‘I deserved to go when I did’: Vicky Vivacious on her Drag Race UK elimination

This is the second week in the row when a queen who feels like in some worlds was going to be a frontrunner has been told to sashay away from season five of Drag Race UK. The casualty of the Werk Room this week was Cornwall’s Vicky Vivacious, who despite racking up two wins and placing high across the season so far was eliminated last night after a fierce lip syncing battle against DeDeLicious. The Tab caught up with Vicky Vivacious to dig into all the tea on how she’s feeling after her Drag Race UK exit.

Hey Vicky! How are you feeling? How is it finally watching back the dreaded elimination episode?

It’s so good that I don’t have to keep the secret anymore of how I placed on Drag Race, because that has fundamentally for me been the hardest thing. People coming up to you saying “You’re a finalist, you’re gonna win this” when you know the outcome!? I didn’t want to go when I did, I deserved to go when I did. I’m definitely not deluded.

Did you feel like you deserved to go at the time, or was it only when watching it back last night that you understood why Ru made that decision?

No, even when I was there I knew. It’s a strange feeling. You just know you’re approaching the end. There’s a saying that a dog instantly knows when its time’s up, and that’s kind of how I felt. I went into the Werk Room on the elimination day and I knew I’d be in the bottom and it would be my final day. I knew. I did my best, I didn’t give up.

I love that you felt like that and still managed to wear the best look of the night.

You’ve hit the nail on the head. I could have been like Veronica Green and gone home in a tent. Talented queen, so to go home in a tent must have been horrendous. That I got to leave in my favourite thing I took to Drag Race, I’m grateful I got to wear it.

So, Snatch Game. We all know and love it, some more than others. Did it meet the big expectations?

Snatch Game was the scariest thing I’ve ever done. I can’t explain it. It’s one of those situations where you don’t know how scary it is until you’re there. Ru is right, you either get it or you don’t get it – I definitely didn’t get it. I’m good at a lot of things but Snatch Game isn’t one of them.

My other option was Greta Thunberg, but you could have handed me any character in the world and I still reckon I’d have screwed it up.

Is there anything that when you’re playing it is so different than you anticipate as a viewer?

It’s a lot longer than you think it’s going to be. You’re on set for a long time, which gives you time to criticise yourself in your head. There’s no music playing, that’s an add on, so it’s quite quiet.

If you’re doing the Snatch Game just have fun. Don’t be strict and regimented and just loosen up.

It must be so hard to get in that mindset though, with all the pressure of trying to make Ru laugh!

And when there are queens there really making Ru howl, it just makes what you say really not land!

Vicky Vivacious – I think one of the highlights of last night’s Drag Race UK was that Alexandra Burke was such an iconic judge. How was it for you to meet her?

I’ve actually met her before backstage at a Jennifer Lopez concert! I think what is fantastic about her is that she’s been through the process of a TV show where you could potentially get eliminated. She can really relate.

How’s it been being the first queen from Cornwall to go on Drag Race – I can’t escape a Vicky Vivacious headline when looking at the Cornish press!

100 per cent. I’ve never felt so much support. I’ve always been really proud to be from Cornwall. The north and the south west rarely get support politically, like little forgotten lands. I’m so glad that people now watching will know there’s good drag that comes out of Cornwall. I’m so glad to put it on the map because the scene is growing.

For me, one of the most interesting parts of last night’s episode was Ginger talking about the Nerve in Charisma, Uniqueness, Nerve and Talent and what that trait means to be a good Drag Race competitor. How did you feel about that as someone who admittedly was shaken by competing, with the judges saying you looked nervous last night?

I couldn’t agree more. It’s exactly how I feel. I definitely lost my nerve, 100 per cent. When Suranne Jones said about me “I think Vicky cares far too much about what people think”, that could not be any more correct. I constantly worry about what people think of me. For once, I’m really starting to take more care of myself and being kinder to myself. It’s so hard when you’re on the Drag Race platform to go in hard on yourself and be more critical. I’m so harsh. There’s enough people in the world to criticise you, you shouldn’t do it to yourself.

What are you most proud of?

Without a doubt, it was the walking in to the Werk Room. I’ve never felt so scared and so nervous, so excited and so nervous. Every emotion you can imagine. It’s such hard work getting onto the show. Getting all your runways ready and that. To finally be there and walk in and knowing that you don’t know who you’re going to meet or what you’re gonna do. I watch myself walking in on loop. I absolutely loved it. I think I looked amazing walking in. I’ve been told a lot of times my entrance is perfect.

If you came back for an All Stars season in the future, is there anything majorly you’d do differently?

I would definitely have more fun. Not worry about what’s going to happen in the next episode, and just enjoy the episode that I’m in.

Catch Vicky Vivacious and her castmates 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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