‘Canada’s Drag Race’: First eliminated queen spills the tea on their accident-filled time in the workroom

She came, she saw, she got stuck in her outfit, fell in the mini-challenge, and narrowly avoided a panic attack on the runway.

Yep, Juice Boxx may have become the first queen to sashay away on Canada’s Drag Race, but you can’t say the Canadian Porkchop’s all-too-brief time on the series was anything less than eventful.

The perky blonde may have won hearts with her sunny disposition and cadid confessionals about her road to sobriety, but ultimately her runway look in the design challenge (“Party City Wilma Flintstone?” Seriously Brooke Lynn, ouch!) saw her land in a lipsynce for her life against Lemon.

Fresh from her exit, we caught up with the Toronto queen to talk about joining first-out legends including the aforementioned Porkchop and Leicester’s own Gothy Kendoll…

It’s always tough to be the first queen out. How are you feeling?

I’m good. I mean, obviously when it first happened it was like ‘Oh, shit’, but I think it’s a pretty iconic place to be. You’re the first girl to go, everyone always watches the first episode, you’re the first queen to ever go home in Canada, ever, Oh my God…

Do you think it was a fair decision by the judges based on your performance?

Uh, no! I don’t think I looked the worst. But whatever’s happened, happened, and I think things happen for a reason. So here we are.

Things did seem to go wrong for you from the off, from getting caught in your tights during your entrance to tripping over in the mini-challenge. Did it feel like everything was going wrong at the time?

I’ll say no, because that’s just me. I’m a klutz! Those were very normal things [for me]. I know for you guys it’s like ‘Oh, Juice is falling apart’, but for me it’s like ‘Oh no, this is normal’. It’s my everyday life.

Opening on a design challenge is difficult. Do you wish you’d been able to showcase your own style more?

I guess, but I did definitely show off who I was. I don’t wear a whole lot of clothes and I like pastel colours, so you sort of got the gist of it [laughs].

What are the things you would have bought to the table as a performer had you made it further?

Do you know what’s funny, before I left I kept telling myself – and I probably like, willed myselg to go home first by doing this – but I was like ‘I wouldn’t even be mad if I had to lipsync, because my God I love performing’. Dancing, performing, showing you life on stage is what I wanted to showcase, and I definitely got to do that as soon as I got to lipsync.

The judges really went hard on you guys for an opening episode – were you surprised by that?

Yes and no. You go in expecting that they’re not just going to coddle you, and if we’re being really honest not all of us looked amazing! We all looked like we’d hodge-podged these outfits together so the fact they were a little harsh was to be expected. There were some things that were said that I was ‘Hmmm, I didn’t really like that…’

Anything in particular?

Well I mean, you watched, I’m sure you can make your opinion about that. But there were definitely some things where I was like ‘Ooh, that was a little harsh’. 

Did you know many of your fellow queens beforehand?

Yeah, Priyanka and I are in a Spice Girls group together – I’m Baby Spice, she’s Scary Spice – and I’ve known Scarlett for years and years. Tynomi Banks was one of my favourite drag queens ever, I used to watch her before I started drag, she’s an icon. And even, like, Ilona, I didn’t know her but I followed her on Instagram.

Did that make it harder to compete against them or was it nice to have some friendly faces in the work room?

Harder, because you know how good they are! I knew what they were capable of, you know their strengths, so it doesn’t make it easier at all.

We saw that Kyne provided a few tense moments, and you yourself described her behaviour as a bit bratty at one point – was that already causing tension in the time you were there?

I don’t really know. I mean, Drag Race is a pressure-cooker and it brings a side out of people you don’t expect. But, you know, that’s Kyne. I love her, but it can bring out things about you you don’t know are going to come out. I didn’t know I was going to have a panic attack, but here we are!

You opened up about your sobriety on the show and your struggles on the drag scene. Do you think it’s important more of a light is shone on that sometimes darker side of the club scene?

It was a little hard to open up about it, but I think it is important, especially as we need to keep in consideration the amount of substances and alcohol that do go into the scene when you’re performing, and how much of it is given to you. It can really lead down a path that isn’t the best for some people. More and more performers are actually sobering up, I find. I know a lot of performers who won’t partake in drugs or alcohol, especially when they’re performing. It should be something people reflect on.

How has sobriety affected you as a drag artist?

It’s been great. It changed my life for the better. I found when I was drinking my performances were sloppier, I was always getting into trouble and saying dumb, dumb things. Now, I’m more centred on my performance and my presence on stage. I’ve found more success. I don’t think I’d be on Drag Race if I was still drinking.

Canada’s Drag Race is available to watch now on BBC Three on the BBC iPlayer.