“There are a lot of things that I could say, and I don’t want to get in trouble,” Jonbers Blonde tells GAY TIMES. The Northern Irish fashionista is referring to this week’s befuddling Drag Race UK vs the World challenge, in which the queens worked in teams of three to sell their individual brands in an “immersive experience” called Drag Race World. “Most of us did not know what was going on, and the host of the show did not know what was going on with this challenge,” Jonbers says, before revealing that she was forced to “ask for a call with the challenge team” to help cure the cast’s confusion.
The end result was very… this. Keta Minaj splattered a member of the Brit Crew in paint before tossing him around on the ground, La Grande Dame spoke Simlish as she transformed into John Paul Gaultier and Hannah Conda cackled into the ears of a sheep ornament. Admittedly, some of it was quite hilarious, but we’re still not sure what the intention was behind this so-called “immersive experience”.
Although Jonbers received rave comments for her runway, she landed in the bottom with Keta and was cut from the competition by lip-sync winner Scarlet Envy. Read ahead for our interview with Jonbers, where she discusses her UK vs the World experience, reads the challenge for filth and shares her two unhinged choices for the Snatch Game.
Jonbers, hi’re you? Did I get that right?
I’m good, hi’re you?
I can’t continue in that accent, I’m a flop.
It’s a tricky one. It’s all in the vowels. Didn’t you learn anything from my how-to?
But how are you? Well… you are eliminated.
No, listen love, we filmed it a long time ago. I gave myself a little time to feel annoyed. Not annoyed, but to feel upset, especially coming fresh off a season where I made it to the final. I was like, ‘It’s certainly not the end of the world.’ It’s a tricky business this one, this Vs the World situation.
Why did you want to come back so soon after UK season four?
First of all, when you’re told Ru specifically asks for you, you’re like, ‘Okay.’ You’re not gonna turn down Ru. Also, not only am I a contestant on Drag Race UK, but I am a mega fan of all the franchises. I honestly can’t tell you the feeling of walking that runway and being there, it’s one of those heart-in-your-throat sort of moments. It’s because we’re passionate about what we do, and we want to show the best of our abilities. At the end of the day, it is reality TV, so they’re gonna have one of those giant Q-Tips batting you like on Gladiators. Also, this one was going into a season with people I wouldn’t necessarily know or maybe not have met, apart from at something like Drag Con. To compete against girls and be seen, because obviously a lot more people watch this one because there are more international people, it was just another opportunity.
At least you left looking like that.
I know! I haven’t seen the episode, but Ru did say to me on the runway, ‘I wish we could bring out a mirror so you could see how amazing you look.’ I got one of those moments in season four, where she said it was one of the greatest runway looks ever. She said, ‘You look incredible.’ I was like, ‘At least I’m going out like this.’
That must’ve been a f**k you to the queens who said your drag was in the most need.
Oh god yeah. Honey, apart from Marina [Summers], let’s look at who was saying that. Listen, it’s all shade.
@gaytimes @JonbersBlonde discusses THAT very confusing #DragRaceUKvsTheWorld challenge… 😭 #dragrace #rupaulsdragrace #dragraceuk #rupaulsdragraceuk #jonbersblonde #dragqueen #dragqueens #dragqueensoftiktok #dragracecontent ♬ original sound – GAY TIMES
I loved how you launched an official investigation into who did it…
When we were standing there, we couldn’t see in the mirror. People were like ‘you’re pressed!’ and I wasn’t angry about it, because I know it was done in shade. I just wanted to know who done it. People were like, ‘It’s a democracy, we don’t show votes.’ You’re on national TV, honey, everyone can see it. I just wanted to know for my tactics of like, if someone was to be in the bottom. I’m a very upfront person, I will say it. When I got asked I was obviously like ‘that’s not the question at hand’ but I said it straight away because it’s on national TV and everyone’s gonna see it.
Let’s talk about this week’s challenge. Jonbers, it was so confusing. It was a branding challenge for each queen, but then it was an immersive experience for Drag Race World? I had no bloody clue what was going on.
I… There are a lot of things that I could say, and I don’t want to get in trouble. Most of us did not know what was going on, and the host of the show did not know what was going on with this challenge. It was a very tricky challenge. I haven’t seen the episode, so I don’t know how things have played out with what they’ve shown, but we were all confused! Also it was a group challenge, so who should take the blame? They gave us a booklet on this challenge about what it was. They gave it to us on a certain day and then we had to mull it over to think of ideas. I had to ask for a call with the challenge team to be like, ‘I don’t know if this is right.’ I’m not putting the blame on anybody at all. Some people were like ‘it’s an acting challenge’ but it was improv, really. There was no script, so it wasn’t acting. Yeah… Yet again, [I was] hit by one of those challenges. But, you get a challenge, you do what you can with it.
It was one of those rare challenges where, after watching all of the performances, I didn’t have the foggiest as to who the tops and bottoms were.
