“It’s the Olympics of the Olympics!” says Pangina Heals with – yep – some determination. “I feel honoured to be a part of this.” I’m speaking with the Drag Race Thailand co-host and Drag Race Holland runner-up Janey Jacké just half an hour after RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs the World launched a Glamazon Warrior-themed attack on social media with the season one cast announcement. Premiering 1 February on BBC Three, the long-awaited series will see the fiercest of queens from the British spin-off compete in an international arena for the first time against some of the most dynamic performers from other global editions of the franchise. Filmed in Manchester, the six-episode season will once again feature Drag Race UK panellists RuPaul, Michelle Visage, Graham Norton and Alan Carr, with Baga Chipz, Blu Hydrangea, Cheryl Hole (UK season one), Jimbo, Lemon (Canada season one), Jujubee (US season two, All Stars 1 and 5) and Monique Heart (US season 10 and All Stars 4) rounding out the cast of this highly-anticipated global dragventure. “Because of all these franchises coming together, the universal language that we all speak as queer people, drag queens or however you identify, will be very clear,” Janey tells GAY TIMES. “All these different cultures and energies is going to be beautiful for people to watch.”
As per, the queens will duke it out week-after-week in a variety of lip-syncs, runways and challenges – including Snatch Game (of course) – with only one warrior being crowned the first Global Drag Race Superstar. With all nine queens scattered around the world, I spent my day interviewing the cast in blocks according to their respective regions. At 9.30am, I logged onto Zoom and met with Pangina and Janey; their chemistry was… irrefutable, let’s say that. “Immediately, right off the bat, I was drawn to her and also she’s really cute as a boy!” laughs Pangina, with Janey immediately returning the compliment: “Girl, you’re gorgeous as a guy, you know that!” Pangina initially made her mark on the Drag Race franchise in 2018 as a co-host for the first two seasons of the Thailand spin-off alongside Art Arya – here, she makes herstory as the first All Stars (?) contestant to have never competed on a regular series. How do you top Drag Race’s inaugural champion Bebe Zahara Benet sashaying back into the werkroom for All Stars 3? Throw a goddamn co-host in there!
Janey, two-time maxi-challenge winner, cemented her status as one of the fiercest queens of all time on the first season of Holland thanks to her jaw-dropping runways, impeccable comedic timing and sharp wit, placing runner-up to Envy Peru. Although she was voted “Shadiest Queen” by her sisters, and was originally hailed as the “villain” of season one by viewers, Janey’s vulnerability in subsequent episodes won her legions of fans across the world. With their flirtatiousness (seemingly) coming to an end – “I guess we’re getting married after this conversation!” adds Janey – I ask the queens about what we can expect when they sashay into the UK vs the World werkroom.
GT: Pangina, you’re the only queen who has never competed on Drag Race as a contestant. Why did you want to throw your hat in the ring for UK vs the World?
Pangina: It’s like a reverse Brooke Lynn Hytes! I read Reddit and a lot of people were like, ‘This is a risk for her.’ But for me, this is the biggest show in the world. Just because I was judging someone else, it doesn’t mean you can’t stop learning and take criticism. I want to learn. I want to become a better queen, so I’m not going to be on that high horse or be someone who has an ego! I want to compete with the best of the best and represent who I am, and my country. I’m used to eliminating girls without any kind of problem. I feel like all the karma that I did in those two seasons is coming back to me!
GT: Janey, you were voted “Shadiest Queen” on Drag Race Holland. Can we expect this honest side of you to come out this season? Will it be Janey vs the World?
Janey: 100%. Imma keep it real. Imma be honest. Imma tell you what it is or what I feel. You know what? In the Netherlands, shade is a thing, but it’s not as… highly developed as it is in different countries. For me, it’s just a really great coping mechanism. In the UK it’s very “taking the piss” which, to me, is the same thing with shade. You’re just making the situation laughable. You make it a joke, but all these queens are telling me I’m the shadiest! I was like, ‘Bitch, watch and learn!’
Pangina: I think you were one of the nice ones!
Janey: At least to you, bitch.
