SPECIAL THANKS TO NIALL HAY AND ELOISE LONGDEN AT THE BBC

“The stress brought out great television!” Viola admits of her Drag Race UK run. This year, the violin diva followed in the footsteps of her Queen of the Universe co-star La Voix by joining the ranks of RuGirls, instantly becoming a central figure — so much so that fans have dubbed her three episodes the “Viola Show.”

From being named the season’s most “annoying” queen and sparring with Catrin Feelings, to nailing a lip-sync and impressing Girls Aloud icon Nadine Coyle with her vocals, Viola proved that – whether she intended to or not – she’s a master of reality television.

“I was a bit naive to the stress of TV, because Queen of the Universe was nowhere near as stressful. Because I had done Queen of the Universe, I was like, ‘Oh, it’ll be a cakewalk, it’ll be a piece in the park,’ or whatever they call it,” Viola tells Gay Times a week after her exit. While the experience was an “extremely uncomfortable rollercoaster”, Viola remained authentically herself, asserting: “As Tayris very beautifully put it, as queer people, we shouldn’t dim our voices for anyone.”

Read on for Viola’s full interview, where she reflects on herDrag Race UK journey, the viral reaction to her infamous “dead zombie trapped inside a teddy bear costume,” and her post-show plans to take the worlds of music, theatre, and drag by storm. (P.S. her debut single, ‘Phuck It Up’, is out now!)

Viola, we’re finally speaking with each other! It’s been a week since your Drag Race UK elimination, so how has life been?

It’s positive. I’m excited for my future. I’ve got music and theatre stuff I’m working on… And you know what? I’m just ready to take on the world as a branded “Ru Girl.” And yeah, I can’t wait to see what’s out there for my future, it’s looking really exciting.