Exclusive Interview - Reggy B
Reggy B welcome lovely to Spill the Tea magazine. Lots of people will recognise you from Season 2 of Drag Race Holland but before we get to that lets kick things off with when did you discover drag?
Oooo, well, I think when I was 15 or 16, I already discovered drag because of RuPaul’s Drag Race. I think I started the season with Bianca and then I re-watched all the other seasons. Then I met Miss Abby OMG (from RuPaul’s Drag Race Holland) Season One where I used to be a backup dancer for her during some talent shows. I then auditioned for Kinky Boots, which was three years ago, I made it to the last seven but for the angels it can only be six and then there was an intern who auditioned and they choose him instead of me… We had to do the audition in Drag so I was like okay, Abby, give me a phone call. Help me out! And Abby said, well, if they don't want you come to my gig. I did one gig and I had three bookings the next day.
“ In the song theres a little bit of this slutty Reggy in there. During my shows, I'd like to be in the audience, well before Corona, I like to crawl around the boys and the girls.“
What’s the story behind your Drag name?
I really like Regina George from Mean Girls. Her character is… I don't want to say I am like her but I do have some traits that I’m like okay, that’s me. You know, she's the mean one with a really small heart, but I didn't want Regina George to be my name. I like my drag to look for the edge so… edgy. My boy name is Bram, which starts with a B and I thought, you know, one plus one is Reggy B!
How would you describe your Drag in 3 words?
Pop, fun and energetic.
That was quick, I like it like when people are on it with their answer.
They asked it all the time on the set, like all the time.
Oh, really? Haha I bet you were like ugh this one again, boring, next question. Moving onto Drag Race Holland, firstly congratulations for getting on the show, honestly from the bottom of my heart, apart from the UK version, Holland is my favourite, so my 2nd favourite! There is something so pure and special about you and the other Queens. I’m not sure what but I think the US had it at the beginning, but I feel it's sadly lost it now. They need to look back at both Holland and UK seasons and take notes. Basically, what I’m trying to say is you’re all just f*cking fabulous!
I think after maybe after season 10 in the US, the Queen's over there are fighting more for how to look better instead of having a fun time. Like the queens on season 1 (of Drag Race Holland) and my season, we have a fun time, of course it's a competition, we fight and whenever we have to lip sync, we will break each other's necks! But after the lip sync we hug each other and we have fun. I also think that the Queens in the US are making way more money so they have way more money to spend, it's not even their clothing anymore. It's the entire thing, for example, I loved Gottmik’s final runway, but I don't know which Queen would ever wear that because it's so expensive!
I mean, at least you guys got a prize fund this time, in the UK we're still stuck on badges!
Yeah, we were happy to have the 15k at the end.
Yeah, it's a nice amount. Sorry, I went on a bit of a tangent there, my next question was meant to be, what made you apply for the show?
I was really good friends with Abby OMG and she told me she was going to do the show before they even announced that there was going to be a Drag Race Holland, I was like, okay girl, give me the contacts. Who do I need to call? All of my friends said to me, don't do it, it’s too early. I was like, b*tch, if there's going to be one season I need to, but I'm really happy I didn't do the first one because back then I wasn't ready. I looked terrible. When they announced that there was a second season I got a text from the agency saying ‘Hey, they want you to audition’. I said of course, let's go!
What is your favourite memory from the show?
Oh, I have so many and most of them haven't been aired which is sad. I had one moment with Tabitha during episode two where she saw me stressing out and she was stressing out as well. Her and I are really good friends, she was one of the Queens that I look up to because here in Amsterdam she is a legend. We became friends before the show and during that episode she came to me, we were sitting on the ground and she said to me, listen… We are both stressing, but don't do it because if I need to lip sync against you. I don't know how to do that. Mentally I am not able to do that because you're my sister and I love you. That was such a moment. She said to me Reggy, I don't see the Reggy that I see in the city here in Amsterdam. I see the Reggy that's stressing out, get out of your head, your great! That was such a precious moment for me. I hate that she's getting a lot of hate online.
Oh, is she, I haven't seen that!
Oh girl, she's getting so much hate because of that comment, they are calling her transphobic, which is sad because her and Vanessa are like best friends. It's sad to see her getting all the hate. She says I doesn’t care but I know she cares.
Yeah, it still hurts, it must still chip away at the armour.
I hope the fandom will love Tabitha, as we love Tabitha.
During the show you spoke about how you overcame physical issues you were born with to not only dance but also become a drag queen. What made you want to purse something doctors thought you never would be able to do?
Well, my parents told me the story about the doctor saying I was not able to dance during my dance classes, I'm really happy my parents didn't say anything and just let me do it. I really believe that whatever your condition or disease is, if you keep saying it in your head, your mind gets used to, I can do it, instead of okay, I could do it, but how can I. That’s my motivation in life, if you want something, but you know that you can’t do it, work your way around it and eventually you will. You will able to do it in your own kind of way. I started dancing when I was five, basically four years after my surgery. Then I did the Musical Academy, graduated from that, then did ballet for four years, some musicals, now I walk in a heel! I'm happy that I am able to do that. It's weird because I spoke about it on TV and now after Drag Race, I've been thinking about it, where I wasn’t thinking about it before, my state of mind wasn't in that space.
