SPECIAL THANKS TO JASMINE ALOMA AND SOFIE VAN DE GRAMPEL AT THE BBC

“If you want to see me as a villain, then I shall be the villain,” says yacht-owner Chanel O’Conor. Over the past six weeks, the Scottish seamstress has been labelled as such by the Drag Race UK fandom for her wickedly entertaining sense-of-humour, squabbles with Marmalade and Charra Tea and “evil step-sister” energy. Oh, and for throwing a bus at Lill. What! A! Moment! Sadly, one of the most entertaining queens the franchise has ever seen – yes, it true – lost her place in the competition this week.

For their sixth maxi-challenge, the cast whacked out their best celebrity impersonations for the iconic Snatch Game, with Madonna’s close and personal friend (it’ll make sense later) (I think) choosing to embody one of her icons: drag legend Coco Peru. As Chanel tells GAY TIMES, her “situational” style of comedy and reverence for Coco wasn’t a suitable fit for the challenge, which resulted in a bottom two placement alongside Rileasa Slaves. Sadly, Chanel’s Doctor Who runway prohibited her from putting on the kind of extravaganza that is worthy of Girls Aloud’s iconic hit ‘Something Kinda Ooooh!’, and she sashayed away in eighth place.

“I almost passed out on the runway because of how big this outfit is and how tight I made it for my neck. During the judges’ critiques, I had to get someone to come over and unzip me,” Chanel recalls. “There were people on standby just in case because, listen, a lip-sync is hard and one of those moments where you want to give it your all. […] I fully stood there like, ‘Oh my fucking god, I am going to die. This is it, this is how I die.’”

Read ahead for our full exit interview (or watch below). From her werkroom spats to the queens she would like to cause “carnage” with on a theoretical all-villains’ season, as well as Coco Peru’s ‘hysterical’ reaction to her Snatch Game, Chanel O’Conor continues to prove why she’s reality TV gold and a shoo-in for All Stars. Or Down Under All Stars. (Again, it’ll make sense later.)

Chanel, I’m a bit of a broken record because each week I’m like, ‘I can’t believe you’ve gone!’ but, this week, I’m truly like, ‘What the fuck?’

I know! I believe I’m gone.

You said [off camera] that you were at Heaven last night – did you watch the episode beforehand?

Let me tell you a little tidbit, I have not watched the full episode…

Was that a conscious choice?

No, I’ve just been far too busy, darling. When you’re chartering planes and speaking to celebrities… I was on the phone to Madonna earlier and she wouldn’t shut the fuck up.

That sounds like her.

Yeah, it’s been such a shame, so I haven’t had a chance to watch it all. I’ll say this: I’ve watched the bits with me in it. Everyone else, I truly wasn’t fussed.

Take me back to the Snatch Game: what do you remember from filming?

I do remember that, for me, there were moments I could smell it. They were bringing out a stretcher, building a coffin, someone came over and measured my back, just to double check. At that point in the competition I was very much ready to go. I reached a point where, emotionally, I was exhausted. Physically, I was struggling as well. You’re sitting there doing Snatch Game, and… I knew. Everyone else’s characters, they’re getting [how the game is played] and Ru was laughing. You could feel the energy so I was like, ‘The writing’s on the wall… I’m gonna go!’ Even Actavia’s dragon, I was sitting there going, ‘Maybe this won’t work.’ Nope, everyone’s worked! I was like, ‘Dammit, dammit, dammit.’ It’s so funny, I literally have a photo of Coco Peru ready – I sleep next to her every night just in case.