No, and neither did we. Going into the day of elimination, every single person was scared because only your team knew what you had done. We’re not allowed to talk about what we’ve done because it all has to be saved for the camera, so that when we watch it on stage we could react. Nobody knew what way it was gonna go. It’s a super subjective challenge. Drag is subjective, fashion and art is all subjective. I think that’s where I was hurt because I wish it wasn’t that challenge I went out on. What can you do? It’s the way of the world of Drag Race. We came fresh off watching [All Stars 7] and I was like, ‘Maybe they’ll do a twist and let us all stay and it’s done on a points system, then it’s done by badges.’ That’s what I think we should do for every All Stars season because of the amount of money we spend on all of these looks, and then we don’t even get to show half of them. Every single runway I was excited to see what somebody had done. I mean, all three runways, lol, until I knew I was leaving. I wish that would’ve been the format so we could show everything we brought. It’s Drag Race, you’re not gonna get what you want.
I agree, a lot of fans feel the same as well. How did it feel when Scarlet revealed your lipstick, because you two bonded a little bit when you pleaded your case?
For sure. We all had the conversation the previous week about who would be sent home, and Scarlet obviously said ‘I’ll eliminate my biggest competition’, and Keta was in the top the week before. In challenges to come, and we knew Snatch Game was probably going to be next, I think Scarlet thought that would be the challenge where I could finally be in the top. It’s the name of the game. If it was me, I wouldn’t eliminate my biggest competition because it’s a TV show and I want to watch a good TV show, but that’s not me saying anything against Keta. In the situation, that’s what I was trying to say, ‘I would like to make this as best as we can.’
Who do you actually think was the worst in the challenge?
Shady, ya’ll! I don’t know. Honestly, most of them. I think it’s the challenge. I don’t think anybody was bad. I think it was a bad challenge! It was so subjective that it could’ve been anybody. There was not much that we could do with it. A lot of people were using other people’s catchphrases and stuff from Drag Race, but it was meant to be personable. I thought, ‘You’ve used someone else’s catchphrase? That’s not personal to you, so that should be you in the bottom?’ I’m not a judge.
And yours was quintessentially you…
Yeah, totally. Mine couldn’t be more me. I got told that I should’ve done less, but there were loads of people who should’ve done less.
How difficult was it for you filming the challenge, because of the situation with La Grande Dame? How long did she actually take?
She took the full 20 minutes. We had 20 minutes to do the challenge and she took 20 minutes. Michelle [Visage] turned around and was like, ‘Just to let you know, you’re 30 seconds away from 20 minutes.’ My heart was like… They did say to us that we would get more time, but they were like, ‘We’ll penalise you and it will look bad if you take a lot more time.’ That’s on me, for getting flustered. I think most people would, but I should’ve been calm and collected, know what I’m doing and saying. It just didn’t go that way, honey.
Next week is Snatch Game. I really hope you’re willing to reveal who you were going to impersonate because both Mayhem Miller and Arantxa Castilla-La Mancha did not tell me…
I don’t mind telling at all, because I was so excited. So, I was going to do Mrs Claus. I had two options. I was either going to do it like she had loads of surgery because it was the first time anybody was going to see her – it was Jocelyn Wildenstein as Mrs Claus – or that she just hated Christmas. Then my second choice was Jackie Stallone. I love astrology and medium-ship, and she’s a huge astrologer. Do you know she used to read people’s bumholes? Google it! I mean, how genius is that? ‘Let me read this bumhole and see what I can get from it. I’m getting a good aura from your bumhole.’
This sounds unhinged. Finally, what’s next from Jonbers Blonde?
I have more music coming out with the amazing producer KDA, who made the song ‘Turn The Music Louder’ and worked with Tinashe. He was the producer that made ‘In Fashion’. Our new single ‘Don’t Know You Anymore’ is a big thumper. Also more DJ-ing, I’m going on tour with a real iconic housewife from The Real Housewives New York as her support act.
That is the definition of camp.
I can’t say who it is! It’s the one that does cabaret, okay? Obviously, we’re going on tour, and I’m super excited about that. I’m trying to do the biggest performance I’ve ever done. Last time I’d done my own music and I really wanna show this time what I can do as a performer. This season on UK vs the World, I didn’t get to show that as much because you don’t get to lip-sync if you’re not in the top. And I love a good lip-sync!
Thank you Jonbers, I’m so sad we’re not going to see your Snatch Game, whether it was Jackie or Mrs Claus…
Who knows? Maybe I’ll come back at some point. Never say no!
A lot of people come back after a second go, I mean, there are a lot of third-time queens…
Exactly. I feel like there’s more to be seen. Here’s hoping!
Drag Race UK vs the World is streaming in the UK on BBC iPlayer.
You can watch our interview with Jonbers Blonde here or below.
More
