LGBTQ · Posted 3 minutes ago "RuPaul's Drag Race UK" Winner Lawrence Chaney Opens Up About Why She Hasn't Rewatched The Show, DragCon Etiquette, And Whether She'd Compete On An All-Winners "All Stars" This UK hun is ready for DragCon and to help Bob the Drag Queen win the next all-winners season of All Stars. by Brian Galindo BuzzFeed Staff Link Facebook Pinterest Twitter Mail (c) 2024 World of Wonder Productions, Inc If you watched RuPaul's Drag Race UK Season 2, then I know you cannot hear Lawrence Chaney's name without hearing Mama Ru saying, "LAWWWWREEEENNCEEE CHANEEEYYYYY" in a broad Scottish accent . The Season 2 winner competed in what is considered one of the most iconic and best seasons of the entire franchise.
Since being crowned, she hasn't stopped, doing everything from hosting her own series, Tartan Around , and winning a Scottish BAFTA to writing her memoir, Drag Queen of Scots: The Dos & Don'ts of a Drag Superstar , and joining the cast of RuPaul's Drag Race Live Vegas show. This upcoming weekend, Lawrence is adding another event to her busy schedule: RuPaul's DragCon 2024 in Los Angeles. Ahead of her appearance at DragCon, BuzzFeed talked to Lawrence about life after the show, what she loves about DragCon, and, of course, whether or not she wants to compete in the eventual next all-winners season of All Stars .
(c) 2024 World of Wonder Productions, Inc I wanted to start off by talking about your season of RuPaul's Drag Race UK . Obviously, the first season was a huge hit, and Season 2 had a lot to live up to. UK 2 definitely lived up to the expectations and then some and is considered one of the best seasons in the entire Drag Race franchise.
I wanted to ask what your memories are about filming it. Lawrence Chaney: I remember being so anxious about all that when we went away to film. I just remember it was like jumping inside the TV screen.
Because you're right. I think when Season 1 of Drag Race UK was announced, I don't think any of us knew what to expect. At the time, I think the only other iteration of the show that had come out then was Drag Race Thailand , and that didn't have Ru on it — that had Pangina Heals and Art Arya.
So, that was a different vibe, so we didn't know how much it would resemble the American Drag Race or anything. WOWPresents/BBC3 / Via youtube.com And it was truly, I mean truly, exactly the same as the US Drag Race , but with British references and humor.
So, I think, yes, it was a lot of pressure. Like, God, how am I going to live up to The Vivienne or Baga Chipz and all these amazing queens that were on Season 1? I think Season 2 was the natural stepping up of sorts. It was like, all right, we've seen how good that is, but let's take it even further.
The main reason I think it's still good is that we have genuine relationships with each other. Whether we hated each other, whether there was shade or drama that was all real, that was all how we felt, and especially in that time during COVID. We felt so much freedom going onto the show and doing our art form because, especially after the COVID break happened, none of us were able to do drag anywhere.
There were no gigs. So, we were all like, "Wow, am I lucky to be doing drag right now!" Have you gotten a chance to rewatch it since it aired, or is it still too soon? LC: I've not watched it period. I have watched bits of it, but because it was my lived experience, I remember everything.
You know, what they say, an elephant never forgets. I remember all these details, and that's how I want to remember it. I don't want to remember it for, oh, you know, there was a shady noise put in here, or this was cut out.
The good thing is, I can click through the episode and go, "Okay, in about 10 minutes, I have this talk with Tayce." The bits I have watched, you know, are less cringe now. What I will say is I remember when my season aired, everyone bullied me for how my hair looked out of drag.
I want everyone to know you'll be happy to know I've changed my hair. That's sorted. So everyone calm down.
There's been some good changes since that season. WOWPresents/ BBC3 What’s the question you're asked most often or quote said back to you from the fans from your season? LC: They say, 'What was it like robbing Bimini?' And I say, "It was very good, actually; it was very easy, and she was actually also robbed of a dentist." [Laughs] That's the thing about drag queens, we're so shady.
