AN architect, florist, call center agent, Adele impersonator, and three transgender women are among the 12 contestants who will vie for the title of drag race superstar in the second season of the hit reality competition series “Drag Race Philippines”, the local spinoff of the Emmy-winning global phenomenon “RuPaul’s Drag Race”.
Actor Paolo Ballesteros resumes his role as host and head judge, joined by a jury panel: Jiggly Caliente (an alum of “RuPaul’s Drag Race”) and KaladKaren (actress, TV host and activist). They will once again look for a queen who has charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent.
The 12 drag queens were introduced to the public through videos and photos, released on social media platforms, donning their bright promo outfits inspired by tropical getaways and parties.
Last year, Precious Paula Nicole made history as the first winner of “Drag Race Philippines” with Marina Summers as runner-up. Lady Morgana was named Miss Congeniality.
Accompanying “Drag Race Philippines” season 2 is the “Untucked” segment, offering an exclusive look at the behind-the-scenes moments of the queens as they unwind backstage after facing the judges. The show will premiere on Wow Presents Plus and HBO Go on Wednesdays starting August 2.
Scroll through to know more about the queens.
Arizona Brandy
@arizonabrandy
With a pedestrian-chic style, Arizona Brandy is an Adele impersonator, who regularly performs at Rapture, a popular drag bar in Cubao, Quezon City. The drag mother of the Rapture Royalties would shout, “Shot puno!” (Bottoms up!), her iconic catchphrase, as she downs a bottle of beer, showing her brand of humor.
She writes on Twitter: “I wanted to stay true (to) with my ‘brand’ which is I LOVE TO DRINK. My partner and I came up with the concept of (a) cocktail since it suits the theme of the promo. I did not want the outfit to be cocktail inspired, I wanted to look like I am the DRINK!”
Arizona Brandy is not a comedy queen, she says in the “Meet the Queens” video. “Arizona Brandy is a beauty queen who just happened to be funny.”
Formerly known as Arizona Balyena, Arizona picked the name Brandy, a homage to her love for alcohol. “Napakahilig ko sa alak.” She loves alcohol so much that she’s even incorporated drinking into her performances onstage. “I always shot puno without (a) chaser,” she shares.
This 25-year-old drag queen from Makati wants to represent the Rapture Royalties “because I believe we are undiscovered. I believe my queens are also talented, (it’s) not just O Bar and Nectar, and I thank you.”
She promises to serve #clamour – comedy with a mix of glamour. What sets her apart from other queens? She smells good, she says. But also, “Feeling ko matindi yung charisma ko.”
Astrid Mercury
@astridmercuryyy
A former cheerleader and stunt queen, Astrid Mercury is fearless in delivering gagging performances. By day, she works as a call center agent, and at night, she performs at Nectar, Club Level and Chelu. She admits that she almost quit drag.
“Dun sa MTQ interview ko, even I started doing drag 7 years ago. I still consider myself a baby queen bc before pandemic happened, wala pa akong 1 year as a drag entertainer then I almost quit doing drag kasi nawawalan na ako ng passion and I was focused sa day job ko,” she writes on Twitter. “Then @dragraceph S1 premiered, I challenged myself that if I joined S2, this will be the comeback of Astrid Mercury and it happened. I thought wala nang makakapagpamotivate sa akin to pursue what I really want. Thank you sa mga nagpush sa akinsumali dito.”
This 29-year-old queen from Mandaluyong named herself after a teleserye kontrabida and “a dangerous element from the periodic table.”
She may have a sweet face but she’s a danger to her competitors, she says. “Don’t be deceived by the glitz and glam, I’m dangerous. Don’t underestimate us baby queens, we have a lot to give, we are fashion forward, we give you explosive performances. The older queens will have a hard time time keeping up.”
Bernie
@berniebarrantes
A transgender woman, Bernie has more than 16 years of experience in the drag scene. She regularly performs at O-Bar.
Bernie doesn’t need a drag name. “Bernie is Bernie.” This 35-year-old queen from Mandaluyong is thrilled to be part of the season two cast. “Ang saya ko! Pangarap ko ‘to sobra,” she says. “I’ve spent half my life being a drag queen. Bernie is sexy, hottie, seductive… Fresh lang.
She got her start in a gay bar in Quezon City – with a Whitney Houston song and just one pair of shoes. “My mentor Eva Papaya told me not to get backup dancers. She said I didn’t need them,” she shares. She took her act from the legendary Malate comedy bar The Library to O Bar, where she has been performing for 14 years now.
