SPECIAL THANKS TO JASMINE ALOMA AT THE BBC

Whew, these Drag Race UK eliminations are getting harder to call, huh? Although she was heavily praised by RuPaul for having one of the “best” entrance lerks in the herstory of the franchise, Starlet – spoiler alert! – surprisingly became the second chopped contestant from season four this week.

For their latest maxi-challenge, the 11 remaining queens performed at the first-ever ‘Yaas-tonbury Festival’ in two competing groups. Despite feeling confident in her Marilyn Monroe-inspired routine, Starlet was told by Michelle Visage that she looked “stricken with panic” while Graham Norton criticised her “level of energy”.

Following a lip-sync showdown against Jonbers Blonde to Sugababes’ number-one smasher About You Now, the South African performer thanked Mama Ru and left the main stage without an official exit line – which Starlet says was not out of malice, but because she “just needed to get off camera”.

“I was about to completely break down,” she tells GAY TIMES. “I just wanted to get off, so I said it at the front and walked off. […] I was worried that would come across as me, like, being rude. It was not the case at all. I was just really, really emotional.”

Read ahead for our full exit interview with Starlet, where she reflects on her “emotional” final episode, the “heavy narrative” surrounding her soft-spoken nature and her hilarious picks for the Snatch Game.

Starlet, my darling, how are you feeling?

I’m good, the episode has obviously just happened. There’s been only love and my heart is really full.

I’m so sad to see you go this soon into the competition. How did you feel after your elimination?

After watching it or after it happened? After it happened, I was devastated. Before I went to go do my exit interview, I asked the producers if they could play me a Katy Perry song to make me feel better! So, they played Firework and that got me back into the zone to start performing. Then yesterday was really emotional, but I was surrounded by a lot of people that I love that have been there for me throughout this process and I felt really held and supported and it was wonderful.

When you sashayed off the stage, you didn’t follow in the footsteps of other queens with an exit line. Was that intentional?

So, my exit was at the front of the stage. I was about to completely break down. I just wanted to get off, so I said it at the front and walked off. It didn’t make the cut but Sminty put her hand out, but you don’t actually see that. I was worried that would come across as me, like, being rude. It was not the case at all. I was just really, really emotional, which you can see when I come into the werkroom and my makeup is all.. I just needed to get off camera.