Less than two hours later, I conversated slash talked with UK icons Blu Hydrangea and Cheryl Hole; Baga Chipz sadly had to pull out due to an illness (more on that later!). “Baga’s not here, so I think that makes me and Cheryl the most famous women in Britain, right?” jokes Blu. “Exactly,” Cheryl chimes in. “Much better? Nah. Much sicker. She’s very poorly.” On season one, Blu – a self-proclaimed fashion queen (at the time) – shattered all preconceived notions of her charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent with her instantly iconic performance of UK top 40 hit Break Up Bye Bye with The Frock Destroyers and bonkers – we repeat, bonkers – ‘Dirty Merry Berry’ impersonation on Snatch Game, landing in fifth place.
Cheryl one-upped Blu in fourth position. Although she didn’t land a single maxi-challenge win, the entertain(t)er became one of the most meme-able queens within RuPaul’s ever-expanding empire and left Britain slain with her savage lip-syncs. (She memorably sent Blu home home home to Cheryl Cole’s Call My Name.) Since The Vivienne conquered their season in 2019, Blu and Cheryl have become two of the most high-profile LGBTQ+ stars in the UK. Standout moments include Blu’s debut album with The Frock Destroyers and Cheryl falling in horse shit on Celebs on the Farm – decked out in her classic Essex diva glam, I should add. “I think both of us went in all-guns blazing, no shits given. We left our dignity at the door!” Blu teases. “Neither one of us shat ourselves,” Cheryl follows up, “so that’s all good.” With the series filmed on British turf, and UK queens outnumbering the international queens, I wanted the tea and nothing but the mothertucking tea.
GT: I know we all might get sued if you tell me, but can we expect some alliances to be formed this season?
Cheryl: I think it was an unspoken language from the get go. Because we were the first ones on Drag Race UK, and then we’re the first ones doing this versus the world, we were just like, ‘We’ve got to stick together girly-goos because we’ve got to show these kids why the UK is the best franchise.’
Blu: Yeah, absolutely. When we walked in and saw our friends, we kept a little huddle. But we did start to mingle and it’s the kind of thing where you’re like, ‘Are my friends the strong ones in this competition? Do I need to branch out a little?’
GT: UK vs the World was filmed in Manchester and a majority of the contestants are from the UK. Do you feel like this gave you an upper hand in the competition?
Cheryl: No. In all honesty, I felt like I was going back to my nan’s house, you know what I mean? It’s familiar, it’s homely and you just snap back to exactly where you were. I was so comfortable and so familiar I was like, ‘You can throw whatever you like at me, I’m ready and I said that with some determination.’
Blu: I think, if anything, Ru and Michelle have already seen what we’ve got. Anything that these [other] girls bring would be a surprise and unexpected, and something they haven’t seen before.
I hopped on a call with Lemon and Jujubee six hours later. The latter noticeably becomes the first queen to compete on three different seasons of All Stars, and four seasons overall. (If Ru calls, you pick up!) The fan-favourite made her first appearance on season two, where she was hailed as Drag Race’s first ever lip-sync assassin with mesmerizing performances to Black Velvet, Shake Your Love and Something He Can Feel. After stalling in third place, Jujubee made her comeback on the first season of All Stars as part of a duo with her best pal, Raven, and made the world weep with their lip-sync number to Robyn’s Dancing On My Own. (I have tear in eye as I type this.) While she failed to snatch the crown for a second time, the veteran persevered with a third stint on All Stars 5. Shea Couleé prevented her from winning, yet again, but it worked out in her favour as a brand new generation of fans were introduced to her fierceness. Maybe fourth time’s the charm? “RuPaul’s always looking for the best of the best, right? This time it’s with drag queens from all over the world,” Juju says, before referencing her recent stint on Paramount+’s Queen of the Universe: “I tried to take over the universe, but that didn’t happen. So this time, I’m going to take over the world baby!”
