Exclusive Interview with Blu Hydrangea
This interview is available to listen to on Spotify, click below to take a listen or keep scrolling to read.
Good afternoon!
Hi Michael
How are you?
I'm good thank you, how are you?
Good I'm very well thanking you, firstly congratulations Blu for being crowned the first mother tucking queen of the world! Has it sunk in yet?
Oh my goodness, not even. I still watch every single YouTube video under the sun of me winning and I still can't believe that's me, I'm like wow, it just hasn't settled in, I haven't really left the house, I've kind of been down to my local bar a few times and it's really cool there but I can't wait till I get to London and stuff to properly celebrate. It'll be really fun.
How was it competing with Baga on another season?
It was good fun I mean Baga is really good fun, she's really chill and gives off good energy and because she wasn't um, killing it the way she was in season one, so it made it even easier to compete with her. It made it more fun because I wasn't threatened by her, I think there's one little clip where Baga just gives me evils because she realizes that I'm doing well too and I feel like that really showcases our dynamics in the competition.
When you both competed in Series 1 of Drag Race UK along with you sister Divina De Campo you created herstory by creating one of the most iconic Drag Race songs the show has ever heard! Did you realise you were creating gold in that moment?
Oh my goodness, um yes, I always tell a story about when I stole one of the iPods that had the original version of the Frock Destroyers on and I brought it home and showed my boyfriend, he was like this is great! But I kind of knew at the time that we were doing something really good, I think all three of us have drag group backgrounds, we all have worked in bars where we have to do group choreo so it came naturally to all three of us. It's really good fun isn't it. There's a rock version of ‘Break Up Bye Bye, which is so good you have to listen to it, it's amazing.
I haven't actually heard the rock version.
It came out on the launch of the Frockumentary and it is my favourite, it's the only one that I perform whenever I'm on the road on my own because it's great, it's so badass.
After the show you gave the kids what they wanted and you released a full album, how was it recording during a global pandemic?
It was really good, it gave me focus, it was like this little bundle of joy that we had during this dark time. We were able to work with our best friends even though we weren't in the same room. We were able to meet incredible people like Leland, who wrote the songs and it was just really good fun, it was it was a passion project. It was something that we were also invested in and I’m glad that it came out really well, we're proud of it anyway which is important.
As you were recording the album you had a film crew follow you around catching all the highs and the lows, how was it to have that captured on camera?
So great because I watched the first episode of the Frockumentary and I was like oh I forgot that happened. It was such a whirlwind experience, I think whenever we were actually recording the song and the music video, or performing it live for the first time, these were all happening in one day, so it's very fast paced but super enjoyable, it's so much fun to watch back because I honestly do love Baga and Divina with all my heart, they're just really great people to work with and I think the three of us have a great dynamic. I'm the middle man, Baga is the lazy one and then Divina is the high maintenance one, I'm the mediator, it works really well. We work really well together.
Why should people watch the Frockumentary?
The Frock Destroyers walked so that UK Hun? and B.D.E could run. I think everyone loves UK series one, it was one of the most iconic seasons, off of the back of that we've had more iconic series of Drag Race UK, so why not relive UK series one with your favourites from that series which is me, Baga and Divina. Which is true because forget the rest of those b*tches.
Who else is on the season again? Now I do want to play a little game with you if that's okay, it's called Piping Hot Tea and it's basically quick fire questions that just need quick fire answers back, are you down to play?
Great, I'm down for whatever.
Out of yourself and your fellow Frock Destroyers who takes the longest to get ready?
Me
Who is the best Frock Destroyer?
Me!
What's the best thing about being a Frock Destroyer?
Working with Baga and Divina, oh what a miss congeniality answer but it’s true.
What song from Drag Race UK was better ‘Break Up, Bye-Bye’ or UK Hun?
Break Up Bye-Bye!
People have demanded since you've released your music that you represent the UK in Eurovision, would you ever do it?
Yes, yes, yes a hundred times yes.
Are the Frock Destroyers the most iconic UK girl group right now?
… One of them yes.
Take the title! Although your head can't probably fit that many more titles or crowns on top! Do the Frock Destroyers have groupies?
Oh, I don't, Divina maybe, yes Baga, probably yes. I’m okay, I’m a Frock Destroyer by name only.
Will the Frock Destroyers release more music in the future?
I would love to yeah, I think that's the general consensus, we all just want to keep working together which is as I continue to say, they're really fun to work with and we all get on really well. We're not like other girl groups from Drag Race UK where they don't maybe get on so well… We get on fabulously.
It's a nice trio as well, it works as a three.
I think so, great personalities too, we've all got something different that we bring to it, that's why we work together.
Is the documentary worth the watch?
Oh yeah, I think so, I think it is a product of its time in that there's a lot of self-shot footage but I think that's something that we'll be able to look back at and be like look at how nice of a position we are no longer in but also look how much effort that they fit into creating something during a pandemic for our enjoyment. I think it's kind of a an ode to what we are, our talents and it's an ode to anyone that enjoyed the original song.
And the final question, did you love sitting down for this interview with me?
Oh my gosh yes! You have the cutest little face, you would make a great Drag Queen.
Thanks, never done it.
Oh my goodness, I can see what you would look like now.
I will have to do it one day.
I’ll paint you.
Shout-out time! What queer performer deserves a shout from you and why? - This can be a drag King, Queen or anything in-between or simply a queer artist doing their thing.
Can I have two?
Sure!
One is Yshee Black, who is just one of my favourite UK performers at the moment, I love seeing her online, she's always drunk, in drag or both and I just love that.
I also went to see Death Drop (the play) recently for the second time and I absolutely just love anyone that is in that, Holly Stars, Richard Energy, JuJuBee is in it as well, sorry that was more than one but I just love that Death Drop gives a platform to many queer performers, it's not just Drag Race girls, white queens or just drag queens, it's people colour, it's a drag kings, it's everything and I love that.
The docu-series is available exclusively on the streamer of all things drag, WOW Presents Plus.
Imagery with thanks to our friends at World of Wonder.
Note: Some of this interview has been edited from the original transcript to help with readability.