Drag Race UK’s Ginny Lemon isn’t here for RuPaul ‘screaming and swearing at desperate, out of work queens’
Drag Race UK star Ginny Lemon has weighed in on RuPaul’s treatment of eliminated queen Joe Black over an outfit from H&M.
Thursday’s (11 February) episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK saw RuPaul lose her temper with Joe over her choice of outfit in the RuRuVision challenge.
The host and judge said the “off the rack” outfit was a “huge disappointment to me”, and ranted during the critiques: “That’s what everyday people do, and you should know that because you are a star.
“This goes to all of you up here: if it is from H&M, then you better glitter the f**k out of it and make it something special.
“We’re looking for Great Britain’s next superstar, don’t waste my time. I don’t want to see any f**king H&M.”
But Ginny, who dramatically walked out of last week’s episode and eliminated herself, took to Twitter to criticise RuPaul for her harsh comments.
She wrote: “Screaming and swearing at desperate out of work queens for being too regional and unable to afford costumes after seven months of jobless despair…
“Nah babz I’m better off at home fank u very much.”
https://twitter.com/GinnyLemon69/status/1360141529671737344
Although Ginny later backed off, adding that she was “just creating drama coz it’s Twitter and I’m bored”, and acknowledged that Ru “didn’t shout at me I was at home eating biscuits”, many Twitter users insisted she had a point.
One wrote: “How many times – even before the pandemic – has there been a painfully obvious distinction between the queens who had cash to spend on their looks and those who didn’t?
“While there have always been a few queens who were exceptionally skilled at making something out of nothing, the harsh reality seems to be that the ones who started with money were at a distinct advantage over those who didn’t.”
RuPaul: "It’s the biggest stage for drag in the world. This is the Eurovision of drag"
Also RuPaul:#DragRaceUK pic.twitter.com/DpEie7QVHb
— Dan Ellis (@dgellis0907) February 11, 2021
“Every Drag Race series has unacknowledged class difference conflicts that only ever get hinted at when judges criticise outfits without saying ‘but we get it, this s**t is expensive’, but this ep took the, well, cake,” said another.
Later on in the episode, RuPaul did apologise for her tone while making the comments to Joe, saying: “I want you to know that if I was a little too hard on you earlier, it’s because I see so much potential in each of you.
“And if nothing else, these times have taught us to seize the day. Carpe diem, darling! Look around you, look at the past winners, look at what you are doing right now and make it happen.
“Plus, Mama Ru was locked up in quarantine for two weeks, so that might have a little something to do with it.”