No matter what she says, Cheryl Hole – and we say this with some determination – will never be mediocre. It’s just not possible. Although the Essex divalina once again failed to secure a RuPeter Badge, she continued to prove that she’s a mothertucking star on Drag Race UK vs the World with her charismatic confessionals, elevated runways and fierce talent show number, which saw Cheryl serve one of her classic, choreo-heavy lip-sync routines.
On this week’s episode of the international spin-off, the eight remaining Glamazon Warriors served three looks on the runway for the RuPaul Ball, with one outfit created from scratch that Mama Ru herself would want to wear. While Cheryl’s looks for Kitty Girl and Butch Queen impressed the judges, it was her third and final ensemble that landed her in the bottom two alongside Drag Race veteran Jujubee. After conquering the “lip-sync for the world”, Janey Jacké ended Cheryl’s time on the series; eliciting a passionate response from viewers online in the process.
“That’s the way the cookie crumbles. You get dealt the cards, you’ve got to play your deck and then roll with the punches,” Cheryl tells GAY TIMES shortly after her exit, before joking: “I think it’s the curse of Priyanka. If you’re on a Priyanka EP, you’re going home. [Me and Lemon] were the only features and look what happened. Mama Ru went, ‘You’re not duetting with us.’”
While Cheryl is understandably “devvo’d” over losing her place in the competition, she has no time to mourn. This week, the beloved performer is releasing her solo debut single, Need the Power, an infectious pop anthem inspired by classic divas such as Britney Spears, Girls Aloud and the Spice Girls. Here, we chat with Cheryl about the future Grammy Award-winning banger, her short-lived stint on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs the World and, as per, her plans for Snatch Game.
Cheryl, my divalina. How are ya?
Devvo’d. Absolutely devvo’d, but you know what? That’s the way the cookie crumbles. You get dealt the cards, you’ve got to play your deck and then roll with the punches. To be honest, you’re lucky you got a nice queen this week because I don’t imagine some of these other queens taking it as well as I did!
I’m just devastated to see you without a RuPeter badge again!
Look, I said it when I was leaving, I think this is what I’m destined for. Juju’s destined to do 17 seasons of Drag Race and I’m destined to never win a challenge! I’m fine, I just want everyone to know that I’m absolutely fine. It is what it is, and I’m just happy that I got to have a second opportunity.
Remember, Jujubee didn’t land her first challenge win until her third Drag Race stint…
Third time’s a charm! Mama Ru, can you hear me?
Also, can I just say that back-to-back eliminations for both you and Lemon does not make sense with my fantasy.
I think it’s the curse of Priyanka. If you’re on a Priyanka EP, you’re going home. We were the only features and look what happened. Mama Ru went, ‘You’re not duetting with us. Your vocals are popping!’
RuPaul was too scared.
‘Mama Ru, shut your mouth for a minute!’ Could you imagine?
Looking back at the episode, do you agree with your bottom two placement?
100%. I had the biggest breakdown in the werkroom. I sewed the two legs of my catsuit together and in the last hour I had to go, ‘Right, let’s get something done because you can’t be walking the runway in just your undergarments.’ So in all honesty, I was proud I was able to make something because we all know I’m no seamstress. But, I got something made on my own and I did the damn thing. Yes, I should’ve been in the bottom based off of that alone, but I thought my other two runways were absolutely killer.
And you sold the shit out of that third one.
I had to. Sam, I had to. I’m sorry, It was dog-awful. The only way I was going to do it justice was pummelling that runway. That’s one thing I pride myself on, being able to sell a pile of poo.
From falling in poo on Celebs on the Farm, to selling poo on Drag Race UK vs the World.
It’s a full circle moment.
In your confessional, you expressed how Janey was being short with you when you pleaded your case. Do you think her mind was already made up at that point?
Yeah, I think so. I think Janey was going into this like, ‘I’m basing this off of the things that we had to do in the challenge, which was make a garment.’ As much as the ball could save you if you’re on the cusp of top win or bottom safe, that could be the teetering between the two looks. But based on the challenge, she was like, ‘I’m going into this with that mindset.’ Juju’s look was nice, it was cute. Other than flashing her minge every single second she walked the runway, she looked good whereas I didn’t. So, I guess she was like, ‘We’re doing this because we need to do this and sit and have this conversation,’ whereas I genuinely went in hoping she could change her mind.
Do you think some of your UK vs the World sisters are too scared to give Jujubee the chop because of her legend status?
Not necessarily, because we all see that Jujubee always does well and always makes it to the end, and she can smash all the big challenges like Snatch Game and whatnot. Some queens might go into it thinking, ‘Well, I want to get her out. I want to make it to the end.’ That’s the tactic I think some of them are going to play, but I think others might be like, ‘Oh, I’m scared to send her home!’
This is Jujubee’s fourth time in the race, whereas this was your second, so how did it feel when Janey revealed your lipstick?
In the moment, I was devastated. I love Jujubee, we’re good sisters and there’s no hard feelings whatsoever. In the moment I was devastated that my time had come to the end but I was in the bottom with somebody who is such a powerhouse, so I kind of felt it in the waters. I wasn’t balling my eyes out like, ‘I’m sorry guys!’
The fact we didn’t get to see you lip-sync for your life this season is preposterous to me. We saw you lip-sync in the talent show, but lip-syncing as part of a challenge is very different to lip-syncing for your life. There’s more of a…
Yep, there’s fire, there’s gusto behind you. It’s just the nature of the game. You don’t get that opportunity to prove how much you want it with a lip-sync for your life this time round, and to be honest, I think the other girls would have been scared to go against me in a lip-sync because we all know what I can do. My passion in drag is performance. As much as I like to turn a look now, my heart lives on stage, and that’s what I truly would’ve done in that moment. I wouldn’t care if I ripped that dress off and did it.
