“In my eyes, I was top two,” declares Olivia Lux.
The RuPaul’s Drag Race season 13 alum made her franchise comeback earlier this month on the 10th season of All Stars, where she faced off against Aja, Bosco, DeJa Skye, Irene the Alien and Phoenix in the first ‘bracket’. In the third and final episode of the round, the queens were tasked with makeovers of collegiate basketball players and writing and recording verses for the original track ‘Shoot Your Shot’.
Despite earning widespread praise for her family resemblance makeover of Nevaeh—aka Octavia Lux—Olivia didn’t land a spot in the top two lip-sync, a decision she (and plenty of fans) strongly disagree with. Falling short of the points needed to advance, she was ultimately chopped from the competition.
“I’m genuinely happy for the girls who are moving forward,” Olivia tells GAY TIMES. “They all deserve it. But, in the same breath, I do think it would’ve been incredible to lip-sync to Jennifer Hudson’s ‘Pocketbook’ with a tiny pocketbook in hand!”
While she isn’t advancing to the semi-finals, Olivia still turned out A-grade drag throughout the competition with high-fashion runways, a killer verse on ‘Winner Winner Chicken Dinner’ and a surprisingly offbeat improv performance in Murder on the Dancefloor. She also made her mark on the werkroom dynamic, serving drama-lite with her headline-grabbing mini-conflicts with Bosco and her House of Miyake-Mugler sister, Aja.
Here, we dive into all of the above (and more!) in our chat with Olivia Lux.
Olivia, I so wish we could have seen more from you on All Stars 10. First of all, what are your thoughts on this new format?
Oh, the format is genius, truly incredible. When you think about it, we all love those original seasons, especially when it gets down to the nitty gritty: the top six, the top five, when the tension is at its peak. This format gives you that energy the entire time. It’s nonstop. And the “choose your fighter” setup? So fun. I love that.
I love it, too. I guess the only downside is that we don’t get to see queens like yourself interacting with those in the other brackets. Now that you know who’s in the other groups, which queens would you have liked to compete against—or even just share the workroom with?
I mean, my sisters from season 13. I would’ve loved to be back in the workroom with them. I’ve also grown to really love Daya Betty; we’ve developed such a great sisterly bond. I’m absolutely obsessed with Jorgeous, and I never thought I’d say this, but I’m obsessed with Mistress Isabelle Brooks too. All of them are so much fun. It would’ve been a great time, and I definitely would’ve loved to share the workroom with them.
I just want, slash need, to see every queen interact with Nicole Paige Brooks in some way or another.
Well, it’s because she’s mother. That is why. She’s absolutely mother. ‘Nicole Paige Brooks Day’ should be a thing. All of us dress up like her!
This season, you arrived with a more confident energy. Can you talk to me about that, why it was crucial for you to show this new side of yourself?
Yeah, well Ru explains that once you see yourself on TV for the first time, you begin to understand what you’re putting out into the world, and you carry that with you. I really love that piece of advice. She truly is mother – sorry Nicole Paige Brooks! Everyone has a positive light they give off, and it’s important to recognise and cherish that. Back in season 13, I was just happy to be in the room. It was very much lights, camera, action — smile for the camera, be polite, and try to present your most pristine self. This time, I still had that light, but I was also able to sit in it. I’m really proud of how I was able to speak honestly without worrying about the camera, or what I was trying to present. It was just me, genuinely expressing myself. And it meant so much when my friends reached out and said, ‘It feels like I’m on FaceTime with you in those confessionals.’ That really is how I talk, how I am, and hearing that was such a lovely thing.
While you didn’t advance to the semi-finals, you still delivered incredible drag with your runways, vocals, acting and makeover. I honestly believed you would be in the top two for the latter. How do you feel about what you showcased across these three episodes?
I think you hit the nail on the head, especially with episode three. In my eyes, I was top two. I won’t say who I think should have been there with me, because in that moment, I just felt I was top two. And watching it back, I still believe I was. There’s not much more I can say about that moment. Everything that happened, I do believe it all happens for a reason, and I’m genuinely happy for the girls who are moving forward. They all deserve it. But, in the same breath, I do think it would have been incredible to lip sync to Jennifer Hudson’s ‘Pocketbook’ with a tiny pocketbook in hand!
As well as incredible drag, you gave us reality TV perfection with your minor conflicts with Bosco and Aja. How did it feel watching those moments back?
I tweeted this because I did want folks to know a bit more about what was happening with me personally. I didn’t share anything behind the scenes necessarily, but more so of my life. And the tiff with me and Bosco… a lot of things I’m hearing from folks are, ‘I was there, so I know everything that happened,’ but a lot of people are like, ‘I don’t quite understand it,’ and it kind of feels like it comes from left field. All I’m going to say about that is: if you don’t truly understand where it came from, it’s probably because there’s more to the conversation and more to the story.
That’s all I can really say about that. But it made for incredible TV, and I’m glad that we were able to make that moment and it was entertaining for folks. And then the alliances, I was in it to play the game as I so confidently say every three minutes on the show! That’s important, in a choose-your-fighter type of situation. I want to choose a fighter that confidently knows that they are able to win, and root for a person that is truly grounded within themselves and has the confidence to say, ‘I know I can win.’
I saw the tweet you mentioned, and I’m so incredibly sorry to hear that news. How are you feeling now?
I’m feeling incredible now. Therapy is an amazing tool. If y’all aren’t in it, you can be and you kind of lowkey should, especially in this world that we live in. But, I am so thankful for everything in my life. I have a great partner. I have great friends, I have a great family, and I was a part of an incredible season of Drag Race. There’s nothing more that I can ask for. I’m very, very thankful.
You can tell that you’re happy, too. I’m having a lot of fun with your social media presence at the moment and how you are, in your own words, “choosing violence”. For example, your handle “Olivia Backstabber Lux”. Is it important for you, this time around, to embrace the drama and fun and join in with social media trolling?
Yeah, I like to say we are here for a good time, not a long time, and it is so important to take hold of that. I will be completely transparent and honest with you. Once the first few episodes came out, I was nervous. There were days when I honestly was a bit emotional, in my feelings. Shed a few tears because I didn’t know if my full self was completely put out there. But the beauty of social media, and the beauty of people being able to witness your live shows and going to interact with you and meeting you, is that there is more fullness to that. You get the full picture. So honestly, I would say to anyone that maybe doesn’t understand a queen or isn’t really the biggest fan of a queen, we’re all so talented. Just go to see a show of theirs, just one show. And I guarantee you, 9.9 times out of 10, you will fall in love with them because we love what we do. I am losing myself in the question, I guess, but I’m just in a very thankful mood right now. And I can’t say that I was always like that. I woke up. The day that I chose violence and chaos was the day I was set free.
Catch a new episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 10 every Friday on WOW Presents Plus in the UK.
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