This article contains major spoilers for the latest episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK.
Three weeks into the new series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK and we’ve now had our third shock exit in a row, with former frontrunner Asttina Mandella sashaying away in the latest episode.
Two weeks after winning the first runway of the season, Asttina left the judges unimpressed with her performance in the sewing challenge, and wound up lip syncing against Tia Kofi.
The morning after her elimination aired, Asttina spoke to HuffPost UK about how it feels to have left so early, why she wasn’t exactly feeling her lip sync song and the judges’ critiques that didn’t make it into the final episode...
How are you feeling after watching your elimination back?
Honestly, I’m really great. I’m just kind of overwhelmed by all the love and support and messages I’m getting. It’s still happening now, I’m getting messages from people like “you’re amazing, I’m so proud of you, you should be so proud of yourself. You’ve achieved and done so much in such a short amount of time”, it’s really lovely.
Your elimination came as a surprise for a lot of people – was it a surprise for you?
I wasn’t necessarily surprised, because I was kind of in my head at the time, and not really feeling good about myself on that day – but I was just shocked that I was going home [generally], because I didn’t expect to be going home, if that makes sense.
You don’t arrive at Drag Race expecting you’re going to go home so early, do you?
Yeah. Otherwise I just wouldn’t have even turned up [laughs].
How did watching your exit on TV compare to living through it, did it change your outlook at all?
It’s completely different. It’s like watching yourself in a different universe or something. What I remember living and experiencing that day, is completely different to what I watched yesterday. It’s crazy.
Because it was filmed so long ago, and because I’m reliving things from so long ago, I was a different person back then. And I’ve learned from those experiences and processed things. It’s just a whirlwind of things, and it’s so interesting to see it.
Also, [seeing] how I’m being portrayed is quite fun to watch. And I’ve been portrayed so well, but how I’m seeing myself come through on TV… the confessionals, partly the runway and partly the workroom, those three things as one, it’s quite interesting to see how I’m coming off.
There are certain things I said in the confessionals that have been used, and it’s like “that’s not what I remember saying” or “that’s not the intention I had”. But at the end of the day, it’s an entertainment show, it’s there so we can escape from the world for an hour or two – it’s fun.
Let’s talk about your performance in the sewing challenge. How did you feel heading onto the runway that week?
I just remember thinking that I wasn’t that happy with the outfit. What I had planned in my head and in my little sketch was completely different to what I made, but I was just like, “you know what, just be confident in this outfit, there’s nothing you can do now – you’re not Doctor Who, you can’t go in the Tardis and turn back time, you’re just going to have to do it. As long as you do your best no one can take that away from you”.
You’ve just got to sell the garment – it doesn’t matter if you’ve got a trash bag on or a Valentino dress on. Sell the garment.
And what did you think of the judges’ critiques?
I remember everything they were saying, I was like, “I completely agree and I see where you’re coming from, I understand what you’re saying because I’m seeing these things myself”. But also – there’s so much that was said on the runway, that I remember, that wasn’t shown on the episode. Watching it back, there was so much more that I remember experiencing and listening to and feeling. What I watched [and reality]… it’s like two parallels, like two opposite magnets. They’re not going to come together, they clash with each other, which is quite a weird thing to process.
What were some of the critiques that didn’t make the episode?
So, remember when the necklace came off? There was a whole moment of [people] being like, “let’s just get the necklace back on” and I was like, “guys can you please stop faffing around me? The necklace is broken, I can’t do anything about it”. They were also talking about my hairline, and using my natural hair… and I remember thinking, “but my hairline, first of all, is drawn on, and second of all I’ve got two bundles of extensions in”. So it’s things like that, I couldn’t process in my mind on the runway at the time, and then watching it, that wasn’t in the show – why?
Did you feel like the judges were harsher on you than some of the others?
I think… because of what I had delivered so far on the show with my Naomi Campbell dress and my East London look, winning the first challenge, and then obviously the reveal look, I think I’d been a bit of a front runner. So they have to go in a bit hard on you, so you can really learn and understand what they’re trying to get from you, to build you up.