There’s been a lot of talk online about how much help Baga received from Pangina. What do you make of the situation?
We all had help. Everybody had help. We were all getting advice. Jimbo and Janey thread my machine when it went balls up because I wasn’t familiar with the machines. Pangina helped stone bits of it as we were going to the runway and she hot glued me into it. We all had help, so I’m never going to be angry at other people for getting help and support, because we all did. Nobody in that challenge did it all by themselves. Janey even credited Mo saying, ‘If it wasn’t for Mo telling me to change it up I wouldn’t be stood here in the top.’ I love Baga with all my heart and soul, and again, it’s the nature of the game. We were three queens from the UK. In all honesty, there was no way these queens were going to keep all three of us until the end. Unfortunately, I was collateral damage.
I searched “Cheryl Hole” on Twitter today and everyone is unanimous in saying you should’ve advanced further in the competition. What’s it like seeing fans rally so hard behind you?
I’m truly overwhelmed. Even in my replies at the moment, I’m beyond overwhelmed. In all honesty, post-season one I’ve had a very strong following, but to be back in the thunderdome and hearing people’s opinions every week, it’s tough. Because people online are fucking mean. They’re really horrible, so I try and stay away from it as much as possible, not because ignorance is bliss, but for my own sanity. I’m not going to cloud my head with negativity because that’s all people want, to get a reaction from you. But the love has been beyond. I can’t even put it into words. I bawled my eyes out at the viewing party yesterday because when Janey pulled that lipstick and went, ‘Cheryl,’ I was literally staring at the screen like… Lisa Rinna tears streaming down my face with the bunny. Honestly, the room went up and I was so grateful.
What was the reaction from the crowd when you sashayed away?
It was like, ‘Cheryl, no!’ It was a wave of emotions. I had Jimbo sat to my left like, ‘Oh wow!’ Like… Jimbo, you were there.
Cheryl, I know you have many tricks in your repertoire, so what else could we have expected from you this season?
Look, I only got to show a small percentage of what I do in season one. It was just unfortunate I was in a cast full of such talented people. I would’ve loved to do another acting challenge because I think my Downtown Draggy old lady acting was brilliant, so I would’ve loved to do another acting challenge. In all honesty… Next week is the bloody Rusical! If that wasn’t a challenge made for me… I’m sorry, you’re missing a trick, Mama Ru, because I would’ve smashed that.
Especially a West End Rusical!
Imagine me as, like… Tracy Turnblad? Hey, it is what it is. To be honest, imagine me finally getting my RuPeter badge redemption with a girl group challenge? Could you imagine? Missing a trick, missing a trick!
Cheryl, who would you have impersonated on Snatch Game?
I was going to keep this hush hush hush, incase I went back for a third time, but I was going to do Sharon Osborne.
Oh my god. Please give me a bit of your Sharon?!
[Sharon Osborne voice] ‘Oh Sam! It’s a yes from me! I love this job so much. Oh Ozzy!’ I’m so tempted to rip this wig off and put on my Sharon one for you. Have we got time, have we got time? I’ll do it for you, only because it’s you, Sam. Right… Are you ready?
I’m ready.
You said that with some determination.
Cheryl, I’m ready.
[Sharon Osborne voice] ‘And what’s your name?’ ‘Rachel.’ ‘And what would you rate yourself out of 10?’ ‘Ten.’ ‘You’re better than Madonna!’
You would’ve had that badge Cheryl.
Right, give me two secs to put this wig back on my head because I’m not finishing this interview looking like a bastard. Three, two, one… There we go.
We need to talk about Need The Power, your upcoming solo debut on the charts. Why was now the right time to release this bop?
It was something that I aspired to since as long as I can remember. I looked up to these pop divas: Britney, Girls Aloud, the Spice Girls. These were all the divas I wanted to be when I was growing up. Look, when you first leave Drag Race, in the words of Vanity Milan, you need to “hit the ground running”, so you need to take every opportunity you can. So, a lot of projects get put on the back-burner and this time around I was like, ‘I’ve hustled, I’ve cemented myself, I’ve got nothing to prove. Let’s just start doing the things you want to do.’ I wasn’t given many opportunities to showcase what I do so this is a chance to say, ‘Look, you missed out seeing me do this on TV, so here’s what I’m doing in the real world.’ I really hope everyone gets behind me because I’m a pop diva through and through. Ever since I started drag, I’d be at the smallest bar performing to 10 people, but I thought I was at the O2 performing to thousands. That is the fantasy, that is everything. The fact I get to live it out with this song… It is a pop girly bop, you are going to be wanting to hear this at G-A-Y Late. You are going to want to hear this twirling on the dance floor with a voddy red bull in hand.
I’m so incredibly hyped for the music video. Will there be some classic Cheryl choreo?
The video is something else. I’m just so proud of it. The narrative of it, which we saw in the teaser, was I took the five stages of grief. Because when I left Drag Race, I was very down. You go through all these waves dealing with how you feel, post being eliminated, so I went through the denial stage, I went through the acceptance stage and there is a narrative through the music video where I go through depression, denial, everything. There is some absolute divalinas in the music video with me, I was just so blessed that people wanted to be part of the project.
Besides music, what is next for Cheryl Hole?
You know me, I just want to get back out there, get on a stage and show people what I do. I can honestly say this year I am going to put everything into every single show I do. I’ve got a few things in the pipeline. I might have a tour, so keep your eyes peeled and get ready for the Cheryl Hole experience. Like Beyoncé.
RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs the World episode 2 is now available to stream on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer.
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