RPDR-UK Series 2 - Episode 5 Review

Before we jump into this, there are spoilers below if you haven’t watched the episode yet. All the comments below are just my fun opinion, its a TV show don’t get upset if I didn’t like your favourite Queen!

At the end of episode 4 we were left jaws ajar when Ru announced the Queens had to go home due to the Coronavirus! But just before Ru let them go of course there was chance for a bit of drama.

The episode starts with the Queens walking back into the werkroom after Ginny Lemons shocking self elimination. As the Queens discuss how they feel, some are against self eliminating and others are just concerned for Ginny. Either way A’Whora pipes up and states she really didn’t think Ginny should have been in the bottom anyway. The bait for Veronica is snapped up and she claps back. To say Veronica was pissed is an understatement, even when Tayce tries to make a joke she takes it as a full on insult! Just as Tia Kofi decides to dig her own separate hole and say she would have had a different bottom two Ru announces the Covid message!

SCREEN FADES TO BLACK

Then we see 7 months later appear, imagine getting on Drag Race and then having to stop. Go home and wait. Insane. Either way we get a re-entrance from the Queens and they really shouldn’t have started with A’Whora, she showed all the other Queens up and looked so glam! When the others follow they looked like assistants following the superstar!

Either way one seat is left empty and Veronica doesn’t enter the room. In walks Ru wearing what I can only imagine is the scalp of Ginny Lemon on his head after she went and murdered her for eliminating herself. I mean sorry Ru but what was that? Even the camera couldn’t cope with the yellowness! Anyway Ru announces Veronica has sadly tested positive for Covid-19 and will not be coming back to the competition, but she will have an open invite to Season 3! Maybe it was for the best as Veronica really was a ticking time bomb I think. Either way the BBC confirmed she made a full recovery.

Then comes the mini challenge of the week, in walks three masked people, at first I thought there was going to be a Masked Singer crossover but instead Ru asks the Queens to Ruveal themselves! Who is behind those masks… only the eliminated Queens (minus Ginny). Ru announces that the three eliminated Queens which were Joe Black, Cherry Valentine and Asttina could have a chance to come back. But it was up to the Queens who came back! If I had the chance to vote I would have voted for Cherry as I really loved her on the show not just for her drag but also her personality. Yet the Queens nearly all vote for Joe Black with most of their reason being he went first so deserved another shot. In all honesty I do agree with their reasoning. However, with the usual comeback Queens track record from the US series being very poor we wonder how long it will last.

Joe Black voted back in, for this weeks maxi challenge the Queens are asked to split into two groups for the RuRuVision Song Contest! With Joe and Lawrence named as the captains we have the following teams

Joe’s Team - Joe Black, Tia Kofi, Sister Sister and Ellie Diamond who named themselves Bananadrama

Lawrences Team - Lawrence Chaney, Tayce, Bimini and A’Whora who named themselves United Kingdolls or as Ru quickly named the UK-D!

Both teams are tasked with writing lyrics and coming up with choreography to the track ‘UK Hun?’. If I were the Queens I would have been bricking it. Probably the most iconic thing to come out of the UK Drag Race Season 1 was The Frockdestoryers where their track made the UK charts. To help the Queens with this challenge we have the fabulous MNEK.

A’Whora recording vocals with MNEK
Image copyright BBC / World of Wonder
Photographer Guy Levy

Who if you don’t know who he is, you will have heard songs he has either written or helped produce, mostly some bangers from Little Mix like Sweet Melody. During their time with MNEK they all do fairly well compared to some Queens from other seasons in the singing challenges. I mean its hard for them, we all get to see TV gold of the Queens pre-autotune which something I don’t think we will ever catch Ru doing for one of his songs.

Recording done and jumping into rehearsals the Queens take two approaches. Tia is very conscious of her teammates dancing skills and agrees to tone it down to help them despite persistence of Ellie Diamond to do more. However, on Lawrences team Tayce is taking none of it and takes full charge and cracks that whip. Which TBH I think it is what Lawrence needed.

Image copyright BBC / World of Wonder
Photographer Guy Levy

Rehearsals done and we hit the main stage. It really helped having Graham Norton as the lead judge as it threw us straight into the Eurovision fantasy. They even had the cheesy start where the band has to walk around pretending the camera isn’t there all happy and smiling. I’m just saying but if this episode had already been launched it would have got me through last May when we didn't have Eurovision.
First up we have UKD! What can I say, Ru’s face said it all. JAW DROPPED and so was mine. Honestly I’m just going to put it out there. One of the best dancing and singing challenges we have ever seen! The girls smashed it. It really shouldn’t have worked but it just did. They came together as a group and really gelled well. Well done girls!

High off that performance the next Queens had a tough act to follow! Sadly they really didn’t and again Ru’s face showed it. I think if they had honestly gone first I would have been like okay its alright, not the best but its not terrible. Sadly they went second and just couldn't compare to the other Queens which highlighted just how bad it was. Everything right in the first group was wrong in this one.

For the main stage we have a runway of day at the seaside and it was such a joyous theme to see. It summed up the British seasides perfectly, too many chips, seagulls and an ice cream that you as soon as you see it you know you shouldn't have got it and of course the WIND!

My favourite look by far went to A’Whora for the concept to the execution. Absolutely brilliant!

Runway looks walked Ru announces the clear winners of this weeks challenge… UKD! All in the group are safe and win a Ru-Peter badge! Sadly for Bananadrama they don’t know the drama they are about to receive. Ru lost his sh*t literally. He was having none of it, he did have a point, if I were one the Queens I would have wanted the ground to eat me up in that moment. Ru tells the girls off the rack clothing isn’t good enough and he’s done with a poor effort being brought to the biggest stage for drag in the world.

If it was me I would have clearly voted for UKD as the best group and my two bottoms would have been Tia and Joe Black along with Ru. Although it kills me to say it, I have really warmed to Tia as the show has gone on. As the Queens lip sync it’s clear that Tia will be staying. She had such a drive and fight to stay where Joe sadly didn’t and again was stuck in ‘his’ way.

Sadly Joe Black leaves as quickly as he returned to the competition and had the following to say about his second exit.

What was it like returning to RuPaul’s Drag Race UK?
SURPRISING! I'm sort of glad I didn't have the whole of lockdown to worry and stew over it. It came as quite the surprise to me to suddenly get that call before filming went back and to not know what was gonna happen when I walked back in that ominous pink room... while dressed as an elephant.

It did also kind of feel like I'd never left? It felt very 'ah yes, here we are again' in a familiar way, despite the huge gap.

Didn't miss the on set food though...!

Was there anything you would change?
Not at all. As I’ve said before, everything plays out like it does for a reason. This was my particular journey and i can't stand the idea of going 'well what if i had just...?' ya know? That would eat you up wouldn't it? I'd wear that H&M dress again in a heartbeat. I thought it was cute. Clearly it's an emotional piece! Very moving. I didn't realise pink velvet could evoke such drama!

What’s your new favourite memory from the show?
Well I'm not sure I would say my favourite…but I've been in a pop group now. Which I'm glad to say won't be happening again! I'll stick to my gin martini's and seedy back alley cabaret show vibes from here on out. Much more me! ha.

Though working in a group was new for me, so I'm pleased I got to do that, despite the result.

I am such a fan of Tia and I think she has the most wonderful energy as a general human being. We've become very close and I would say that is my favourite part perhaps!

Join us next week for our review when the Queens take on the Snatch Game. Click here to read an exclusive about which guest judge will be joining the Queens.

To watch RuPaul’s Drag Race UK click here.