Drag Race UK vs the World has crowned its winner, baby mummy! One of the most chaotic seasons in herstory came to an end this week with a fierce lip-sync smackdown for the crown, with Blu Hydrangea conquering over Baga Chipz, Jujubee and Mo Heart to become the first ever Queen of the Mothertucking World – making her the first ever Irish queen to win a season of Drag Race.
“It means that I’ve done something right. A lot of things have had to fall into place for me to be in this position and I am okay with that,” Blu tells GAY TIMES the morning after her herstoric win. “It just feels incredible, like I’m representing for all the queer-dos, the person that I used to be when I was a little child watching Drag Race. It’s amazing to represent my country and paint the world blue – literally.”
Following our conversation with Blu earlier this week, in which we touched upon her highs and lows from this season – including her shocking assassination of Pangina Heals, coming out as non-binary and social media backlash – we spoke with the fan-favourite queen about taking the crown home (home home!).
She also ruveals the shady game she’d play on a Drag Race winners’ season, as well as details of her upcoming sewing competition, Stitch, Please!, which arrives next month on BBC iPlayer.
Blu, how does it feel to be the first ever Queen of the Mothertucking World?
It feels crazy! To be honest, it hasn’t sunk in yet. I was watching it last night like, ‘Is that real?’ I can’t fathom it. It’s been lovely. Northern Ireland, I’m just so proud to represent Northern Ireland. People are like, ‘Stop talking about Northern Ireland, we get it!’ but I’m like, ‘I can’t. This is my home!’
You have officially made herstory as the first Irish queen to win a season of Drag Race…
I know! Oh my goodness, that’s crazy. I’m the first ever winner of an international season as well, which is pretty iconic, because that’s bigger than an All Stars I would say, right?
What does this win personally mean to you?
It means that I’ve done something right. A lot of things have had to fall into place for me to be in this position and I am okay with that. It just feels incredible, like I’m representing for all the queer-dos, the person that I used to be when I was a little child watching Drag Race. It’s amazing to represent my country and paint the world blue – literally. I said I was going to do it and I fucking did it, know what I mean? There’s a photo me of me from on my last season holding the RuPaul maquette with my space buns all awry and my face paint all over my face, and then there’s one of me holding my sceptre looking all beautiful. I was like, ‘This is the perfect symbolisation of where I have come from and where I am now.’ It just shows you what a bit of self-love and confidence can do for a queen. It’s really important.
You received so much support last night, with all of the Blu Hydrangea stans showing up for you on social media. What was it like to receive that outpour of love online?
Oh my god, it was amazing. I skipped through the episode on iPlayer to see if I won. Then I went down to my local bar and got to watch it with the people. It was incredible. There was such a great atmosphere. There was blue confetti cannons! It was so overwhelming, that all of these people support little old me. In reality, this could be anyone. Anyone with the confidence and the creative eye and the inspiration to go out and do drag, any of them could be sitting in this position. And I think that’s the charm of Drag Race, you see people that represent for you and you get to support them. That could be any of the nine cast members, know what I mean?
Because you grew up watching Drag Race, like many of us, your win proves that any baby drag entertainer out there can do the same.
I think that’s the part that makes it the hardest to believe. I have literally grown up watching this show, it’s my favourite show and it means so much to me. It’s helped me in my growth through gender identity and sexuality and expression. It’s helped me grow in all those ways, and I am part of that in a way that I didn’t think I’d be able to. I love it. I’m also just a fan of drag in general and a fan of all these girls that are on the season, so that is what makes it extra special. I hope I did them all proud with my reign. My blue reign!
As is the case with each season, there’s been positive and negative reactions online. How are you coping throughout all this and making sure you’re focusing on the positive?
I have seen that people are like ‘meh’ or ‘she didn’t deserve to win’. Well, this truly was the Hunger Games of drag and to survive to the end, I feel like it’s a fate within itself. Being in that room full of people from Belfast who was cheering me on, it overpowered anything that I could’ve seen last night. It was real. That was real. What people put out into the world, that’s them vocalising into an abyss. I do sometimes see it, but what I did see in person last night was love and excitement for me and nothing can take that away from me – not even some trolls online! But I love blocking them. It’s great. It’s good fun.
I have to talk to you about Untucked… Was it as awkward as it looked?