I've had random people shout at me on the street, like "shag pipe" or "painting the depression on," and other people that don't know what's happening are like, "What is going on?" That's my favorite thing is because the Drag Race fans love this show, it's their world. This is everything's them. So when they shout a quote by any queen, they think everyone will know it.
And I just love seeing everyone else's reaction to not knowing what the hell is going on. I love that. Santiago Felipe / FilmMagic / Getty Images Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but RuPaul's DragCon 2022 in Los Angeles was the first post-win DragCon you attended.
Were you nervous about it? And what do you most remember about it? LC: It was the first DragCon I ever attended. I remember my sore feet. I remember my feet were on fire.
You know what I remember? I remember feeling a lot of pressure and a lot of anxiety because I was from the UK. I'm a UK Drag Race winner, and I genuinely was like, "Why are they bringing me to LA? Like, what's the point? I'm from the UK. I was on a UK season.
I know it was a very popular season in the UK. However, I don't get the point." Then it happened, and I didn't expect the queue and the amount of people that came to see me.
I was really kind of overwhelmed. But I knew I needed to make an impact, like I knew my booth needed to look good, and I needed to look good. I was shocked by how many people from, like, Virginia and all these places, states that I've heard of, but I've obviously never been to, and came and said, "Oh in North Carolina, we love you, Lawrence.
" And I'm like, "Oh my God. I had no idea. I couldn't even point to North Carolina on a map.
" So, you know, I was just so grateful, and that's why, truly, the main thing is, I never expected any of this. So I'm just, I'm living my dream here. I'm in my fantasy world.
You know? Do you notice a difference between the UK's DragCon and the ones here in the States? LC: Hmmm...
you know what I will say. I actually don't think there's much of a difference, actually. I'll be honest because it sounds weird, but obviously, when you're in London, when you're outside, there's Big Ben, there's people saying, "Ello gov'na," and that's just Baga Chipz.
But, when you walk into that convention hall, you're teleported to another place, and it's not America, it's just a safe space — the branding is the same, and it's the same logo. You just feel like you're in a sort of magic drag land with all these colorful, amazing creatures. Because, if you think about it, whether it's in London or LA, it's like people from Switzerland have traveled to it, or people from Mexico, it's people from all over who travel for DragCon.
View this photo on Instagram @lawrencechaney / Via Instagram: @lawrencechaney You're attending this year's DragCon in Los Angeles. Could you give us a hint about your booth theme or your outfit theme? LC: Oh, I announced my DragCon theme. Do you remember there was a whole meme thing on social media, maybe three or four months ago, of the Willy Wonka Glasgow experience ? Well, guess what? That's me at DragCon.
I'm gonna have my own Oompa Loompas. I'm gonna have my own The Unknown. I'm gonna bring that Glasgow experience to all of you.
DragCon seems to be like a really big school reunion. Who are you most excited to see there? LC: Oh..
.that's a hard question. Okay, tell you who I'm excited to see.
I'm excited to see — because I've been in the States for quite a while now — the cast of UK vs. the World 2. My sisters Gothy Kendoll, Choriza May, and Tia Kofi, the newly crowned Queen of the Mothertucking World.
What I also love about seeing them is the panic all these international queens have when they get into LA. They're like, "Okay, fabric, where do I go?" and that was me, but now I'm somewhat of a local, so I'll be able to go, "Hello, Tia! You go to Santee Alley. Would you like to come with me?" Finally, I'm gonna be able to tour the queens around.
Okay, but whose merch are you gonna be buying? LC: No ones. I'm gonna be stealing it all [laughs]. You know who has gorgeous merch? Marina Summers has gorgeous merchandise, and she is also gorgeous.
Who wouldn't buy a T-shirt with her face on it? There are a lot of people who are likely attending DragCon for the first time. What are some good etiquette tips you would give on how to interact with the queens? LC: Don't!!! [Laughs] I tell you what to do. We always talk about this.
