As the ‘Porkchop Queen’ of Drag Race Philippines, Prince is revelling in the fact that her name will forever be “remembered”.
During the exhilarating premiere of the Filipino spin-off, the 12 fierce contestants flaunted the ‘T’ in the charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent for the ‘Totally Impressive Talent Extravaganza.’
Although burlesque numbers boast a pretty impressive track record on the series, with both Roxxxy Andrews and BenDeLaCreme winning their respective All Star talent shows, Prince’s number didn’t galvanize the judging panel.
A lip-sync smackdown against Lady Morgana to Sarah Geronimo’s Tala ultimately ended Prince’s time on the series; meaning she now joins an elite line-up of ‘first out’ queens such as Meannie Minaj, Gothy Kendoll, Juice Boxx, Roem and, of course, Victoria “Porkchop” Parker.
“I honestly think that it’s iconic being the first out because my name will be remembered and I know that there are great opportunities that will come along the way,” Prince tells GAY TIMES after her elimination. “My standing on the show does not define what I am capable of.”
Legendary placement aside, the star admits she was “so crushed” when she was heard the dreaded “sashay away” because Drag Race has always been a “long-time dream”.
“I prepared and invested so much for the show, and to get the first boot was heartbreaking,” she says. “I tried really hard not to cry in front of the camera because I’d really hate to see myself cry on TV. But when I saw the letter from my sisters in Untucked, I just couldn’t help it.”
Acknowledging that she “deserved” to be in the bottom for her performance, Prince reveals that the burlesque routine was actually her third option and her original choice, involving fire, was rejected by the producers.
“I wasn’t allowed to do [it],” she says. “The second involved LED props but due to lockdown restraints, they did not arrive on time.”
“I know it’s a competition and we all have the chance to be sent home every week, so I had that in mind, but wasn’t expecting it to happen so soon,” Prince continues to explain. “I just wish I was given a second chance to show more of what I’m capable of.”
If Prince had advanced further in the competition, she would’ve shown her “fun” side and “great personality”, as well as her skills as an actor and dancer. The weight of the competition dawned on her, however, admitting that she was “overwhelmed” as soon as she entered the werkroom.
As for Snatch Game, Prince says her first choice was a dual performance of Filipina actress and politician Alma Moreno and Filipino politician and former professional boxer Manny Pacquiao. 90 Day Fiancé star Rose Vega was her “backup” plan.
Hosted by beloved actor Paolo Ballesteros, Drag Race Philippines follows the same format as the original and its various spin-offs with 12 queens battling it out to be the country’s first-ever ‘Drag Superstar’.
KaladKaren, BJ Pascual, Jon Santos, Rajo Laurel and season four alum Jiggly Caliente join Paolo on the panel.
In Jiggly’s interview with GAY TIMES, she revealed that judging the series was “fucking difficult” because of her attachment to the queens.
“Michelle [Visage] said it was going to be hard, but she didn’t say it was going to be that difficult. She didn’t tell me that you’d get invested in the girls. No, she didn’t tell me that part. She only told me to lead with my heart. She wanted me to suffer as much as she did, I guess,” she said.
“[I got attached] to all of them. I didn’t want anyone to go home. After seeing All Stars 7, where nobody went home, I wish nobody went home so we can show the things that they worked for because these queens literally had to do all their preparing for Drag Race in the height of the pandemic in lockdown.
“Things were very scarce to come by. Wigs were hard to come by, fabric was hard to come by, designers were hard to come by. Some of these girls have to travel four, five or six hours out of their neighbourhoods to go to designers. I just felt bad for them. I couldn’t be a shitty judge and be like, ‘Your dress looks weird.’
“I couldn’t do that to any of them because I know how hard it is in the pandemic. It was hard for me in the US getting stuff for All Stars, let alone these girls in the Philippines.”
The cast for Drag Race Philippines season one is as follows: Brigiding, Corazon, Eva Le Queen, Gigi Era, Lady Morgana, Marina Summers, Minty Fresh, Precious Paula Nicole, Prince, Turing, Viñas Deluxe and Xilhouete.
Drag Race Philippines continues every Wednesday at 12pm BST exclusively on the streamer of all things drag, WOW Presents Plus. Subscribe via https://uk.wowpresentsplus.
For fans wishing to meet Drag Race alum and host Jiggly Caliente, tickets are now on sale for RuPaul’s DragCon UK 2023 at https://uk.rupaulsdragcon.com/
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