This Drag Race winner has clapped back at claims she won due to favouritism.
On 7 November, Canada’s Drag Race stars JuiceBoxx and Synthia Kiss appeared on Joseph Shepherd’s Exposed After Dark show, where they discussed their new podcast and spilt the tea on all things Drag Race.
Toward the end of their interview, the pair answered four questions from the Hole in the Bowl – including one inquiring if there was favouritism for a particular queen on their respective seasons.
“I mean, yeah. I mean she worked very hard, and she deserved to win, but yes, they really loved Priyanka,” JuiceBoxx said.
“She’s good TV, and I’m not trying to take away from everything she worked hard for, but they loved her.”
JuiceBoxx went on to use Priyanka’s reusable runway outfit from episode four as an example of the supposed favouritism.
“Remember that umbrella metal thing she wore? It was dogshit, and they were like, ‘This is fashion’ I was like, ‘Babe, it’s garbage. We look like garbage because you gave us garbage,'” she continued.
“But she worked very hard, and she deserved to win, but yeah, there was a little bit of favouritism.”
A few days after the aforementioned interview went live, Priyanka took to social media to shut down the claims.
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“This is actually crazy to hear. When I got home from Drag Race, I remember saying to my mom that I for sure think Rita Baga is gonna win, and I was so traumatized that I don’t think I’ll ever do Drag Race again,” she said at the start of her video.
“But it’s wild to me to hear someone else’s perspective thinking that I was favoured and that’s why I won because that’s definitely not how it went down.”
Priyanka added that she fought for her life throughout the competition and was fairly judged before addressing JuiceBoxx’s comments about her episode four ensemble.
“The design challenge was rogue, but I modelled it really well, and I served, even though it looked like dog shit. I think saying someone was favoured, but they worked hard, so it’s fine, is a little bit backhanded,” she concluded.
The first season of Canada’s Drag Race made its world premiere on Crave and WOW Presents Plus in July 2020.
In addition to Priyanka and JuiceBoxx, the cast included Rita Baga, Scarlett BoBo, Jimbo, Lemon, Ilona Verley, BOA, Kiara, Tynomi Banks, Anastarzia Anaquway, and Kyne.
Like its US predecessor, the queens competed in an array of creative challenges – like the beloved Snatch Game – for the crown, a cash prize of $100,000 doollahz and the title of Canada’s Next Drag Superstar.
After 10 outrageous weeks, Priyanka was named the show’s inaugural winner and even made herstory as the Drag Race franchise’s first-ever Indo-Caribbean champion.