The Latest Drag Race Down Under Queen Spills The Tea “I was glad I went home”

The Latest Drag Race Down Under Queen Spills The Tea “I was glad I went home”
Image: Image: Stan Australia

Episode five of Drag Race Down Under saw the queens go head to head in the very popular makeover challenge, with each queen tasked with making over a local librarian into their drag family.

In what was another incredibly tight competition for this seasons queens, the judging came down to the wire as all the queens served something impressive, unique and different.

Unfortunately after another epic lip sync against the incredible Max Drag Queen, it was Brenda Bressed who found herself being told to Sashay away.

Brenda sat down to chat with Michael James about her time on the show and explains why she was glad to go home this episode.

Drag Race Down Under Brenda Bressed Key Art 1x1
Image: Stan Australia

Brenda, welcome! It was an interesting episode. It always is with the makeover challenge, isn’t it? The criteria always seem to be different for everyone. What were your thoughts when you were tackling it, balancing the family resemblance with driving the narrative?

Yeah, look, it’s always an interesting challenge, the makeover. You never really know which way it’s gonna go. Sometimes, after watching the show for so many years, you think you know: “OK, they want family resemblance, but not twins,” because they’ve said, “We didn’t ask for you to be identical.” Then sometimes, they’ll say, “Oh, you look identical. We love it. It’s beautiful.” Or sometimes, they look nothing alike, and they’ll say, “Ah, you look so alike.” And it’s like, what’s going on?

So, I had no idea going into the challenge. We were all just looking around going, “What’s happening? What’s happening here?”

It was a bit like that as a viewer as well. Everyone was good. I keep saying this about every episode, but this season sucks because it’s so good!

Right? I know! That’s what makes it so hard in the competition. Some of us went into it thinking, “Ohh, I’m gonna blitz this. It’s going to be a clean sweep.” But then we slowly realised when we were there, we were like, “Ohh. This is hard because everyone is so good. It’s not fair!

People like to say sometimes, “Oh, there are filler queens here.” But you didn’t have a filler queen this season.

We honestly didn’t. We really didn’t. That’s what made it so tricky this time.

Again, the trickiness of the judging for this one is that everybody nailed criteria that would’ve won it for them in any other random season. Did you come out feeling proud of what you did?

Oh, absolutely. I was really proud of what I did. I honestly loved what I brought to that challenge, and I loved the story we were able to bring. It was stupid, but it was fun, you know? That’s my drag. It’s stupid. It’s ridiculous. I don’t take myself seriously at all, and I just have fun.

I had a great time doing the challenge with my partner. We honestly just laughed the whole time. As sad as it was going home, I was glad I went home on a challenge that I still had fun doing. If it had been the week before that, I think it would’ve been a whole other story. I would’ve been really upset, and it would’ve ruined the whole experience of Drag Race for me. But ending and going home on a challenge where I really had fun made it all OK. I was content with what I brought and what I was able to show.

Brenda Bressed Makeover
Image: Stan Australia

Speaking of your best, the lip sync was interesting! It raised this discussion about the different styles of drag. You and Max served completely different styles: Max is a quintessential Drag Race queen, flipping and stunting, while you served Aussie camp, fun, taking-the-piss style. How did you feel about what you served?

Yeah. From the moment we walked into the workroom and I saw Max was there, I thought, “OK, she’s the one bitch I don’t want to be in the bottom with because that’s going to be hard.” I know what she’s capable of.

So, going into the lip sync, finding myself up against Max, I thought, “There’s no way I’m going to outdo Max if I try to do what she does.” Like you said, that’s the beauty of drag—everyone does it in their own way. I needed to serve something completely different so they wouldn’t compare us directly.

I just wanted to have fun with it as well. I actually said to Max before the lip sync, “Let’s just give them a good show. Let’s have fun.”

When we finished, I got that euphoric feeling I get after a good performance. I thought, “That was fun. I had a really good time.” I left everything on the stage, and I thought, “If I go home now, I can leave with my head held high because I gave everything I could.”

Absolutely. It was iconic. I hated the result, but I’d have hated seeing Max go home as well.

I know! It’s that thing where you’ve got favourites in the bottom, and you don’t want either of them to leave.

And it’s only gonna get worse from here. Now, let’s go to a high point: Congratulations—you won the Snatch game!

Thank you!

Drag Race Down Under Snatch Game
Image: Stan Australia

I’ve been saying for years that shows like Kath & Kim and Absolutely Fabulous deserve more drag representation on Snatch Game!

Oh, thank you.