“I’m just doing it because I wanted to show off a new dress I got,” says a dry Lemon. The star, who recently went viral with her rap verse on Priyanka’s Come Through – “Your dad drops stacks on this and don’t forget it, he’s tryna find my pussy pics up on Reddit” saved pop music – memorably got “so litty that I would splitty my kitty” (“That is poetry” answers Juju) on season one of Canada with flips, high-kicks, handstands into the splits and other bendy jargon we can’t quite put into words. She also proved that she could join SNL with her Snatch Game performance of queer icon Jojo Siwa, while her transformation into spoiled beauty pageant contestant Miss Fitts outsold. At this point, I’ve spoken to a mixture of Thai, Dutch, British, American and Canadian talent, and the personalities are jumping out. So, what can we expect from this wild mix of entertainers, and why did Juju sashay back into the werkroom for a sensible 74th time? Read ahead, for if it is answers that you seek, then it is answers you shall find.
GT: Jujubee, you’ve reached the final three times, which no other Drag Race queen has achieved. Each time you come back, do you ever worry about ruining this incredible track record?
Jujubee: Like if I placed 14th in a singing competition, you mean? Lemon’s over here laughing! I’m the biggest loser. You know, I get to do drag again. I get to be in the same space as RuPaul. I’m here to harvest wisdom, that’s all I’m here to do. I love competing but at the same time, it’s this family that you have. No other person in the world except the girls who are on Drag Race will ever understand. I can reach out to Lemon and talk about everything that we go through, because it is a very interesting thing to navigate.
GT: I’m so intrigued to see this cast interact. What can you tease?
Lemon: When you put drag queens in a room together, there’s already a little bit of shade. There’s a wig being snatched – or two. But this is literally the Olympics of drag. We all walked in with varsity jackets on ready to go. Team Canada, know what I’m saying? So, there was tension right away because we all wanted to prove something. […] I wouldn’t say that alliances were limited to countries. There are definitely some alliances that come into the show, but at the end of the day, we are all fighting for our damn selves. I don’t give a fuck who I like or who’s best. I want to win and I don’t care about anything else.
With Monique Heart and Jimbo, I didn’t have a bloody clue what to expect. The “ooh ahh ahh sensation” of season 10 and All Stars 4, decked out in an opulent, warrior-themed ensemble to match the UK vs the World promo, and the drag clown of Canada, sporting tig ol’ biddies that put Slayyyter and Rebecca Black’s recent single cover to shame, are two queens I never thought would be on the same Zoom call, let alone season. Initially reticent, the queens’ bombastic personalities quickly made their entrance with the mention of Jimbo’s equally bombastic breasts. “I wanna look like Jimbo everyday,” says Monique. “Every time I see her I’m like, ‘Just go buy a breastplate bitch! Just go buy one. Just go buy one. Just go buy one!” Jimbo simply states: “I’m the beaver destroyer.” Competing alongside Lemon on Canada season one, where she ranked fourth, Jimbo demolished the series’ comedic challenges; particularly in the Heritage short-film and law-firm commercial, as well as Snatch Game, where she received unanimous praise for her gut-busting impersonation of the late Joan Rivers.
Drag Race’s most iconic confessional queen (facts are facts America!), Monique was Brown Cow Stunning on season 10, but failed to advance further than eighth place due to a lack of budget. With more money at her disposal, she took no prisoners on All Stars 4 – including Latrice Royale – and delivered some of the most memorable performances in the franchise to date as a discriminated cake customer in Jersey Justice – “Objectify!” is arguably the best one-word phrase to come from Drag Race – and in the LaLaPaRUza, which saw her thrown down against Latrice to the beat of Mama Ru’s Sissy That Walk in one of the franchise’s most severe lip-sync battles to date. “I’m so happy that [UK vs the World] is out,” Monique tells me. “I was so tired of people going, ‘Bitch, what’s the tea?’ I was so tired, girl. Now it’s like, ‘You were right, Susan. You were right!’ For this next Q&A segment, I wanted to include Monique’s tribute to an unidentified “nice, gorgeous, cute and quiet” crew member who Jimbo wanted to “citizen arrest” her, but we’ll save that for another day. For both of these eclectic wordsmiths, I wanted to know how they’d describe UK vs the World – and their thoughts on Pangina Heals entering the werkroom as a first-time competitor.
GT: UK vs the World is one of the most ambitious crossover events in herstory – Avengers: Endgame is a flop in comparison. How would you put this season into words? Will there be drama, conflama, all of that?
