second interview of the day? I see how it is…

But listen, you’re special to me. So, we have something that nobody else has. 

We really do, which is why I’m sad to see you go. How did you feel at the time of your elimination? Take me back to when RuPaul told you to sashay away…

Honestly, I feel like since day one of my entry, I got into my head. So, I got a little bit stressed out. I just had such a big responsibility, representing [Poland]. Everything I was doing, I was going by the rulebook. Like, what I needed to say and represent, make sure that people from my country don’t hate me and that the UK loves me. There was a lot going on in my head. On the day of elimination, I was getting to the confident part. I enjoyed my look and I thought Jonny the Fish was camp. I was like, ‘I’m not expecting to be a winner, but at least safe.’ Listen, it’s what it is. 

It was smart of you to incorporate Jonny and his demise. It was camp as tits, so I thought you were going to be safe as well. 

To be honest, it was more than just the look or the presentation. I feel like RuPaul saw that I was really nervous and stressed out. I wasn’t really enjoying it. I wasn’t really… fun. From time to time I was fun when I was by my own, I was my good friend, but when I was on that runway I was like, ‘Ugh.’ I think RuPaul was like, ‘We’re gonna let you go home. You’re gonna watch all of this and see what you could become.’ It had nothing to do with what I was presenting, it was the energy that I brought with me.

@gaytimes Alexis Saint-Pete reflects on her #DragRaceUK experience! 🏁 #alexissaintpete #dragraceuk5 #druk #druk5 #dragrace #dragraceelimination ♬ original sound – GAY TIMES

Alexis, may I ask you a shady question? 

Yes! I love shady questions.

Who do you think should’ve been in the bottom with Naomi? 

I wasn’t paying attention to anybody, I was so obsessed with my look. When I watched it, I thought everybody brought something different. Even though Tomara’s look wasn’t the most creative one, she sold it with her presence and that’s what it’s really about. You could be wearing a bin bag, but if you’re not selling it then nobody’s going to buy it. I think Tomara’s look, but her presence was really good, so I see why I was in the bottom. 

We have to talk about that lip-sync because it was insane. 

No it wasn’t! 

I had such a fun time watching that. There was a bit of a hoo-hah with your heel…

Yes, basically my heel is a stiletto with spikes inside. I was wearing a net, and I didn’t think the net would get caught in the spike. Instead of falling apart, I just gracefully fell down. I think that was one of the main reasons [that I got sent home]. I didn’t take it as a joke. I could’ve taken the piss out of it and thrown the shoe, taken both my shoes off. Again, that was how seriously I took it. I wasn’t having fun. 

I’m supposed to be impartial in these interviews, or rather I think I should be, but when you did the twirl into the splits, I thought you saved yourself.

When I fell down in the split, I wasn’t wearing any underwear. I wanted to create a whole nude illusion when I was wearing it, I didn’t want any distractions with, like, thongs. I didn’t want it to look cheap, you know? But from the side, the slit was so high you could see the whole bloody vajayjay. 

Any other season, that look would’ve been safe because it was such a strong episode. 

I feel like this cast is insane. Honestly, it’s one of my favourite seasons to watch – not just because I was there! Everybody is such a character, representing such a different style of drag. It’s so interesting to watch. There’s drama, crying, talent. It’s honestly good TV.

You now follow in the footsteps of Gothy Kendoll, Joe Black, Anubis and Just May as the first-outs of Drag Race UK…

I put pierogi into the porkchop. I’m the first pierogi. I don’t eat meat like that. P-i-e-r-o-g-i. They spelled it wrong on Drag Race UK. It’s like dumplings, basically. Any companies that have pierogi, I will be the perfect face of it.