Drag Race UK’s Le Fil on androgynous, Asian representation and that Snatch Game episode.
This week, the Drag Race UK queens were challenged to put on their best celebrity impersonations in front of guest judges Tess Daly and AJ Odudu, before walking the runway for the Spice Girls’ Mel B.
While Cheddar Gorgeous and Dakota Schiffer stormed the Snatch Game, with the former picking up the win, Le Fil found themself in the bottom, lip-syncing against Black Peppa.
The Snatch Game has not been particularly well received among fans.
Speaking to PinkNews and other media, Le Fil explained just what happened during the challenge, revealing that it was all down to RuPaul “spooking” the queens:
“When Ru spooks you, it’s like: ‘You have to please Ru.’ So we were going into it every week like … Ru is our head boss. Do what makes them laugh.”
Both Danny Beard and Jonbers Blonde changed their characters last minute on Ru’s suggestion, robbing us of what was sure to be an iconic Louis Walsh impersonation from Danny.
Not Roople sabotaging the Snatch Game again, we want Enya & Louis Walsh not St Patrick and one of the fucking Beatles #DragRaceUK pic.twitter.com/AAp752m5jM
— Josh (@JoshxReid) October 27, 2022
We need someone else to present UK Snatch Game because I can’t deal with another episode of Ru telling a queen to do a character he’s made up on the spot because he doesn’t understand any British references
— Joe Gurski (@j0egurski) October 28, 2022
Le Fil had considered doing Victoria Beckham, but stuck to their first choice of cleaning guru Marie Kondo.
“There was a discussion about doing Posh Spice with a Chinese accent, then in the end, I was like, I can’t do that. I have to stick to my guns and I’m not doing Posh Spice because Mel B is there! So I have to do Marie Kondo,” Le Fil explained.
“I wanted to do an Asian character, as there are so few Asian characters in popular culture and media that I didn’t want to lose that opportunity – and I feel like there’s there’s already enough pressure with Asian people losing on the Snatch Game and going home, but I thought: I’m gonna use this opportunity and focus on Asian representation.”
Though they may have left the competition, Le Fil is glad they were able to be the “AAS” of the season – the Androgynous, Asian Sensation.
“I was dead chuffed to part of this cast because we always see ‘traditional’ drag queens.
“I want to challenge what you see and I think that breaking stereotypes is the only way to lead to equality. What is so good about this season is that everyone’s in their own lanes and doing their own thing.
“As long as Drag Race continues bringing that diversity to each season and have a slightly different evolution, then I think it’s going to be amazing. I think people can relate to it because there’s so many of us out there; so many diverse characters, personalities, expressions of gender – we’re not just binary, there’s so many shades of grey”.
My new ‘Le Filosophical’ EP is out now! Featuring songs inspired by the runway outfits and the lead single ‘This Is My Culture’ dedicated to you – my supporters, my queer fam, Asian fam, creative fam. I couldn’t have done this without your love and support 💕 #DragRaceUK pic.twitter.com/qHtgsl1LDZ
— Le Fil 🎺 (@iamLeFil) October 28, 2022
As for their final act – lip-syncing to a Spice Girls song in front of Mel B – Le Fil said: “I squealed like mad when I found out that Mel B was guesting judging – then find out that [the lipsync song is] “Stop”?
“I just wanted to exude joy and happiness and pure fun. I love quirky things on stage – we know people can drop and do splits and stuff like that, we’ve seen it a lot on so many different episodes like and I love being able to do something random and quirky.”
Fans have praised this week’s episode for its conversation surrounding HIV and its stigma.
Drag Race UK airs on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer Thursdays at 9pm.