Jimbo: You can expect some drama – with some fights! And you can expect the unexpected. Drag Race is always about the goops and gags. There’s a lot of the same elements, the elements we all love, but there’s a whole bunch of new twists and turns that’s a fresh take on the show.
Monique: You know when you don’t know if you’re gonna like it, and then you take that first bite and it hits your pallet and you’re like… Bitch. Give me the whole bag.
Jimbo: Finger lickin’ good!
Monique: Finger lickin’ good, bitch. There you go, yes.
GT: Pangina being in this line-up is a gag. How did you react to the co-host of Drag Race Thailand competing against all of you seasoned (Drag Race) queens for the crown?
Monique: First of all, I didn’t really know her. I’m going to be honest. We saw her on the Reddit lists – not that I looked! – and I was like, ‘Who is she?’ I fucked up and said ‘Mabuhay’ and that’s Filipino, not Thai. So girl, that was my fuck up. She gagged me. She is an artist.
Jimbo: Like Mo, I didn’t know much about her just because I don’t really pay attention to the judges, so much the contestants, so it’s definitely more pressure on her to step out from behind the judges’ box and into the competition. But it’s more than meets the eye. You can’t judge a book by its cover. You maybe wouldn’t rent that book from the library, but damn, read the whole book.
I didn’t speak with Baga until a few days later. Just minutes before the call, Baga told her Twitter followers that she “followed through” on a Zoom call, which she expanded on in our conversation, thank god. “I just did a campaign for Hellman’s mayonnaise and all morning I had been putting posts up, getting ready and stuff like that. I was talking to the woman and basically, I tried to do a silent but deadly one but it just came out as shit basically.” The most famous MBE in Britain, Baga memorably became the first queen in Drag Race’s run to win three maxi-challenges in five episodes. She became an instant fan-favourite due to her “common as muck” sense-of-humour, one-liners (“much betta!”) and legendary impression of Margaret Thatcher in Snatch Game (“Redundancy!”).
Alongside Blu and Divina De Campo, Baga also charted in the runner-up position on iTunes with Break Up Bye Bye and later released an album with her season one castmates. As for her television credits, Baga has gone on to show her tuppence on quintessential British telly such as The Big Fat Quiz of the Year, Pointless Celebrities and Celebrity Masterchef. Can she bag(a) the crown this time around? “I’m not going to lie, I brought the looks,” she tells me. “When I went on season one, I went on with about £600 worth of shite. I spent a few quid on this one. You’re gonna love it. You’re gonna piss your knickers!” During my time with Baga, I wanted to know whether she felt pressure to live up to her UK season one stint and how her sense of humour went down with the international contestants…
GT: Your run on season one was insane. Because of this, did you feel confident going into the UK vs the World or did this add an extra layer of pressure?
Baga: At the end of the day, they’re making a TV show. They want the catchphrases, the comedy, the confessionals, all that. I was right, they absolutely adore me. It’s one of them, if you go home early it’s like, ‘What have I done? That was a mistake.’ But just to be asked, out of all the UK queens, for RuPaul to say, ‘Oh we want her.’ I love it. Ru’s only ever been lovely to me, always given me a wink and all that. I’m just happy she brought me back!
GT: How did your quintessential sense-of-humour land with the non-UK contestants?
Baga: They all loved it! Me and Jimbo get on like a house on fire because we’re both fucking nuts. We’re a couple of freaks. The rest look at us like, ‘What the fuck are they doing? They’re not fully there.’ Sometimes they didn’t get my lingo. I’d say something like, ‘Have you got a fella? Are you courting anyone?’ and they’re like, ‘Courting?’ Without spoiling anything, I do teach a few of the girls how to speak “classy British” but it’s not classy, it’s all Urban Dictionary stuff.
“A new generation of global gorgeousness” – in the words of Blu Hydrangea – premieres 1 February on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer. With some of the franchise’s most beloved and – in the words of Janey Jacke – “cut-throat” contestants in herstory, as well as a star-studded line-up of guest stars including Jonathan Bailey, Jade Thirlwall and Melanie C, UK vs the World is set to be the most ambitious series in Drag Race’s 13-year reign. And finally, in the words of Baga Chipz, “You’re going to love this season. It literally is the dog’s bollocks.”
RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs the World airs every Tuesday on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer.
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