‘People doubting me was painful’: Alexis Saint-Pete on her untimely Drag Race UK exit

After an initial week with no one going home, last night’s episode of Drag Race UK season five saw our first queen exit the competition – and after a particularly gruelling design challenge we sadly said goodbye to Alexis Saint-Pete. The Polish Londoner made such a mark on the competition with her endearing insecurities and obvious beauty, fierce performance skills and the kind of demeanour you just want to root for. After being sent home by Miss Naomi Carter, Alexis follows in the esteemed footsteps of Gothy Kendoll, Joe Black, Anubis and Just May of queens to sashay away first. After a whirlwind day following the episode, I sat down with Alexis Saint-Pete to talk all things Drag Race UK.

Hey, Alexis! How are you doing?

It is what it is. It’s just the beginning baby.

How are you feeling after watching it back?

Yesterday I was quite upset watching it, because it brought so many memories back. But today I woke up like, listen. I gotta keep going. I made it to the show. I have a big responsibility of representation. My dreams are endless and I want to do so much with everything this platform’s given me.

Going home first must be rough because you don’t get to show everyone all your other skills! What challenges are you most sad you never got to do?

I was definitely not looking forward to Snatch Game at all. I was excited for an acting challenge. I’d have taken a role completely opposite to Alexis, maybe like a crazy character. A Baga Chipz ‘much better’ sort of thing. And a girl group challenge too, to test myself.

Do you agree with who was in the bottom this week? 

I feel like when somebody’s look wasn’t amazing or couture, people were selling it with stories on the runway. I was quite confident in my look so I was following my own story. I think it was quite fair, the judging.

There was a lot of conversation on your two episodes about Dedelicious getting in your head – how is your relationship with her now?

It got into my head. Even though I was saying I was fine, I was still bothered by it. Not because of Dede, but because it was bringing back memories of being back in Poland where I was bullied all the time and didn’t have anybody behind me. Having people doubting me was painful. It shouldn’t have happened because my looks were amazing, so I shouldn’t have considered them ever being right. I should have been more confident and cocky. But that’s not really my character.

Off the back of that Alexis Saint-Pete, there’s so much chat about inner saboteur on Drag Race UK – do you feel like you fell victim to that?

Yeah, definitely. This group of girls are strong competitors. They’re amazing and everybody’s representing incredible style. Somebody had to go home, right?

Yeah. The design challenge is so famous on the race – what was it actually like doing it? Is the time limit stressful and is it hard getting all the materials together?

Honestly, I feel like I’m quite creative when it comes to my ideas so everything I bring to the stage, even if it looks simple, it has a story behind it. I wanted to express my creativity and it happened to be a fish. A funeral. I created a whole story – I was proud of what I did and now I can put it on merch. And trust me, it’s coming!

What was it like having Edward Enninful in the Werk Room and getting to talk to him?

So at the beginning, I didn’t know who he was. But when I realised I was like, are you kidding me? English Anna Wintour is here! I feel like I was so stressed I didn’t get to enjoy the experience as much and wish I got to ask different questions. We all had about five minutes with him. The dog was so cute as well.

You had your different outfit when you first spoke to Edward. In hindsight do you wish you stuck with that plan or are you happy with what you did?

I think looking back it probably would have worked better, because I’d have been able to do crazy dancing. But I took the advice from the judges and my look was came. I wore different hair and makeup, I followed the advice.

How’s the feedback been from back home in Poland since your elimination?

The support has been incredible. People thanking me for the representation, saying “You have made me proud to be Polish.” People told me they were rooting for Poland and that made me tear up.

Do you ever see Drag Race Poland becoming a possibility in the future?

100 per cent. I feel like maybe if not Drag Race Poland, we’d have a Slavic Drag Race where all the Eastern European countries come together in one. We still have some time to grow, I have some time to grow before I’d ever give somebody advice if I was to host – but it’s on the top of my dream list.

And finally, would you ever come back for All Stars?

Of course. I would love to come back and show more of me, the parts people never got to see.

Catch Alexis Saint-Pete and her casemates as RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Series 5 continues every Thursday at 9pm on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer. For all the latest reality TV and entertainment news like Pop Culture Shrine on Facebook.

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