Nothing’s ever bad, it’s just a bit hard. It does take you back – it’s like your mum telling you off because you drew on the wall. But also, I come from a dance background, a very disciplined background, where constructive criticism happens all the time. So you know they’re just trying to make you a better version of who you are and evolve you a bit more – so that’s how I take it, and I don’t let it affect me. The only thing that does affect me is when you get in your own head, and start being my own worst enemy.
You’re known for your amazing dance abilities, do you feel like the lip sync you gave was a little bit held back or restrained compared to your usual performances?
Well usually, I get to choose my own songs. I think sometimes – especially how I am – if I’m not feeling it, you’re not going to get 100%. You won’t, because that’s just who I am. I’m not going to force myself to do things that I don’t agree with, or do things just because I have to.
And in that case – I had to do it, because it’s part of the job, I signed the contract so I knew I was going to have to do it. The song, personally, I’m not much of a fan, but also I’m not going to give you the dips – or the death-drops, just in case anyone doesn’t know what a dip is – or the jump splits, the gag and the goop, because at the end of the day, that song doesn’t have anything to do [stunts to], there’s no reason to do all that [in that song]. But looking back, I should have done it anyway, because it shows drive and fight.
Having watched it back yourself, do you think RuPaul made the right decision with the lip sync?
Um... [pause] I don’t know. In my opinion, no. But it’s like… what makes a good lip sync? It was two different vibes. It depends what you’re basing it on.
At the end of the day, it’s RuPaul’s decision, what she says goes, so it doesn’t necessarily matter what I think – what happened happened. But I think if I’d had a different song, and I was in a different mindset, I’d have demolished it.
Looking back, are you happy with your overall performance on Drag Race, and is there anything you’d do differently?
Oh I’m so happy with everything, I don’t think there’s anything I’d change. Everything happens for a reason – there’s a reason I won the first episode, there’s a reason why I had to go home third.
The only thing I’d possibly change is not doing it during it all in a pandemic. Right now, it’s Friday lunchtime, do you really think I’d be indoors? I’d literally be in Soho or Clapham or East London, somewhere, having a drink… instead, I’ve got to live my fantasy in bed, eating ice cream.
How did the reality of filming Drag Race compare to what you’d envisaged after watching it on TV for so many years?
Oh it throws everything out the window. I’ve worked with Drag Race queens way back in the day… so then to go on it, it’s just like, “I don’t know what you were thinking and what you thought you knew, but you knew nothing”.
What’s the reaction been like from fans?
Wild! It’s been probably the most wonderful blessing and honour to ever have such wonderful messages of support from all types of people, all races, all types of identities from all around the world. To be this little gay boy from East London who just wanted to be a dancer, to now be a drag artist and be a role model, I think, and an activist is a blessing.
And especially after last night’s episode, the amount of messages from people telling me, “I’m so proud of you, you should be proud of so yourself, what you have done, showing yourself in such a stripped-back way, a lot of people do not have the luxury to do that, a lot of people are afraid or they don’t have the support to do that”. Everyone seems so happy that I have given that part of myself to everyone, and they all see some part of themselves in me, and to have given that to someone is more than I could possibly ask for. And I guess that’s what life’s about, understanding yourself, and then giving back to people.
Who are you rooting for at this point in the competition?
Really and truly I’m rooting for them all, because all of them are just amazing. And now I don’t know what’s going to happen! This is a brand new show to me now. I’m gone! So I’m rooting for them all – we all went through this experience, we all lived it, and I’m excited to see what’s going to happen. Especially… the shock that’s coming for you all, because we’re about to be in a pandemic, darling! It’s going to be very, very interesting, it’s going to be an amazing show, that’s for sure.
If I had to name one… probably Tayce. She’s my gal, and she is just a star. She is a total star. Also Bimini, but then again I’m biased. Also Veronica! That second runway when she came as the little housewife and she flipped the wig! And the wig flew up on the lights and she came as a robot… I was gagged and gooped, I couldn’t even deal. Watch out, she has got star quality.
RuPaul’s Drag Race UK continues on Thursdays on BBC Three.