After one of the most important weeks of the competition, a third queen has unfortunately sashayed away from RuPaul’s Drag Race UK season.
The surviving candidates had a significant challenge ahead of them on the newest episode of the BBC Three series – participating in the much anticipated Rusical, which this time was named Pant-Oh She Better Don’t: The Rusical.
After the play and the Mirror Mirror runway, it was decided that Banksie and DeDeLicious would battle for their position in the lip sync for their lives, with guest judge and actress Cush Jumbo joining RuPaul, Michelle Visage, and Graham Norton on the judging panel.
After lip syncing to a renowned musical theatre song, Susan Boyle’s rendition of I Dreamed A Dream from Les Misérables, Banksie was informed that they would be fired.
‘Banksie, you my love, will always be head and shoulders above the others,’ RuPaul stated to the 23-year-old. Now saunter away.’
In an unexpected change of events, the ousted queen requested a gesture from RuPaul, allowing them to take one more runway before leaving.
The head judge agreed, and after a fierce final runway, the seven-foot queen wrote on the Werk Room mirror: ‘Love you sisters, all hail the rat queen! Banksie X.’
In their exit interview, Banksie admitted that they were understandably feeling ‘gutted’ by their exit.
‘Sad not being in here anymore. Feel a bit gutted but, it was a great season and it was a really really good week for everybody. Also I went out looking gorgeous and that is pretty fab,’ they said.
Looking back on the series’ highlights, Banksie stated that the moment they were most pleased of was speaking about their trans partner Vil.
‘I think it’s so important to talk about the realism of the things [that] are happening in life as a drag persona. My drag persona is one thing, but my personal life is also so important and it connects to my drag persona,’ they explained.
‘Having the ability to have so many people see themselves in my relationship was an absolute dream come true. It was amazing to receive the love I’ve got online from it and hearing the stories from other people just makes it all worthwhile.
‘Having something I shared on national television affect so many people in a positive way was so memorable to me.’
They added: ‘I also loved making the friendships that I made during the competition and they’ve lasted so much longer than the show. I just feel like those girls are my sisters now and they will be in my life for a long time.’
RuPaul’s Drag Race UK returns next Thursday at 9pm on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer.