Exclusive interview with Vanjie
Hi Vanjie, welcome to Spill the Tea, how are you doing?
I'm doing good, I'm here on vacation in Egypt! You can see the pyramids behind me (Vanjie moves to the side to reveal the pyramids behind her). I'm living lavish!
Loving it, life after tour!
Right, hello! Work hard play hard, you know!
Exactly, now you have a new show starting this week, Vanjie: 24 hours of love, now this isn't the first time we've seen one of your potential relationships blossom on a TV show… but this time, it's the purpose of the show. Why did you enlist World of Wonder to help you find love?
Well, World of Wonder they kind of were in the talks with this idea for a while and they would come up with ideas, go back and forth, like oh, there's been other dating shows, you're the perfect person because you're the first contestant to actually form a relationship with somebody in the show that was… you know, I don't want to say legit but you know everybody knew we was dating! So and then they saw my face, the heartbreak I had to go through so they were like, you're the perfect candidate! They know I'm a hopeless romantic and we would just go back and forth with ideas and they wanted to have a different approach to it. Then they came up with the 24 hours idea because I'm a drag queen, I travel the world, I’m here in Egypt right now and we're going to need somebody who's going to be able to make an impression within 24 hours because sometimes I'm not gonna be able to be there for too long. So I thought it was the right formula and I’m always trying to keep an open mind because if you don't open up to life, life ain't gonna open up to you. That's one of my favourite Instagram quotes.
Have you ever fallen in love in 24 hours before? Has that ever happened.
I don't think fallen in love, you know, what do you call it… love that first sight type of thing. I've had that where you see somebody like oh my goodness but not necessarily falling in love.
During the show you enlist your drag friends to help you with some advice, we see Violet Chachki, Gotmik, Derrick Berry and even your Mum! Who gave the best advice?
Child, I mean they all really gave good advice, my Mom's gonna be more strict because she's my mom, she's seen me through my ups and downs with my old relationships but Violet and Mik are gonna be able to speak from a place that they understand, they also are gonna be shady and as sh*t, they going to really give me advice but they’re also going to just cut up and do whatever! They know how to have a good time. I’m a libra, it's gonna be hard for me to make a decision so I don't know, I can't say one of them gave better advice than the other but my Mom is you know, that's my Mom, she's wild.
She was cutthroat, I saw the press preview. She was cut throat.
Yeah, she was not playing!
Did you find it hard letting the guys go especially the ones that didn't have that much time with you?
Sometimes, I feel like the more time that went by, it got harder from there. There was a few that I didn't, it wasn't as hard but it was hard because you know ,you always wonder like wait. What happens if I’m making the wrong decision, you start to feel rushed because the hours and it did have these moments where it was really hard.
I recently saw you in Werq the World, which you killed, but you travel all around the world, do you find that stops you being able to find love?
No because it's part of what I do and I feel like if you want something to work you will work towards it. I travel for two months, if you can't hold it down for two months then something ain’t right, you're not the person for me.
I'd love to play a game with you if that's okay that we call ‘Piping Hot Tea’ and it's basically quick fire questions and I just need your gut reactions. Are you down for it?
Let me take a swig! (Vanjie grabs her drink which I assume is alcohol)
I'l let you take a sip of Dutch courage, I mean you're winning again, you're winning on the background (Eygpt) and the drink! I've just got some water.
C’mon, if I could send you some virtual booze I would.
Thank you, okay should we do the game, you ready?
What's the best way to your heart?
Honesty.
What's your biggest turn off when dating?
Someone who is messy, like you know, name dropping.
Does a guy's sexual position in the bedroom matter to you?
No that doesn't matter.
Would you ever date another drag performer…again?
Never say never.
Would you date somebody who looked like a god but had the personality that stank?
No, I mean I would date him but I don't think it would last long!
Can you be friends with an ex and are you?
Yes you can be friends with an ex, I am with few of my exes.
Would you date a British guy?
Sure! Why not.
If you're in a restaurant on a first date who would pay the bill you or them?
I would probably say we could split 50/50 but it depends on who invited who. I probably would end up still paying the bill.
Would your exes say that you're the reason why the relationship broke up?
Some of them yes, some of them no. I don’t know, I my mind no!
What three words would you put on your dating profile if you had one to describe yourself?
I would say passionate, legit and cookie monster!
Nice love it, you survived the game.
WOOOO, I can take another swig now.
You can breathe now. The final part of my interview and the way I like to round all the spill the Tea interviews off is by giving a chance to give a shout out to another queer performer, they could be a drag king, queen anything in-between. Whoever you like, is there anybody you'd like to give a shout out to and why?
Right now, because I finished doing the Werq the World tour with some of the girls… Jorgeous, the last day of the tour she had an emotional moment, she was crying and talking to me about how she's so appreciative of the tour and how she got to know us and she loved what she was doing and she was just having that moment. I remember my first time doing Werq the World, I was like crying too and hugging everybody and so I want to give a shout out to Jorgeous just to send her some love.
I love Jorgeous and she's an amazing person, amazing performer such a beautiful spirit and she's my sister and b*tch I will see her soon!
Photo with thanks to Marco Ovando
She killed it on tour and it was hard for her going on first, well in the UK version she went on stage first, that's tough.
She's amazing !
Thank you very much my love, it was lovely speaking to you, thank you for sitting down with me I’m very jealous that you're in Egypt! I hope you get to enjoy the rest of your holiday.
Thank you I appreciate it.
No worries at all best with the series and I hope you find love!
Stay tuned child, you think I’m out here all by myself!
You kept it a good secret, I’ve been looking and checking! Bye!
BYE!
To meet the suitors fighting for Vanjie’s heart click here.
Vanjie: 24 Hours of Love will premiere weekly at 8pm BST from Thursday 9th June exclusively on the streamer of all things drag, WOW Presents Plus. Subscribe here!
Note: Some of this interview has been edited from the original transcript to help with readability.
Imagery with thanks to our friends at World of Wonder
Photo of Jorgeous during the Werq the World tour with thanks to Marco Ovando