Meet the queens of Canada’s Drag Race

Meet the queens of Canada’s Drag Race

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Tuesday, 30th June 2020
Credit: BBC
Credit: BBC

The line-up for Canada's Drag Race has been revealed, with 12 queens battling it out to be crowned Canada’s first Drag Superstar.

The ten-part series will introduce viewers to the drag scenes across Canada, with plenty of shade being thrown between the Montreal and Quebec queens.

Each week, RuPaul will deliver challenges by Rumail and the competing queens will need to prove they have what it takes to deliver showstopping looks and stay in the competition.

If the queens want to hear the words “shantay you stay”, they will need to be able to sing, dance, act, improv, sew, beat, throw shade, death drop and lip sync, all with their own unique spin.

The judges will be looking for charisma, uniqueness and talent, with the major elements of the franchise still present, but with a particular look at the Canadian LGBTQ+ culture and drag scene.

The series is produced by Blue Ant Studios and will air weekly on BBC Three frmo Friday 3 July to match Canada and the US.

Here are the queens hoping to become Canada's Drag Superstar:

 

Priyanka, 28, Toronto

Credit: BBC
Credit: BBC

Former children's TV host Priyanka knows what it’s like to entertain for the camera. After having a drag queen perform for her 26th birthday party, Priyanka was inspired to take up drag herself.

Since then she has gone on to grace the cover of Toronto’s NOW magazine after being voted Toronto’s favourite drag queen by their readers.

She has already won two crowns and edits and produces her own material from music videos.

 

Juice Boxx, 31 Toronto

Credit: BBC
Credit: BBC

Juice Boxx is known for her signature hair whip and her bright and bubbly, yet sinful nature.

A lover of fitness and CrossFit, Boxx has a visual arts degree and a diploma of Makeup Artistry and Special FX and can’t wait to show viewers the incredible world of Canadian drag.

 

 

 

Rita Baga, 32, Montréal

Credit: BBC
Credit: BBC

One of the most famous queens in Montréal, Rita Baga is the most awarded queen in the city and has even had her own reality show.

Determined to become the first francophone to own a Drag Superstar title, Baga has won the Best Drag Queen in Montreal four times and is very active in the LGBTQ+ community.

 

 

 

Kiara, 21, Montréal

Credit: BBC
Credit: BBC

Kiara is ready to make queer Canadian her-story and is so committed to drag she recently quit her job and put school on hold to give her the time to fully focus on drag.

Kiara is one of the few queens of colour working in the Québec drag scene and although she has battled with body issues and self-esteem in the past, immersing herself in the drag world has given her a new-found confidence.

Since starting drag, Kiara has found herself inundated with bookings and has already started to make a name for herself.

JIMBO, 36, Victoria, B.C.

Credit: BBC
Credit: BBC

For JIMBO, drag is a form of self-expression and self-discovery. Through drag JIMBO aims to create moments that are funny, weird and glamorous.

JIMBO is also a cabaret performer and wants to show the side of drag that involves singing and stand-up.

With a background in clown and a day job as a film costume designer, JIMBO is ready to use those skills in her performance which she hopes will challenge social constructs.

 

 

AnaSTARzia Anaquway, 37 Toronto

Credit: BBC
Credit: BBC

Inspired by her Caribbean roots, AnaSTARzia Anaquway is excited to represent all the little black boys and girls who have dreams but don’t necessarily have the resources to make them come true.

Anaquway is a successful pageant queen who mainly tours the US and has won more than 15 pageants across the US and Canada.

 

 

Lemon, 24 New York City

Credit: BBC
Caption

A professionally trained dancer, Lemon is ready to bring the NYC drag scene to Canada.

Lemon loves doing Drag Roulette, which involves audiences tipping a dollar for a performance of a song of their choice.

After she was chosen by RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Sasha Velour, Lemon got to walk the runway in New York Fashion Week.

 

 

 

Tynomi Banks, 38, Toronto

Credit: BBC
Credit: BBC

Tynomi is a big name in the drag scene of Toronto; inspired by Tyra Banks and Naomi Campbell, Tynomi is known as the dancing queen and sees herself as fun, flirty and fashionable.

It was while performing at Word Pride 2014 in Toronto that her mother saw her in drag for the first time.

Tynomi is no stranger to the spotlight, having worked with big brands on national advertising campaigns.

 

BOA, 24, Toronto

Credit: BBC
Credit: BBC

BOA likes to use drag to make people laugh and feel happy. BOA was her nickname growing up and is also an acronym for 'Bitch on Arrival'.

When BOA first moved to Toronto, she was the victim of a violent hate crime, but with the support of the community she was able to heal and recover and is now a big voice speaking out about violence in the community.

After a particularly bad year BOA gave up drinking and with the help of her friends is focusing on tackling her addiction.

 

 

Ilona Verley, 24, Vancouver

Credit: BBC
Credit: BBC

For Ilona Verley, drag gives her the opportunity to express how she sees herself on the inside and to showcase head to toe pastel looks which she puts together herself.

Growing up Nlaka'pamux, Verley is a two-spirit indigenous artist and wants to use her strong social media presence to be the representation she wished she had seen growing up.

 

 

Scarlett Bobo, 29, Toronto

Credit: BBC
Credit: BBC

Scarlet Bobo enjoys using drag to empower other people, so they feel like they can be fearless and their authentic self.

Bobo inspires the younger generation of queer youth by producing a local drag competition to help young people live their truth.

After a spell at circus school, Bobo knows how to eat fire, light herself on fire and perform aerial skills and wants to be an advocate for a different kind of drag queen.

 

 

Kyne, 21, Kitchener-Waterloo, ON

Credit: BBC
Credit: BBC

Kyne learnt from the biggest divas growing up singing Celine Dion and Whitney Houston with her family.

With more than 100,000 subscribers to her YouTube channel, Kyne loves to showcase her skills for makeup, costumes, hair and art.

Kyne also has a love of numbers, as a math major and high school math tutor.  

 

 

 

Canada’s Drag Race will start airing from Friday 3rd July on BBC Three.

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The line-up for Canada's Drag Race has been revealed, with 12 queens battling it out to be crowned Canada’s first Drag Superstar.