I think you should always be mindful of space and look at the drag queen. What are they wearing? Is it something huge and cumbersome that you won't be able to get in really close with? I would also think about how you hug. Give a hug around the waist; don't give a hug around the shoulders because, quite frankly, you'll pull our wigs off, and we don't want that.
This is the thing: the fans are great, and the fans always come with great energy. What is always, the only problem is the physical drag meets the world, and it's because, oh, if you pull here and hug me here, you're gonna pull my wig off. Because I hate to tell you, I'm a man.
It is that it's the kind of physics of drag in the world. That makes a lot of sense. Almost all of the girls wear stuff that you wouldn't normally be wearing when you're interacting with fans, like at a meet-and-greet.
You're wearing these very big and elaborate gowns. LC: Yes! Crystals, beads, and all of that. If I bend over to tie a shoelace or tie a boot, I'm gonna stab you in the eye with a crystal headpiece, and no one wants that! Listen, it's like what we're taught when we're kids: to be mindful.
But also be fun, be silly. This is your safe space, this is all of our safe space, so let's have some joy and love in our space. Gabe Ginsberg / Getty Images for RuPaul's Drag Race Live! You joined Drag Race Live last year, and I was curious what made you want to join.
And how have you enjoyed it? Was your experience a lot better than you even expected? LC: What made me want to do it was ambition, I guess. I saw the announcements that RuPaul's Drag Race Live was coming soon, and then RuPaul's Drag Race: Vegas Revue series that was on VH1 eventually found its way over to the UK, and I loved watching that. I loved seeing the queens' Instagram Stories of when they were performing.
Of course, then it had to take a big hiatus right after opening because of COVID. When it started back up, I saw that Kennedy Davenport and Ginger Minj were also doing it, and I saw that it wasn't just one cast. Then there was a domino effect.
I went to LA for DragCon and saw that there was an interest in international drag, and not just a small interest, there was a significant interest in all of the international franchises. So, I was like, "Okay, they love us here." I then started thinking, Okay, who do I know? Who do I know from here? And the way I got on it was that I asked one of my friends who works for the production company; I said, "Hey, you don't have an international queens on the show yet.
Is that like by design? Do you not want international queens? Or has just no one reached out?" The response was, "I don't think we've had anyone ask. Let me look into it and see what happens." Then I didn't hear back until maybe two weeks, three weeks, and they said, "Oh yeah, Lawrence, they want you.
Let's do it. Pangina Heels is gonna come as well, and Nicky Doll is going to come, and she's just hosting Drag Race France ." So, Pangina registered interest at the same time.
Nicky Doll registered interest at the same time. So clearly, we were all on the same page with it, and we all came to Vegas around the same time. I was really excited for it to just check it off my bucket list, truly.
And I remember I was excited to do the show, but my dad had made me nervous about what Vegas is like — it's all gambling and it's alcohol. I thought, Oh, God, we have enough alcohol in Scotland , so I was nervous about that. I remember touching my door in my apartment in Glasgow, and I was like, "It's only three months, you're going away.
It's only three months," and then I arrived here, and I have just loved it ever since. There's something for everyone to do, and it's such a fun show to be a part of. It's really an amazing show, an amazing group of queens as well, like you get to work with Latrice Royale, Asia O'Hara, Pangina Heels, and Coco and Kahanna Montrese.
I mean, I just love it. Gabe Ginsberg / Getty Images for RuPaul's Drag Race Live! There's also the nice benefit of you not traveling around from city to city. You have everything in your dressing room there.
You come in, you do your thing, and you can live your life without having to rush to get to the next gig. LC : Exactly! I mean, that's the dream, isn't it? Drag queens are all self-employed, and what it's done for me is it's made me regimented because it's like, "Okay, for five hours tonight, you're gonna go and do makeup, and then do the show, and then you're out of there." It's made my life a lot better to schedule, because it's just it guaranteed every night's here, you never need to pack your stuff up.
