The 2nd Queen Eliminated On Drag Race Down Under Talks Snatch Game And That Runway

Drag Race Down Under has been a whirlwind of a season and we’re only three episodes in! After episode two saw Olivia Dreams sashay away, this week it was time to say farewell to Karna Ford. She sat down with Michael James to talk about her time on the show after this weeks iconic Snatch Game.

You got to go on Drag Race Down Under! That’s fantastic. What was it like when you got the call?

It was thrilling and honestly the best thing to ever happen to me! I always knew I wanted to be on the show, and I felt like I was going to make it one day. When it finally happened, it was like, oh, the stars are aligning; things are happening!

They certainly have! And the world got to meet you. But aside from Drag Race, Karna Ford obviously has a career outside of the show as well. Tell me about some of the achievements you’ve had even before appearing on Drag Race.

Well, it’s been crazy! I was set on being in Season 3 and auditioned, but I unfortunately didn’t make it. So, when the Season 3 girls went off to film, it was around World Pride, and I think that’s when the whole Karna Ford brand really blew up! If I had made it to Season 3, I wouldn’t have got to experience all those things. I was on stage with Ava Max and Nicole Scherzinger, and I got to perform and be part of the Live and Proud opening concert alongside legends like Minnie Cooper and Coco Jumbo. From that experience, I got so much recognition, and then I was asked to be in Just Came Out, a music video. I also did the competition Slay right before I got on Drag Race and won the whole thing! So, I had heaps of achievements that I felt were little steps leading me onto Season 4.

That’s amazing. So you walked into Season 4, surrounded by big personalities and big reputations. Was there anyone you saw when you walked in and thought, “Ah, I’m going to shit my pants competing against them”?

Well, my thing is being a dancing diva. So when I saw Max there, I was like, “Oh, crap!” I think Max is one of the best drag performers in Australia, so having her there, plus hearing that Freya Armani was also a dancing diva, made me feel like, OK, what can I bring to the table if there are already other dancing divas?

So, outside of being a dancing diva, what did you think was your next biggest strength that would help you stand out?

I was hoping my performance abilities! Going into challenges like a girl group challenge, or the Snatch Game, or even an acting challenge would have been my best bet for showing my strengths.

And you got to slay in the girl group challenge, which must have been a big relief for you after Episode 1.

Yes, definitely a massive relief being safe on that one, yeah.

And let’s not forget the iconic Demigorgon moment!

Yes, the whole Demigorgon moment! I’m surprised I didn’t throw that costume away after such a traumatic moment, but I’m glad I kept it. I’ve had time to process what happened, and now it’s become a viral moment.

It has indeed! I was talking to Sasha Colby last week, and it was one of the standout moments she remembered. You created a moment that’s now part of Drag Race culture, and that’s exactly what you want when you’re on the show. You don’t want to be forgotten.

Exactly, so true!

Speaking of things that won’t be forgotten, we got to this week’s Snatch Game. Now, you went with Eddie Murphy’s character in Norbit. Were there any other options before you settled on that?\

No other options. I was very confident in my choice. My character was based on Eddie Murphy’s character, Mr. Wong, from Norbit. I grew up watching that movie with my family, and my friends and I would quote that character all the time. Every time I pretended to be him, everyone would be in stitches, so I felt very confident with this choice for Snatch Game.

Well, you stick with what you know, and if it’s funny to you, it’s likely funny to others!

Exactly!

Though Norbit is considered one of the most critically panned movies of all time!

Oh, really?

Yes, it took out so many Razzies! But from the bad, you can create the memorable, and that’s what you did. Snatch Game is notoriously tough, and you were also split into groups, which limited screen time for everyone. Did you feel that pressure on set?

Yes, it was difficult with fewer people to bounce off. The Snatch Game is hard, having to answer questions, stay in character, and riff off others while being funny. It’s just tough! I found myself overthinking things a lot.

Absolutely Snatch Game is one of the most pressured challenges. For Down Under, especially, there’s been a lot of critique of our Snatch Games in the past. Did you feel that added pressure?

100% definitely a lot of pressure. And hearing Michelle’s feedback on what other queens brought in previous seasons, like Lindsay Lohan as an Irish man and that horse that Lazy Susan brought, was insane. It made me get in my own head a bit.

Lazy Susan’s other choices were hysterical too! But even with the added pressure, you were part of a successful Snatch Game, which has got to be a good takeaway.

Yes, I’m very happy to have been part of not only a successful Snatch Game but also an incredible season. There’s no other season I would rather have been a part of than this one.

Absolutely! You’re kicking goals. The season is in the top five most-watched for the week on Stan, and the IMDb rating is shooting up. It’s got to feel amazing to be part of that.

Definitely! It’s an incredible feeling, and I’m so glad to be part of it. And we get to go on tour together!

Yes! Touring with the cast is a big goal achieved, right?

It is, one of my biggest goals was to tour. Now, we get to do a national tour with the whole cast, which I’m so excited for.

You’ve all elevated the season, and it’s paid off. Now, let’s quickly look back at the end of this week’s episode. They revealed a bottom three for the lip sync. How did you feel about that?

I thought I did just enough to avoid the bottom two, but then they announced a bottom three. So, there was a lot of pressure and anxiety going into that lip sync. And My Delirium by Ladyhawke is a fantastic song, but it’s not one I was familiar with or my style, so that added to the pressure.

Yes, great song, but I felt for you all, as I don’t think it played to your strengths.

Yes!

In the end, the decision had to be made. Did you think it was going to be you?

I didn’t think it would be me, but I told myself that if I was sent home, I’d want it to be against Max, one of the best drag performers in Australia. So I accepted my defeat.

What was your proudest moment on the show?

As traumatic as it was at the time, I’m proud of the Demigorgon lip sync. The song Rush has sentimental value to me, and performing in that costume on national TV was a moment I’m glad got shared.

You did an amazing job. So, aside from the tour, anything else coming up for Karna Ford?

Karna Ford
I am working on a bit of a small YouTube series which is coming out. Won’t share too much about it, but I’m I’m in the in the works of it. I don’t have anything else planned, but I’m hoping that with Drag Race under my belt. I get to do a lot more international touring, so hopefully this leads to that, I definitely want hit the Asian market. Maybe go back to the motherland, the Philippines and you know, the Filipino Queens there, maybe even other countries like Thailand, Singapore, all those countries.

Watch the full interview with Karna Ford from Drag Race Down Under on Youtube below