Well… Yeah. I did say “roll the tapes!” but they didn’t put that in. I was really feeling myself. It was a little bit awkward. Pangina is right to feel that way and to want closure, because I absolutely would too. I just explained it as I’ve explained it in every interview, on that sofa after she was eliminated, it was just the game she was playing – and I had to play the same game. She says that she wasn’t playing games, but she also said that she wouldn’t have even put Lemon in the bottom two the first week. So then, why did you eliminate her bitch?! The whole Jimbo thing… It was a lot funnier in person. Watching it back, to be fair, maybe it was a little bit harsh. Pangina didn’t deserve that in the moment. But that’s Jimbo!
You had a lucky escape from Pangina’s wrath because Jimbo was venomous.
Absolutely! To be fair, I thought Pangina would’ve come in like that, but Pangina’s a very poised queen. She’ll not be a messy queen, and that is one thing I really respect about her. I would love a little bit of that myself but I can’t help but be messy, know what I mean? I think it’s the British drag in me, it wants me to be a messy bitch.
The controversial eliminations this season have led to some fans questioning whether All Star rules should be scrapped, and if the lip-sync for your life format should be brought back instead. What are your thoughts on that?
I think if you’re going to be good at drag and feel like you should win because you’re good at drag, then you should win your original season. Obviously, Pangina didn’t have that opportunity but if she was on a regular season, good for her. She probably would’ve won, but this is not it. It’s All Stars, there needs to be extra obstacles in your way to make sure it’s not an easy climb to the top, and I think it makes it more interesting. People are like, ‘I actually prefer Drag Race when there’s no drama,’ and I’m like… Bitch? The iconic seasons, there’s Coco [Montrese] and Alyssa [Edwards], there’s Bianca [Del Rio] and Trinity [K. Bonet], Laganja Estranja… You need these moments to make it iconic and I think people can say what they want about the season, but I think it was truly an iconic season and I’m glad that I was part of it. I was part of two iconic seasons: the first British one and the first international one, and I’m happy enough with that.
Which queens would you like to see on another international All Stars?
Ooh. Tia Kofi, absolutely. I would love to see Anita Wigl’it from Down Under. My Little Puny and Keta Minaj from Holland. I would love to see Vanda Miss Joaquim and Bandit from Thailand. God, there’s so many. But honestly, I would just love lots of representation for different varieties and styles of drag, and I think international seasons really do give that to the world. They’re pushing boundaries in the Drag Race space and I hope to continue seeing that. Actually, I’d love to see some drag kings on Drag Race too.
There needs to be a future where queens and kings co-exist in the same Drag Race werkroom.
I mean, it happens and works in Dragula so I can’t see a world where it doesn’t work in Drag Race, especially because there was a time where people were like, ‘Women can’t compete on Drag Race!’ or ‘Trans people can’t compete on Drag Race!’ And we’ve seen that they come and slay the house down. They do better than us! Victoria Scone absolutely would’ve won UK three had she not been sadly injured. It goes to show that all drag is valid.
This is a naughty question, because I’m aware you’ve just won the crown, but if there’s ever a Drag Race winners’ season, are you in?
I think I wanna enjoy my reign a little bit, but this is not the end for me on Drag Race I imagine. I’d love to be back in that werkroom. I’d probably do shite, but I’d go in, try and win the first episode and eliminate the biggest bitch there. Then I’d dust off my hands and go because I imagine people wouldn’t want me around for long, especially if there’s a lipstick format!
They would try and get rid of you because they know what you gonna do…
That’s exactly it. I can come out of the woodworks, win any challenge and send the bitch home.
We have to talk about Stitch, Please!
Oh my goodness, I know! How exciting.
You’re embracing your inner RuPaul for a hosting gig. What can you tell me about the series?
It’s coming soon. It’s a competition for avid sewers, and I give them a theme each week. For example, one of them is Clueless and another is the Met Gala. They have to create looks inspired by the theme. They have 12 hours to create their garment, work it down the runway. They have £100 budget and then I decide whether they are shit or not. It’s me in Northern Ireland, it’s very homegrown. It was amazing to work with people from my country in that industry because I’m so used to doing it elsewhere. I think it’s going to be really charming. I think it’s the next Glow Up, so if you love Glow Up, you’ll love this…
Other than Stitch, Please! and enjoying your reign, what’s next for Blu?
There’s also a Frockumentary coming out! I’d love to bring out more music. I’m not a good singer, but I have a track with Mama Ru, so… Available on Spotify! I would love to bring my own makeup line out, I wanna do lots of fashion photoshoots… I wanna be on TV. I’m just ready to work. I’m ready to take this year by the balls and despunk them.
The RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs the World finale is now available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
More
