It’s no understatement to say that the second series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK is the TV show that has kept us going through Lockdown The Third, and for that, Mama Ru, we are eternally grateful.
Tonight, we see four queens – Ellie Diamond, Lawrence Chaney, Tayce and Bimini Bon Boulash – battle it out to be crowned the winner of the series.
This series of Drag Race has been utterly spectacular for many reasons, and while we’re not mentally or emotionally prepared to contemplate a life without it, we are ready to look back over the best moments of the past three months. Enter: the highlights of the show that saved lockdown 3.0…
BBC Pictures
Three words: Bing Bang Bong
You knew we’d be kicking off with Bing Bang Bong. It would be rude not to.
For one of the challenges, the queens formed two separate bands, The United Kingdolls and Bananadrama, and the former performed UK Hun?, a Eurovision parody song that made it into the Top-40 (because it’s an absolute banger):
“The cheek, the nerve, the gall, the audacity and the gumption”
When Tayce said this and created the meme that basically sums up the past year. “The cheek, the nerve, the gall, the audacity and the gumption” is how we’re going to respond to any minor inconveniences henceforth.
Tayce was originally reacting to Lawrence Chaney commenting on the sexual chemistry between Tayce and A’Whora that was so hot we basically got sunburn from our TV screens.
Actually, just everything about Tayce
Okay, this is officially a Tayce stan page. Come on, just look at her otherworldly beauty. LOOK AT HER. It’s almost offensive.
Criminally overlooked and underrated by the judges.
Basically anything Lawrence says
Self-proclaimed Scottish drag royalty and ‘Susan Boyle of Drag Race UK‘ Lawrence Chaney had us *howling* in her to-camera moments, as well as her on-stage one-liners (“I’d like to address the camel toe in the room”).
We mean, you know a queen’s funny when comedy icon Dawn French says: “You’re the most natural comic on that stage.”
A’Whora as Covid Nine-Tina
Fashion queen A’Whora’s creativity on the runway was unrivalled, particularly in episode seven’s ‘Lockdown Supersheroes’ challenge, where the queen’s had to create a high-fashion outfit from an assortment of day-to-day materials (and saw Tayce take apart approximately two billion scouring pads).
A’Whora created the drop-dead stunning Covid Nine-Tina out of blue bin bags with huge fanned-out shoulders dedicated to the NHS. In-credible.
Natalie Cassidy and just the whole EastEnders episode
There are some writers out there that deserve some industry awards for the ‘BeastEnders’ episode of Drag Race UK. From replacing guest judge Rita Ora (who dropped out last minute) with ‘Danny Dyer’ (a shop dummy with facial hair drawn in marker pen), to Bimini, Lawrence, Tayce and Ellie D delivering Bafta-worthy performances as some of our favourite EastEnders characters, it was the BBC crossover we didn’t know we needed.
Also, whoever came up with the pub name ‘The Kween Dick’. We salute you.
“The eyes are the nipples of the face”
Bimini stole the show impersonating Katie Price in this year’s Snatch Game wearing a tiara and a pink tracksuit, and Bimini-as-Katie served hilarious one-liner after hilarious one-liner.
“You may have seen in the press, I’ve had a hectic year. My implants got held at gunpoint in South Africa, and I walked in the stables and caught my horse cheating on me again.”
The DMCs
The deep meaningful conversations have been one of the highlights of this year’s Drag Race UK, from Ellie Diamond opening up to Tayce in the Werk Room about his relationship with his dad and overcoming adversity; to Lawrence and Tayce sharing their confidence struggles with each other.
One of the most moving moments came from a chat between Bimini and Ginny Lemon, discussing gender identity and identifying as non-binary.
As Bimini themselves said: “How nice was it to hear two gender non-conforming people discuss identity politics without Piers Morgan?” Amen.
We love you, Drag Race UK. Now, sashay away.