Was that character just your bread and butter? You didn’t seem like someone who needed to rehearse; you seemed like someone who had it in the bag.

Exactly. I know Kath & Kim back to front, upside down, I’ve watched it countless times. I knew doing a character from Kath & Kim meant I could make anything work because I know any reference they could throw at me.

Me and my drag sister, Delicatessen, even do a Kath & Kim event where we play Kath and Kim trivia, then perform as Prue and Trude. I was super comfortable going into it. I didn’t want to do the obvious choice, Kim, because I wanted something quintessentially Australian but not predictable.

It was wise. Mandy slayed, but the difference was your deep repertoire of lines and references. You elevated it to the next level.

Thank you. One thing Lazy Susan said to me was she hadn’t seen Kath & Kim as much as I had, but she couldn’t tell if the lines I used were directly from the show because they fit so well with the questions. That was a compliment!

As Rhys said, you saved Snatch game!

Exactly. Finally, we’ve broken the curse. I mean, Snatch Game is so iconic, and we all go into it with this mix of excitement and terror. You know, it’s like, “Will this be my crowning moment or my death sentence?” I was thrilled to be able to pull it off.

Yes, although we did almost break the fucking reading challenge again with some of them.

Oh I know!

But we were saved by the likes of Vybe, who fucking nailed that reading challenge. Might I say, Mandy only got one in her edit was that because the rest of hers were so bad they didn’t get shown?

Ah, Mandy had my favourite read of all time, which I’m sure didn’t make it. There was a conspiracy while we were away, because we weren’t allowed our phones. But during that time, there was this theory that Nikita had a phone with her. I know, because there’d be times we’d take things back to the hotel to work on, and she’d come back with things just slightly different. We were all like, “What’s going on?” She even had a slip-up on the main stage where she said, “Yeah, I was talking to my boyfriend last night, I mean, pretending to talk to him in the shower” and we were like, ‘Nikita, what’s going on?’ So there was a bit of a conspiracy there, but my favourite read that I’m sure was Mandy’s that didn’t make it.

She said “Nikita Iman, you remind me of ET because of those long spindly fingers, and the ability to phone home!”

It was so great. So I’m sure that didn’t make it, but that was that was my favourite read of the whole day and that was from Mandy.

Mandy Moobs Reading
Image: Stan Australia

Now this was a season of big highs for you. Did you have a low point where you felt you’d really messed it up, or were you feeling good the whole time?

I definitely felt like I messed it up at the design challenge. The night before, we’d been sewing for so long, we’d already been filming for a day and a half, so we were exhausted. Add that to missing my family and my husband, and then getting bad critiques. It all just came crashing down. I was like, “What am I doing? I can’t take much more of this.”

If I’d gone home or been in the bottom that episode, it might have ruined my whole memory of the show. But I’m glad things happened the way they did. I left the competition with a good taste in my mouth.

Next week’s acting challenge felt like a missed opportunity for you. Do you think you’d have been on the up and up for that?

I was waiting for that fucking acting challenge, and of course, it happened the week after I left. I’m not going to lie, I would have aced that. It’s a robbery, it’s a crime. Justice for Brenda!

Speaking of surprises, Michelle Visage stepping in as host was a big change. How was the shock of that for you?

Honestly, I was excited. Michelle was exactly what the show needed. I love RuPaul, but I think Michelle understands Down Under drag more. She brought the freshness we needed and showed everyone that we’ve got something to offer.

She was a dream, so lovely and encouraging. She felt like a mother figure. We’re proud to be the very first cast of “Mitches Bitches”, no longer RuGirls. We are Mitches Bitches!

What’s next for Brenda Bressed now that Drag Race Down Under is over?

I’ve got lots in the works, Christmas shows at Memo Piano Bar, theatre opportunities next year, and music! I know, a Drag Race queen doing music, shocking! I’m also focusing on my YouTube channel, Brenda Bressed TV. This may be the end of my Drag Race journey, but it’s just the start of everything else.

And you’ll be hitting the road for the official tour?

Yes! From March 26th to 30th, the Drag Race Down Under Season 4 tour is going to be Absolutely Fabulous. We’re bringing something different to a drag race tour that you might not have seen before. Stay tuned, it’s going to be really good.

Brenda Bressed leaves Drag Race Down Under with a legacy of laughter, creativity, and an iconic Snatch Game win that will ensure she is not forgotten.

Drag Race Down Under continues every week on Stan Australia as the final six queens battle it out to see who will take out the crown for Season four.

Watch the full interview with Brenda Bressed below.

 

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