This week on Drag Race UK, we got to watch all the queens pull out their best celebrity impressions for Snatch Game!
In a yet another twist of fate, TWO queens were eliminated from the season: pointer sister River Medway and fan-favourite Choriza May.
We caught up with both Choriza and River about their time on the show. First up, we spoke to Choriza May about her elimination, her choice for Snatch Game, and her new single.
Buzzfeed UK: What are your thoughts on the judging this season? We've already seen a double save and another (sort of) double elimination – what's going on?
Choriza: When they say you don't know what's gonna happen next, they mean it! RuPaul did say my name first, so for a second I thought, I'm staying! Then she said River's, but a double elimination was the last thing in my head.
BuzzFeed UK: We saw you tweeted about being a lip sync assassin!
Choriza: Listen, I sent two people home and I murdered Lulu's song – I'm the lip sync assassin of this season and no one can tell me otherwise!
BuzzFeed UK: See, this is why everyone loves you so much!
Choriza: Thank you! You know, coming into this competition I had two goals: to win and to have the best time. I have such good memories of the show, yes we've had highs and lows, but it was always fun. It's very important to me to turn anything negative into a positive and to make myself laugh. It's just drag, it's not Squid Game after all! You won't die if you don't win.
BuzzFeed UK: We hear you have a new song out today!
Choriza: I do, it's called "My Pussy Is Like A Peach" – outside is fluffy, inside is juicy! I'm wearing a peach right now because promo is the new homo. As RuPaul would say, available on iTunes.
BuzzFeed UK: That's amazing! Speaking of your downstairs, there's been a lot of talk about your tuck on this season.
Choriza: Yes! RuPaul was distracted by my dick – that's never happened to me before! I was like, "yes RuPaul, I'm trying to distract you". It's the reason why she didn't appreciate of my looks, she was looking at my dick and she missed how beautiful I am.
BuzzFeed UK: So is that where your name comes from?
Choriza: No, when I moved to the UK, I heard Theresa May's name and I remember saying, "who's this chorizo lady?" My boyfriend corrected me and I thought it was so funny that I immediately claimed the username on Instagram. I wasn't even doing drag at the time! I think RuPaul just called me Theresa during filming, but she and I have the same dancing style so it kind of works.
BuzzFeed UK: Do you have a favourite behind-the-scenes moment from the show?
Choriza: I loved having breakfast with the girls. Kitty would quote the entire Grease movie every morning and get all the staff to join in; I miss that so much. Every now and again, I ask Kitty to send me a voice note.
BuzzFeed UK: Would you ever apply for Drag Race Spain?
Choriza: Can you imagine? But no, I loved doing the UK version, and I have so much going on over here I couldn't possibly fit it into my schedule!
BuzzFeed UK: So what is next for you?
Choriza: I'm going to be on the West End doing a pantomime! Yes, Graham Norton said I looked too panto. Well guess what Graham? I'm gonna be playing Queen Rat in Dick Whittington on the West End!
BuzzFeed UK: We're very sorry to see you go, but you've absolutely made a lasting impresson on the Drag Race franchise!
Choriza: Thank you! It means a lot – I came here seven years ago to work and live with my boyfriend, so to now have this platform to do what I love, and for people to enjoy me as much as they do, it's really amazing. That's the real win!
Next up, we spoke to the gorgeous River Medway about her experience on the show, which looks she enjoyed serving the most, and how being vulnerable can help you grow as a person.
BuzzFeed UK: Let's talk about your look last week – it was so stunning!
River: I think that's the most beautiful I've ever felt! I've never brought that part of my culture into my drag before. To be honest, I always felt like when I'm around white people I'm not white enough, and when I'm around Asian people I'm not Asian enough. As I've gotten older, however, I've realised I'm both and they can coexist.
As soon as I found out the runway was going to be about wealth, the first thing I thought of was red and gold money packets. I think if I'd gone home before that look, I would be devastated that I didn't get to show it off. The response has been great, people have been telling me that I did Singapore proud, which means so much!
BuzzFeed UK: Twitter was not happy you didn't win that week!
River: Yeah, but it's a TV show, isn't it? I know that isn't a reflection on me.
BuzzFeed UK: We'd love to know where you got your drag name from.
River: I used to do drag under my real name, then one day my friend and I were in G.A.Y. Late talking about the River Thames and the River Medway, and I was like – that sounds like a drag name. I knew instantly! People sometimes ask how to come up with a drag name, but I say it finds you.
BuzzFeed UK: Speaking of G.A.Y. Late, we hear you used to be a G.A.Y. flyer boy.
River: Yes, I used to be a flyer boy! I would do a shift, go to Heaven after and get absolutely mortal, and then go into ballet class at 9 a.m. the next morning!
BuzzFeed UK: How does it also feel to have invented pointing?
River: Lol! As soon as I got the call for the show, I knew my hometown look was going to be this statue. Everyone in Medway would expect it. What I did on the runway is the actual statue's pose, and for some reason Ru just lost it! So I thought, I'm gonna take this straight to the bank! I wasn't really looking at the judges, so all I heard was laughing. Even backstage they could hear laughing, and people asked what I was doing. I just said, I was just being a statue!
BuzzFeed UK: You were very open about losing your mum last year on the show – how did that feel in the moment, and how did it feel to watch it back?
River: Everyone that worked on the show was so great about it. I wanted to share my story, and they gave me the space to do it. People are so quick to think they know everything about Drag Race, but none of that was fed to me. I know for a fact I could've gone through the whole season and not talked about it, and they would've been fine with it – I certainly never felt pushed into a corner.
I'm an advocate for speaking openly about these things. One thing that this last year has taught me is that speaking about things will heal your soul. Grief can feel like a prison sometimes and people want to ignore it, but you can't, you have to give into it. As soon as you give into it, you can start living with it. I hope people watching can see how you can grow as a person and do amazing things once you let it all out.
BuzzFeed UK: Do you have a favourite behind-the-scenes moment from the show?
River: This isn't tea or anything, but one time we were having breakfast and Choriza was pacing back and forth for about five minutes. Eventually she came over and said, "sorry everyone, I've just been choking and I didn't want to worry anyone!" Literally for five minutes! It was so bizarre but so funny.
BuzzFeed UK: Congrats on a great season! We're so sad to see you go, but you've been such a joy to watch. What's next for River Medway?
River: Everyone should keep an eye on my socials because I can't say anything yet, but 2022 is gonna be a good year for me!