I think all the ‘twink’ lovers were devastated when you left last week, you were 100% the twink trade of the season! How did you cope with being sent home?
They cut out a lot, but when I was backstage I walked off and was on the ground like sobbing! I am not a crier at all. I didn't even cry during the Titanic, but then, I cried like a baby. Even at some points I was hyperventilating after crying because I thought I had disappointed everyone at home. I thought I had disappointed the fans here in Amsterdam. I knew that I didn't get to show to the Reggy I am… But now that it's been aired, people did get to know me because of the confessionals. I'm so happy I got a lot of screen time through that. Because all my friends that know me very well said, this is exactly who you are. This is not a TV Reggy, this is exactly how we know you.
Yeah, definitely. I think it's slightly different now. I think before when queens went home earlier in seasons you almost did have like the early curse but now, I think where Drag Race is so big you don’t get that anymore. I mean you got on the show and beat all those other Queens already, which is an incredible achievement. Plus with social media reach going so far, it doesn't matter where you come, if people connect with you, that’s it.
It's also how you work your way around it. I knew about a month and a half ago when I got back home that I was out second. I went, okay, how am I not going to be forgotten. That's why I am working so hard. I was already but that’s why I’m working even harder now.
In the opening episode you performed your original track as part of the talent show which has just drop as an official single! What is the track about?
The track is called ‘Petty’. The title is basically what it's about. When I started doing drag I got hate, because I got a lot of gigs. Other queens who were working there for 15 years… I don't want to say I stole their gigs but I took over their gigs. I had just started drag and I think that’s probably the reason they didn’t want me to be there. So, I will be petty and do the gig. In the song theres a little bit of this slutty Reggy in there. During my shows, I'd like to be in the audience, well before Corona, I like to crawl around the boys and the girls. So in the TV performance I'm so sad that they cut that out because on the show girl! Oh my God, when I saw it I thought this is terrible. It’s completely different. They asked us to do a one and a half minute performance but they used 28 seconds of it. I had four versus and they used one and a bit of the end of the last verse. I mean if we're spilling the tea…
Please do!
Juicy and I were the only ones who got one rehearsal and we're the only ones who did a one time recording. The rest of the cast got to do it multiple times. When that happened, I was sitting there backstage and the other girls went and did their thing again and again. Then Juicy went, did her thing once, I was like, I'm gonna lip sync! I mean, I didn't felt great during my performance anyway, I couldn't hear myself, it was a mess. So yeah, to spill the tea. That's the T!
I'm excited for everyone to hear the full version!
Thanks. I’m really happy with it.
Have you always been interested in making music or did that come with drag?
I graduated Musical Academy but during the musical lessons I knew I liked pop more. When I got an assignment that I had to do a dance I always choose Lady Gaga instead of The Bodyguard for example. And then I got to know Todrick Hall, who is like a big inspiration for me music wise, the way he makes gay music more Pop and also Lil Nas, he is doing that right now. Those are the people that are a big inspiration to me. That's what I wanted to do with Petty as well. I want a gay pop track that can be played on the radio that isn't ‘kak da da kiki kak’ kind of stuff. I need a pop track that can play on the radio and can play in the clubs.
It's interesting that you say that because I've had two conversations now with two different queens who've been releasing music and mentioned that same thing, Sum Ting Wong from UK Drag Race Season One and the other was the NYC mermaid Lagoona Bloo. We had a really good conversation where we were talking about that and how Drag Queens are making more pop music.
Yeah, for example, we have the Bing Bang Bong types and those were hits. But Jan is making gay music and it's really a bop! I needed that lyric wise for Petty. I wrote the song first really about me but I wanted people to sing along with it and feel that the song is also about them.
How long did it take you to write and produce the track?
The first three verses were done before Drag Race even started. I then saw Drag Race Holland was coming and before we knew I was on the show I did a better version. I then got an email saying we needed to do a talent show for episode 1 and I thought this is the moment. It's time. We finished it in about two days, so pretty fast.
Are you planning more music for the future or is this track a one off thing?
It's just the start.
Shout out time! What one other Queen, King or queer performer deserves a shout out from you?
I would like to give a shout out to Tabitha.
She is not what the people on the internet say. Absolutely not. Her humour is dark but it's not disrespectful. It is not transphobic.
I think her jokes got lost in translation on the show. She’s a sweetheart, she gives everyone a stage. She helped everyone backstage, she's the kind of girl that comes to you and says fix your hair. She's that kind of girl. So I would like to give a shout out to her.
You can listen to Petty by Reggy B by clicking here or follow them on their socials, Instagram & Tik Tok
Photography - Rob Jacobs / Cyriel Jacobs / Mark Engelen
Note: Some of this interview has been edited from the original transcript to help with readability.