SPECIAL THANKS TO IMOGEN REID AND JASMINE ALOMA AT THE BBC

“It’s the Olympics of the Olympics!” says Pangina Heals with – yep – some determination. “I feel honoured to be a part of this.” I’m speaking with the Drag Race Thailand co-host and Drag Race Holland runner-up Janey Jacké just half an hour after RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs the World launched a Glamazon Warrior-themed attack on social media with the season one cast announcement. Premiering 1 February on BBC Three, the long-awaited series will see the fiercest of queens from the British spin-off compete in an international arena for the first time against some of the most dynamic performers from other global editions of the franchise. Filmed in Manchester, the six-episode season will once again feature Drag Race UK panellists RuPaul, Michelle Visage, Graham Norton and Alan Carr, with Baga Chipz, Blu Hydrangea, Cheryl Hole (UK season one), Jimbo, Lemon (Canada season one), Jujubee (US season two, All Stars 1 and 5) and Monique Heart (US season 10 and All Stars 4) rounding out the cast of this highly-anticipated global dragventure. “Because of all these franchises coming together, the universal language that we all speak as queer people, drag queens or however you identify, will be very clear,” Janey tells GAY TIMES. “All these different cultures and energies is going to be beautiful for people to watch.” 

As per, the queens will duke it out week-after-week in a variety of lip-syncs, runways and challenges – including Snatch Game (of course) – with only one warrior being crowned the first Global Drag Race Superstar. With all nine queens scattered around the world, I spent my day interviewing the cast in blocks according to their respective regions. At 9.30am, I logged onto Zoom and met with Pangina and Janey; their chemistry was… irrefutable, let’s say that. “Immediately, right off the bat, I was drawn to her and also she’s really cute as a boy!” laughs Pangina, with Janey immediately returning the compliment: “Girl, you’re gorgeous as a guy, you know that!” Pangina initially made her mark on the Drag Race franchise in 2018 as a co-host for the first two seasons of the Thailand spin-off alongside Art Arya – here, she makes herstory as the first All Stars (?) contestant to have never competed on a regular series. How do you top Drag Race’s inaugural champion Bebe Zahara Benet sashaying back into the werkroom for All Stars 3? Throw a goddamn co-host in there! 

Janey, two-time maxi-challenge winner, cemented her status as one of the fiercest queens of all time on the first season of Holland thanks to her jaw-dropping runways, impeccable comedic timing and sharp wit, placing runner-up to Envy Peru. Although she was voted “Shadiest Queen” by her sisters, and was originally hailed as the “villain” of season one by viewers, Janey’s vulnerability in subsequent episodes won her legions of fans across the world. With their flirtatiousness (seemingly) coming to an end – “I guess we’re getting married after this conversation!” adds Janey – I ask the queens about what we can expect when they sashay into the UK vs the World werkroom. 

GT: Pangina, you’re the only queen who has never competed on Drag Race as a contestant. Why did you want to throw your hat in the ring for UK vs the World? 

Pangina: It’s like a reverse Brooke Lynn Hytes! I read Reddit and a lot of people were like, ‘This is a risk for her.’ But for me, this is the biggest show in the world. Just because I was judging someone else, it doesn’t mean you can’t stop learning and take criticism. I want to learn. I want to become a better queen, so I’m not going to be on that high horse or be someone who has an ego! I want to compete with the best of the best and represent who I am, and my country. I’m used to eliminating girls without any kind of problem. I feel like all the karma that I did in those two seasons is coming back to me!