Whew, these Drag Race UK eliminations are getting harder to call, huh? Although she was heavily praised by RuPaul for having one of the “best” entrance lerks in the herstory of the franchise, Starlet – spoiler alert! – surprisingly became the second chopped contestant from season four this week.
For their latest maxi-challenge, the 11 remaining queens performed at the first-ever ‘Yaas-tonbury Festival’ in two competing groups. Despite feeling confident in her Marilyn Monroe-inspired routine, Starlet was told by Michelle Visage that she looked “stricken with panic” while Graham Norton criticised her “level of energy”.
Following a lip-sync showdown against Jonbers Blonde to Sugababes’ number-one smasher About You Now, the South African performer thanked Mama Ru and left the main stage without an official exit line – which Starlet says was not out of malice, but because she “just needed to get off camera”.
“I was about to completely break down,” she tells GAY TIMES. “I just wanted to get off, so I said it at the front and walked off. […] I was worried that would come across as me, like, being rude. It was not the case at all. I was just really, really emotional.”
Read ahead for our full exit interview with Starlet, where she reflects on her “emotional” final episode, the “heavy narrative” surrounding her soft-spoken nature and her hilarious picks for the Snatch Game.
Starlet, my darling, how are you feeling?
I’m good, the episode has obviously just happened. There’s been only love and my heart is really full.
I’m so sad to see you go this soon into the competition. How did you feel after your elimination?
After watching it or after it happened? After it happened, I was devastated. Before I went to go do my exit interview, I asked the producers if they could play me a Katy Perry song to make me feel better! So, they played Firework and that got me back into the zone to start performing. Then yesterday was really emotional, but I was surrounded by a lot of people that I love that have been there for me throughout this process and I felt really held and supported and it was wonderful.
When you sashayed off the stage, you didn’t follow in the footsteps of other queens with an exit line. Was that intentional?
So, my exit was at the front of the stage. I was about to completely break down. I just wanted to get off, so I said it at the front and walked off. It didn’t make the cut but Sminty put her hand out, but you don’t actually see that. I was worried that would come across as me, like, being rude. It was not the case at all. I was just really, really emotional, which you can see when I come into the werkroom and my makeup is all.. I just needed to get off camera.
After the performance, you said you felt confident on the stage, so what was going through your mind during the judges’ critiques?
I went into the competition… Any critique I got, I was going to try my best to take it on. I was receptive of the critiques, I was surprised to an extent because I have not been performing for very long. In the short amount of time that I have, I have learnt that it is all about having fun and enjoying yourself, and if you’re enjoying yourself, that’s the only thing that matters. Whether people believe me or not, whether it’s obvious or not, I genuinely had an amazing time performing with my group on stage.
I enjoyed your take on Marilyn Monroe, that breathy and seductive kind of performer…
They said, ‘You’re soft spoken,’ and I said ‘We’re gonna go with that!’
You also said that you were nervous for this challenge because you’re anxious about the sound of your voice, but you sounded incredible?! Is this the start of Starlet’s music career?
You’ll have to wait and see! I wouldn’t bet on it, but you never know where life takes you…
Let’s talk about your lip-sync against Jonbers to Sugababes’ About You Now. What is it like lip-syncing on the main stage of RuPaul’s Drag Race in front of RuPaul, Michelle Visage, Graham Norton and FKA Twigs?
It’s extremely intense, and what came to mind immediately afterwards is that Valentina, from the US seasons, she said that when she lip-synced for her life, she felt like she wasn’t there, like you’re not doing it and you’re watching it kind of thing. It’s like a coping mechanism? You leave, at least I did. That’s the best way I can describe it: you’re not there. It’s so intense and so much is on the line. It could be the end, you could be staying.
After the lip-sync, did you think you had a chance to stay over Jonbers?
I had hopes, everybody does. There was a prolonged pause by RuPaul before she said my name so I was like, ‘Am I staying?’ Everybody’s hopeful. I would’ve loved to. Jonbers did an amazing job and I’m very happy that she’s still in the competition. I’m very excited to see what she has to bring in the future. No regrets. Just love.
What song would you have beaten Jonbers to? I assume anything by Katy Perry?
Yeah, but Get Outta My Way by Kylie Minogue, hands down!
A recurring theme throughout this episode was everyone telling you how timid you are in comparison to the other contestants. I can imagine that’s quite… tiring, right?
The worst thing you can tell a shy person is that they’re shy. It only makes it worse to an extent, but in episode two, I felt I was coming out of my shell more and I think you can see that in my confessionals and interacting with the other queens in the werkroom. So that made me feel… Because from episode one, it was such a heavy narrative that I was shy and timid and soft spoken and no one could understand what I was saying. There was a lot of feedback from viewers, and that knocked my confidence a bit. Being able to see myself be more myself on episode two has made me feel less like I need to prove that I am who I say I am, because it’s there. I feel more free to just be in other social situations in Drag Race circles, so I’m happy.
Do you feel like queens who aren’t as lively as, for example, Danny Beard, are put as a disadvantage in this kind of format?
I think it all depends on the flavour of the season. We’ve had seasons where softer queens have done really well. In my opinion, I would say Willow Pill was quite chillaxed – maybe not soft spoken, but not a Danny Beard! And they won the show, so it all depends on the flavour of the season.
What did you take away from this whole episode?
I took away that I have an amazing group of queens around me that I can call my sisters, and who I love dearly – all of them. I learned not to get in my head so much. I can do a lot more than I think I can and just live in the moment and don’t overthink everything. That’s all that matters.
Last week, RuPaul said your entrance look was one of the best that he’s ever seen in the herstory of the show. What was it like to get that kind of praise from her?
That was… amazing. We had the pleasure of watching the episode the day before it came out, so we got to react in private and a few tears of happiness were shed! I didn’t get a badge, but I’ll be taking that compliment to the grave.
Starlet, I can’t believe we were robbed of seeing you demolish a sewing challenge…
Yeah, same!
What else do you wish you could’ve shown viewers this season?
I really wanted an acting challenge! A lot of people would’ve been like, ‘Oh my god, she would do so bad in an acting challenge,’ but that would’ve been an amazing opportunity for me to be stupid and silly and let go with everybody, and show everyone I am who I say I am, which is a goofball. I really wanted an acting challenge.
I’m dying to find out who you would’ve impersonated on Snatch Game…
I had two options: either Rowan Atkinson as Mr Bean or… Oh my god, I’ve forgotten his name. What is his name? He’s Ace Ventura?
Jim Carrey!
I was gonna do Jim Carrey.
Can you please give me a Mr Bean face?
I’m gonna ruin my makeup if I do a Mr Bean face! What would I do? [Makes face] It doesn’t look right because I’ve painted! You can’t see what I’m doing. When I was practicing him and performing him, his bottom lip protrudes a lot and he’s got dark lashes, dark eyes, dark brows and he’s always got a droopy lip?
I assume you would’ve had a Teddy prop?
Yes! I already had it.
Starlet, upload it to the YouTube. We need to see your Mr Bean!
I’ll drop the audition tape babe.
What surprised you the most about your Drag Race UK experience?
What did surprise me the most? Hmm. I went home second. Erm… Yeah, I went home second.
What’s next for Starlet?
I’m going full throttle, throwing myself into what I love to do and that is looks and visuals and makeup and being visually creative. My drag has always existed in online spaces and I’m starting YouTube; lots of makeup tutorials and I would love to do all that I can in fashion, makeup brands… Everything I’ve been doing now times 10.
The latest episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK season 4 is now available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
You can watch Starlet’s interview in full on Snatched! below or by clicking here.
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