Culture

UK vs the World: Jimbo delivers “new peak” for Drag Race with “feral” talent show

By Sam Damshenas

1st February 2022

Jimbo, Canada’s self-described “drag clown”,  just delivered the most instantly iconic and batshit crazy performance in Drag Race’s thirteen-year herstory.

Following years of anticipation and countless Reddit rumours, the first ever international version in the beloved franchise, titled UK vs the World, aired 1 February on the newly-revived BBC Three and reintroduced nine outstanding fan-favourites to viewers. 

The Glamazon Warriors in contention for the first Global Drag Race Superstar title are Baga Chipz, Blu Hydrangea, Cheryl Hole (UK), Jimbo, Lemon (Canada), Janey Jacké (Holland) Jujubee, Mo Heart (US) and Pangina Heals (Thailand).

Filmed on British turf in Manchester, the series also sees the return of Drag Race UK panellists RuPaul, Michelle Visage, Graham Norton and Alan Carr, with guests including Jonathan Bailey, Jade Thirlwall and Clara Amfo; with Katie Price set to make her Snatch Game debut following Bimini’s Academy Award-winning impersonation of the British icon on season two. 

After kicking off the premiere with introductions on the main stage, rather than the werkroom, which was a gasp!, the cast were tasked with showcasing their charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent for a variety show, before slaying the runway in their best ‘I’m a Winner Baby!’ ensembles. 

All of the queens, bar Jimbo, opted for choreo-heavy numbers and lip-sync performances to their original tracks. Jimbo, however, chose to unintentionally (or intentionally, TBA) pay tribute to the Luna Ghost from Sarah Michelle Gellar’s Scooby Doo and Art the Clown from 2016’s slasher film Terrifier.

Featuring props such as a box labelled “talent” with nothing inside, as well as slices of ham, it was an iconic moment that will, without a doubt, be discussed decades from now in herstory books. 

The act was met with overwhelmingly positive reactions, as well as discombobulation, from the panel – including guest panellist Melanic C. Social media unanimously agreed that it was one of the best talent show numbers of all time, while some even hailed Jimbo’s piece as a brand “new peak” for Drag Race.

One fan spoke for all of us as they wrote, “Okay Jimbo’s talent show has got to be one of the most weirdly entertaining things I’ve seen on Drag Race in a while, like what in the fuck was even going on, I was living though.” Another tweeted, “Jimbo being a f**king cursed Casper with ham up her phanny was the weirdest/funnniest thing I’ve seen on any Drag Race.” 

Although it was hard to top Jimbo – because as Lemon ruvealed, Jimbo is a top – Thailand co-host Pangina was met with equal praise for her acrobatic lip-sync to an original dance track we need to see on top of the charts immediately. Stream! Purchase! Whatever! Get it to number one! Now!

Following the same format as seasons two-four of All Stars, UK vs the World then saw the top two queens “lip-sync for the world”, with the winner earning the right to chop one of the bottom queens from the competition. It’s a brand new concept for non-US queens, who usually faced the classic “lip-sync for your life” format.

Although Lemon and Janey’s runways were acclaimed by the panel, Lemon’s bendy routine was denounced as “unoriginal” while Janey’s dance, which featured five outfit ruveals, was deemed underwhelming.

After a wildly entertaining lip-sync smackdown to Spice Girls’ chart-topper Say You’ll Be There, featuring a tumble from Jimbo, Pangina defeated the clown and was forced to eliminate one of her sisters. Time for another gasp!

“I am not playing favouritism,” Pangina clarified to the room. “I’ve known everyone for the same amount of time but I am choosing this person out of the idea of which show was original, and I have made the decision that I am sending Lemon home. I’m sorry.”

As she exited the competition, Lemon told producers that she felt “crushed” and “very heartbroken,” but is still “proud” of what she showcased. “I don’t think Pangina made the right choice but hopefully, Jimbo will bring back that crown [to Canada],” added the Come Through rapstress. “I couldn’t take over the world here but, I’ll take over the world somewhere else.”

With Lemon winning two maxi-challenges on the inaugural season of Canada’s Drag Race and achieving fifth place, her e-lemon-ation, especially when she split her mothertucking kitty all over that goddamn stage, came as a huge shock to fans. In the words of one viewer, “That’s daylight robbery… like, what the fuck?”

Here’s how social media reacted to the first episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs the World, including Lemon’s unjust – yes, unjust!!! – exit and Jimbo’s instantly iconic performance in the talent show:

RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs the World airs every Tuesday on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer.