Exclusive Interview - Priyanka
Pre-interview chat
Hello!
Hi angel how are you?
I’m good thanks and yourself?
I miss hearing the UK accent!
Did you have a good time over here?
I just miss it, I had the time of my life over there (the UK), my dreams were coming true right before my eyes. When we got there we had to wait like five days or something to do Drag Fest. It was a lot of adjusting, a little like, are we gonna start? What's gonna happen? And then finally once we hit the ground, it was game over.
I love it. I miss it. I miss everyone there. I feel like I'm a British pop star now, I didn’t choose the life, it chose me.
Exactly! You can be like Kylie Minogue!
Did you get to see Rose and Gotmik when they were there?
No, I didn’t.
You only cared about me!
Yep, there you go, secret's out.
That's why you called me, because you wanted me to remember that you are my number one fan and you're obsessed with me, I get it!
There is no magazine it’s all a lie. I just did it for a one on one.
It was all a ruse!
Luckily for you the reader, Spill the Tea does exist and Priyanka and I then have a cute little chat about tea and coffee preferences (what a builders and rats-wee tea looks like) as well as eating Gregg’s steak bakes before sitting down to start the interview properly.
From photoshoots, magazine covers to dropping music, you have been a ‘busy bitch’ but before we get into that I’m going get you to jump back to the beginning and tell us when you first discovered you wanted to do Drag?
I first wanted to do drag when my drag mother Xtacy Love said that I should start, right before that I would have never. If she didn't say those magic words ‘you should start right now’ I would have never, mark my words. Never in a million years. I was scared of drag queens, I didn't think I could ever walk around in a wig.
There was one Halloween where my all my friends and I dressed as the stages of Britney Spears. Somebody was Baby One More Time, I was Oops I Did It Again someone was Slave For You and Blackout Britney with the bald cap. I remember vividly being excited to wear the red latex cat suit but very adamant that I would not wear a wig. That was my one thing, I said I will not wear a wig, I won't do it, don't make me do it. Then it's crazy because cut to a couple months later and the wigs glued down and I f*cking turn the party at clubs. It’s funny, I felt so empowered. Growing up being called like a girl all the time, for example ‘you talk like a girl’ or ‘you like girly things’ etc, this gave everybody who bullied me growing up the middle finger. Call me a girl and I'll show you what a girl that looks like!
“ I want kids to grow up seeing a brown pop star sitting in a castle turning it!”
Most will recognise you from Canada’s Drag Race season one. What made you want to apply to be on the show?
When the casting call came out, I was at my old job at Kids TV. My co-host Spencer came over and said oh my god, they just announced Canada's Drag Race, are you going to apply? I ran to my phone, checked it out and said to myself, my life is going to change. I just knew it, I was a Kids TV host, booked every night in Toronto, they're going to go for heavy hitters this season. I'm for sure going to be on the season and I'm for sure gonna be quitting this job.
History was made! Now people had a lot to say about the season, having been only having been on it, what was your experience?
I mean, being on it… I know that there's been an article now in The Hollywood Reporter with Jeffery Bowyer-Chapman kind of saying that behind the scenes wasn't good and all that stuff… I mean, here's the thing. This season came out during the time in the pandemic where we were all looking for like a light at the end of the tunnel. Canada’s Drag Race was that light at the end of the tunnel for a lot of people and that's why it was so successful, because it was so unhinged which is what made it so iconic that there is a lot of drama.
My experience on the show, I had an incredible time. It was definitely a really tough pill to swallow having somebody judge you, I think in any competition series that's the hardest part because everyone around you is not really giving you compliments or not really saying anything until you get to get on stage and try and present this outfit you're so excited for and a lot of the audience members are on that ride with us and that's kind of what happened. I wouldn't say like the judges were mean at all, I think that they gave great TV and said sassy things like they do on every single iteration of Drag Race. I don't know, I get this question quite often and I know that there's a lot people saying that Jeffery was mean but he wasn't mean, he was really nice, even off camera. He did say really sassy things but those were his opinions and that's what he was hired to do. It's tough for me, because he was also easily bullied because he's a black guy. Why do people love to take black people down, the internet is full of trolls that are white, that’s the actual T of it. Okay, could he have been nicer? Sure. Could he have done or said things differently? Sure. But when Simon Cowell was being a d*ck on American Idol, no one said anything because he's white guy. I don’t think that it's fair to try to take someone's career down because they're being sassy, it just makes no sense to me.
My experience was really, really fun. There were highs and there were lows like with any competition series. It was tough to hear some of the disappointment in the judges when you did wrong or when you did bad, but I think that's what happens, it was such a wild ride. I honestly can't believe I did it. Now I'm living my best life and working on projects and being an icon. I love it.
Yeah, it's interesting about the negative sort of comments that he got, because one of my favourite spin offs is Holland. I don't know if you have watched any of it but I love Holland so much. They're super bitchy to each other and to the judges. Even the latest season giving Fred (the host of Drag Race Holland) clapbacks as they're being eliminated. I'm like, whoa, where's this coming from? I love it and I haven't seen any hate that way. It probably is, unfortunately, for a lot of people the reason that you just said (because he’s a black guy).
Clearly and even being a person of colour in the contest, I've been celebrated and decorated and people love me and I'm so grateful because as you saw when you saw me at my show, I love everybody just as much back! But there's a dark side of the internet, for example that week that I won the makeover challenge and Jimbo didn't and we were really starting to gun for the crown… people feel in order for their favourite to win they have to take down all the others contestants, I was called like a Paki in a leotard and all these awful things. People seem to think if they take down another contestant it will put the crown on top of their favourites head. When you and I both know that's not true, because the show's already done, its shot and they already filmed the winner. It's a little bit interesting, isn't it?
Yeah it is and even actually in the meet and greet queue there was some people getting quite heated about All Stars which had literally just happened (where Kylie Sonique Love took the crown) and I was like guys chill, at the end it’s just a TV show. Chill your boots. It’s okay, we're all gonna live.
It's also tough too, because that's what makes us all such exciting characters because you do want to get behind your favourite and root for them.
Yeah. 100% but just push your winner, keep sharing the person you want to win and keep promoting them as much as possible. Where the shows at now, unless you are a horrible person, you're pretty much guaranteed to have a good loyal following and a career after the show.
Typically, yes. It depends how you do, how you come across, Drag Race now, you can see when Queens are playing the game and which Queens are being genuine and it's always the Queen's just having a good experience and being genuine that are doing the best.
Definitely, I think that's why I'm slightly put off with the current US seasons because you can just see the clogs ticking when they're answering questions. That’s why I love the UK and Holland, it seems so raw. I think that's probably why I fell in love with you. You were the first Queen for a long time where I actually sat there and went, ‘Oh my God actually want this person to win’. Recently I have been happy either way, I love them all. But with you it was different.
It's really cool because being a queer person of colour was just a part of it. No matter what your skin colour was, I think everybody saw themselves in me, they saw my sacrifice of ditching this giant kids TV job to do drag. They saw me go through and just react genuinely to things that were happening and also say things that we all think. Honestly it means a lot when you say things like this because having been on TV for nearly maybe 10 years before Drag Race. When I finally got to it, I was not a filter, I finally was able to be my true self which is great because I was discovering who I was during that show. And I think a lot of people saw that which I'm so thankful.
“The UK fans are a different breed of people. They toured around with me, I don’t know how they make the money or if their credit cards are maxed! But seeing the familiar faces and creating bonds with them, simply like no other.”
I must touch on how you were during the meet and greet. I find it funny because a lot of the time of course, I go to the shows where I haven’t asked them for an interview. I don’t ask everybody. That's the thing, I'm very picky with who I do ask. So at a meet when they don't know who you are. They just think you're just some little gay kid again coming up for a photo. At yours I was quite near the back and it was lovely seeing you be genuine with everyone and giving everyone your time, which isn’t always the way, and some of the vibes even that night wasn’t the same across the board for everybody (both Priyanka and I pull awkward faces). But with you it was lovely to see, genuinely lovely. That's what I love, when the Queen's are genuine with their fans and give back to them.
I remember an interview with Beyonce once and she said she waited (when she was younger) to meet Will Smith because that was her idol. She was the last inline and when he finally got to her, she said that he was so nice and she'll never forget it. He was acted like she was the first fan he was meeting that night and that resonated with me. For somebody who wants to be a celebrity, or whatever the case is, you will remember those things because the more you give fans, the more they give back to you. I mean, not all celebrities are like that because some people fall into fame and others work hard for it, so it's very interesting. The thing is, we were on a competition show and people forget that we're always up for elimination! Someone is always looking for bad things to say about us and once they get that, that’s their narrative so, be careful.
Well I only had good things to say about you meet and greet and after your show, it was a great performance.
That was such fun. I loved it, such a good show.
During the competition you slayed and were crowned the winner. I was at your Anniversary Show. How has life been since the show?
What a loaded question. My life is exactly what I worked so hard for right now. It’s really cool to win and a spin off season of RuPaul’s Drag Race because I sat here and got a lot of opportunities from it. But once January hit, I knew the new season was going to come out and I had to think what’s my Drag Race going to be. I have to create something that's my own. That's when I started to write music and started my own music video series. I wanted to do this and do that and then I got this email saying, ‘Hey, we want you to do the cover of Elle Canada’. And I said What the f*ck? What the actual f*ck is happening, of course I should be on the cover! It’s me, I won. But any creative, that wants it and that appears to entertain people, you often second guess yourself and you go through a lot of mental games. For example, Covid, I was gaining a little bit of weight, I wasn’t performing a lot. I thought, Oh my god, am I disgusting? I got dumped after I gave my ex-boyfriend covid, it was all bad.
Is that a true story?
Yeah.
NO! They dumped you just because of covid.
I mean, that's who the EP is about, that relationship. So, you know, all these things are happening and you're focused on so many different things that don't matter, it was tough. I really felt the whirlwind and felt it even more because I wasn't bopping around from gig to gig, it was a whole different kind of whirlwind. It was a mental one. If the world was open, I would have flown to LA and do a show there, then go to Chicago do a show there, then over to the UK which is all a physical whirlwind. The mental whirlwind was realising that being on TV for 10 weeks is that everyone is talking about you. But what happens when you're off TV and there's nothing more to talk about. You have to really give people something to talk about. It's really incredible and the show is still going with season two coming out and I'm excited for these Queens to get a piece of this cake! It’s great, I’ve carved an lane for myself that no one can even get into. That's what the season two winner to do. Win, and create a whole path for themselves, don't even think about what I did, because whatever they're going to do is going to be incredible for their career. I mean that genuinely, I'm not being fake. Trust me because it's tough when you're not the reigning Queen anymore. What does that mean? I might not be the reigning Queen but I'll always be the most relevant Queen!
Touching on the new cast that has just been announced. What do you think, anyone who stands out to you?
Ooooo, I love Suki doll, what an icon. I love Stephanie and Oceane. I have a feeling that Océane in particular is going to be the one that we're watching that makes us like gut laugh, I think that's gonna be our Alyssa Edwards / Vanjie. Where you just want to watch them talk because there just so hilarious. The drag is obviously not the best but I think that there's something to say, drag is about how you make people feel and mostly Oceane has that and you can tell she makes people feel happy and cares, that's what I like to do with my drag. Those are the kinds of Queens that I love. I'm curious to know what the top three is going to be because it feels like there's not really a front runner right now, I'm excited to watch the show to see who really sticks out.
After your time on drag race you gave the children what they wanted and you released music, Come Through is my personal favourite.
Come Through is so iconic because it is the gay dance anthem that we all love and need that we'll play every single summer and every single pride for the rest of our lives and Lemons verse on it… Are you f*cking kidding? I feel honoured to have a best friend that can rap as good as her. I'm an icon don’t get my wrong and my singing on that track is great, lyrically it's amazing, but Lemons verse… it’s reminiscent of Nicki Minaj’s verse on Monster. I am my biggest fan, but when you listen to Come Through. You're just waiting for that verse to come on. You're just waiting because there's something about the flow, her voice tone the lyrics, Lemon is the star of that song.
I also love the bit just before her verse, it's like you're almost setting her up. Is that nice calm before the storm.
That song for our friendship means a lot too. The guy who I dated that dumped me tried to date Lemon before me. I took Lemon out for drinks and we're talking and I said I met I met this guy last night and she was like, girl! He tried to date me, he’s a Race Chaser, don't do it. And I did it and she didn't even make me feel judged about it. She didn't make me feel anything about it. She was just there as a friend like a friend should be. When the relationship finally ended she was once again, still there for me, still supportive and didn't make me feel bad for dating him. We all went to a cottage together and she was supporting me as a friend. She sat on the couch and played Sims while me and my Drag Mom we're drinking in the kitchen and it was this house of support and love that I really needed during that dark time. Then putting her in the song that is about that time in my life and her talking about these things like, gloss on the blunt, ain’t sorry is Fenty…When she got eliminated she left a Fenty lip gloss on my makeup station. All these lyrics are about no matter what, she will be there for her friend, even when the friend dates a sh*tty guy. It’s crazy for me that the song means personally so much and for it to have gone viral and her be part of it specifically. Her time on Drag Race, she should have been there in the top three, no questions asked. Had she won over me, she is like an undeniable star so... But when she walked in she even said you are going to win. She's unapologetically supportive and you don't get that from other drag queens, you don't! I could talk about Lemon all day.
Did you always want to make music, or was that something that came with drag?
I wanted to make music so bad. I just wanted to be a little singer all my life. I'd watch all these pop star documentaries and just wish I could do it. Wish and hope that one day I could do it. It's crazy that if 16 year old me knew that Taste Test would hit a million streams, I mean it’s platinum… I dunno like, I had to fund the project, sing the songs do it all myself, I had to believe in my myself for it because when I released Cake, I remember being really nervous, I hoped everyone didn’t think that I was just another drag queen releasing music because that happens, I really wanted to show them that I was an artist first and drag was the platform that I was presenting it on.
I love music, I come from a musical family right, my Dad is a DJ, my brothers a DJ. Oh, my grandparents are singers. You know, like, I'm around music all the time.
With the EP you created a mini drama series why did you want to do that?
The whole storyline is I’m like Katniss Everdeen (from the Hunger Games) trying to take over the government and I go on the run. That whole narrative is my career. I used to work at a production company for a show called the Next Star and I will never forget it, I had local experience of being on TV before and I was asked to look up a host for a TV show that was a spin-off of the main one I was working on. I was sitting there googling people who could host it but I knew I was the rightful choice but because I didn’t have a social media following at the time when I asked they said no. However, I still cut together a demo reel and sent it to the producers and said I think I should be the host. That was a lot of balls, I was an assistant but I was going to go for it and I did. In the video the narrative of me playing these cake games and breaking the rules, that’s how you get sh*t done and make waves in this lifetime. People are going to think they know what’s right but when I was trying to get money for these music videos and I would sit in these meetings I would tell them, I want kids to grow up seeing a brown pop star sitting in a castle turning it! That’s what they need to see to know they can do it too. That’s where the narrative came from and I’m a product of 90’s and 20’s music videos where they did have ‘To be continued’ and did tease songs at the end. That music art form was missing for a long time and now with Lil Nas, the Billie Eilish and the Olivia Rodrigo’s… it’s back baby! It’s cool. I don’t just want to be a radio star, I want to be an artist that releases projects!
Will every track have a video?
It will! I’m excited, Afterglow is one of my favourite’s songs on the whole thing and it’s the most radio friendly song. I think when there’s a video that’s when it’s really going to explode!
Will Cheryl (Hole) get her own cameo like Lemon did?
YES! I will do whatever I have to do to get Cheryl in Snatch, it’s going to happen! Cheryl Hole is one of the most incredible drag queens, she’s so professional, so loving! I think she deserves all the success and fame, she works hard, she’s my favourite.
Yeah, Cheryl was one of our local Queens to the venue closest to me before she got on Drag Race.
I love my Essex girl!
We touched on it earlier but you have just toured Taste Test, what was your favourite memory of the tour?
Overall, performing. When the album came out to when I left the UK to come home, those last couple of shows, every single member of the audience knew every single word! There’s a memory in particular and I was performing at G-A-Y and I came out and I did Cake, I looked to the right and there was this boy there that was singing every single word to and not to me! It was like it was playing in the club and he was partying, he was seeing my song and he’s not doing it for my attention, he’s doing it because he loves the song and that would be my favourite memory ever, seeing that hard work pay off. At a lot of the shows, before I came out I was crying backstage because I was so happy, happiness for me is hard work and I had done that. Not to big myself up but I give my friends opportunities, some of my friends have made the videos for me, the people directing my videos I have known since I was 16 / 17. I’m all about keeping a good foundation, pretty much all the Canada’s Drag Race Queens are in my videos. I really try and give back to the people that I came up with to help them rise with me. It makes me so happy knowing I can create these opportunities for these people.
What did you make of the UK fans?
The UK fans are a different breed of people. They toured around with me, I don’t know how they make the money or if their credit cards are maxed! But seeing the familiar faces and creating bonds with them is simply like no other. The thing with Canada is, to get to different things you have to fly, so fans can’t come to multiple shows unless it’s in one province but it’s one of those things that makes my heart so happy and they are the best fans in the world, honestly! They are so hard to compare as they are so different and I have a special place in my heart for them.
What’s next for you?
Lots of touring! Starting tomorrow I will be working on my full length album and I’m going to keep doing Taste Test projects and making sure every single song reaches everyone’s ears because every track is so good and I really want people to know. I really want to do some TV and movies and break into the mainstream more than I already have, which is saying a lot as I have done so much and what’s exciting is there is so much more for me to do. Tune in to find out!
Shout out time! What one other Queen, King or queer performer deserves a shout out from you?
I want to give a big shout out to Mutha Tucka in the UK because I think that it’s tough to come by genuine and hard working performers. I really respect the fact that Mutha was hosting all these gigs, driving the tour buses and making sure we got to the hotels got to the venues and that the meet and greets were on. It’s a lot of work just to do drag and then doing all those different things… I will always respect that person! I have been that person before for other productions before Drag Race and I get it. That is a special human being.
You can stream Taste Test on Spotify by clicking here.
Or follow Priyanka on Instagram and Twitter
Photography - Courtesy of Priyanka
Note: Some of this interview has been edited from the original transcript to help with readability.