I love it and did not think I would enjoy it as much. I had to host the show last summer while Shannel was away on All Stars and Asia was on tour, and I was so terrified. I was like, "Oh, great.
They're gonna put Mrs Doubtfire here to host the Vegas show." I mean, all these people again, from North Carolina, South Carolina, they're not gonna know what I'm talking about. But it just worked.
I just loved hosting. And RuPaul came to watch the show. It's amazing, a really amazing thing.
Now that you have been living here in the States, do you have a favorite typical American thing that makes you think, They’re doing this right ? LC: I'll tell you what you guys do so well: it's savory food, savory chips, and savory everything. You guys do it so well, and it truly does take getting accustomed to it, because you guys have sauces and a lot of seasonings. I remember the first time Kennedy Davenport cooked for me — I about passed out because there was so much flavor and seasonings.
I was like, I'm from the UK. I've never tasted anything. She made turkey meat for me and I was like, "I thought turkey was meant to be bland?" She made the least bland turkey I've ever eaten.
It was flavorsome, and it fell off the bone — it was amazing. One thing I will say, y'all's chocolate sucks. We gotta have words with the FDA and the president.
We gotta sort your chocolate out. But I love your Lay's Honey Barbecue chips. I love everything else about you guys.
(c) 2024 World of Wonder Productions, Inc Obviously, I have to ask: Would you want to do an all-winners season All Stars ? And if you did, who are some queens you would most want to compete against? LC: Whoa, good question. Okay, can you imagine if I just said no and no one? Honestly, I am gunning to do it. You know, everyone on social media knows I talk about it non-stop.
I love Drag Race . I love RuPaul. You know how some queens say, when you go on the show, you struggle to watch it afterward because you know what goes on behind the scenes.
Not me. I'm like, "Oh, there's RuPaul laughing at someone's joke." I just love it so, so much, and I'm dying to go back.
So, if I'm not on this next all-winners season, then just know that I've not been asked. I'll tell you who I want to be on with: Priyanka needs to be there, definitely. She killed it on We're Here , just amazing.
I think Envy Peru has to be there as well. And Carmen Farala, the winner of España as well — she's also so amazing. But I want to go back on all-winners to lose to Bob the Drag Queen, who is truly the best.
I interviewed Alaska a few years ago, and she said she would go on all-winners All Stars to help Bob win. LC: I want to help Bob's celebratory win. But, you know, Bob will win every challenge, and I'll just go, "Isn't Bob fun? Isn't she great?" My favorite thing about all-winners, in particular, and what I loved about that season was that it was a great showcase of all the winners' talent.
It was a really good season. Okay, so final question: If you win the first episode of all-winners, who are you blocking first? LC: Hmmm? See, this is the thing with the blocking stuff: people are not strategic enough. Have you been watching All Stars 9 ? People are scissoring each other when they have no need to scissor — I don't appreciate scissoring people that you don't need to do it too.
Giving the Ruby Snippers to someone, you've got to think logically. Okay, first steps: What could come next week that I'm blocking them for? Okay, well, we just did a design challenge. It's not going to be another design challenge.
So, who's funny? That's who I'll block, I would think strategically. But the first episode say it was a runway, and the next one's a comedy challenge, Bob the Drag Queen gets the Platinum Plunger, babes. Wait, maybe she'll get blocked every episode? Well, Bob's on Traitors , so now you don't know what game she is going to play.
She might play a game that you don't even know, and it could be on a whole different level. LC: Bob filmed that in Scotland too. How dare she! She's gonna come in a tart and kilt.
She's gonna steal my gig. It's gonna be crazy. Well, I look forward to that All Stars season because that's the one I want to watch now! LC: I'm excited to watch that one too [laughs]! You can catch Lawrence at RuPaul's DragCon 2024 in Los Angeles, which will be held July 19–20.
You can also follow her on Instagram to keep up with everything she's up to. Share This Article Link Facebook Pinterest Twitter Mail.