Bernie is ready to dance her way to the crown. “I can do hip-hop, I can do jazz, I can do ballet. I can dance in heels.” She adds, “This is for my family and for me.”
Captivating Katkat
@captivatingkatkat
A proud trans woman, she has been garnering accolades in drag. Her claim to fame is a viral video of her rendition of “Let It Go”. She currently performs at The One 690 Entertainment Bar.
“Finally!!! No more hiding, no more lying and no more denials! I am now officially a RU GIRL!!!” she writes on Twitter. Captivating Katkat describes herself as “sexy, sultry… a showstopper.” She adds, “I have a unique style, I like standing out.”
This trans queen, who grew up in Cubao and is now living in Antipolo City, started doing drag after high school. “I auditioned at a theater bar in Malate. Back then, we were known as female impersonators.”
Her first performance? “Let’s Get Loud” by Jennifer Lopez.
Years later, she continues to derive pleasure from bringing people joy with her performances. She says, “Uuwi kayong may ngiti sa inyong mga labi. I will do everything to showcase everything.”
That’s what she plans to do on the “Drag Race Philippines” stage as well. “I’m looking forward to dancing and to the acting challenges… actually all of them. I’m going to excel in all of them, ‘di tayo papakabog no.“
DeeDee Marié Holliday
@deedeemarieholliday
DeeDee Marié Holliday is another notable figure in the world of Philippine drag with over a decade of experience. She is also known for her advocacy of AIDS awareness and LGBTQ+ rights. During the first years of the pandemic, she temporarily withdrew from the world of drag and sought solace in the United States. Now, returning to the Philippines, she rekindles her passion for drag.
She describes herself as “a gorgeous, glamorous, delicious, desperate housewife from Tayabas City, Quezon Province.” She’s “an actress, a great lip syncer, she can dance, she can move… she tries.”
She fell in love with drag after seeing “three gorgeous glamazons” perform in Malate in 2009. She befriended these queens and one of them became her drag mother: Jaja, who competed in the first season of “Drag Race Thailand”.
Deedee, who has been doing drag for 13 years, performs at O Bar. “When you come and watch a DeeDee Marie Holliday show, you are going to be entertained, you are going to forget all of your problems, you are going to have the best time of your life.”
Hana Beshie
@hana_beshie
An architect based in Cagayan de Oro City, Hana Beshie is named after an electric fan. This “2XL bombshell shapeshifter of Cagayan de Oro” started doing drag four years ago. “Nagda-drag lang kami ng sisters ko sa tabi-tabi, sa kalsada.”
It was during the pandemic that they took their drag to another level. “We formed a platform for drag called G-Spot. We were the first queens to perform in a bar in Cagayan de Oro City. The drag scene in Cagayan De Oro is very young pero lumalaban.”
She’s excited to represent her city in the show. “Gusto ko ipakita sa kanila na magaling yung Cagayan de Oro drag. I want to put Cagayan de Oro drag on the f*cking map.”
Hana Beshie says her two art forms actually have more in common than people think. “Drag and architecture are related because of design.” She’s excited to take on any design challenges in the show.
The members of her drag house Haus of LaFeya are known for making their own clothes, she says. “We don’t repeat outfits and we don’t just buy them online… no shade,” she says.
Her drag persona has a checklist, Hana Beshie says. “Big, bold, beautiful… but always with a touch of camp.”
M1ss Jade So
@m1ssjadeso
A fashion design student and proud transgender woman, M1ss Jade So is a fierce advocate of Doll domination. “Watch out because this b*tch is about to dominate y’all,” says M1ss Jade So, who describes herself as “the ultimate one of one… the sexiest, the c*ntiest, the baddest esoteric Bratz doll.”
This tongue-popping, purring trans queen from Marikina says her first drag performance was at her sister’s 18th birthday celebration. She says, “Drag is important and has been a huge part of my life as I love music, beauty, fashion and myself. It is a celebration of the things I am passionate about.” She finds showcasing her talents through drag liberating and empowering.
M1ss Jade So is ready to serve “the fantasy of it all – body, skin, face, hair, everything, darling.” She declares, “This trans Pinay is the next drag superstar.”
Matilduh
@matilduh_
Hailing from the Ilocos region, Matilduh proclaims herself a “multimedia drag superstar.” She is also an events designer and florist.
Matilduh’s parents are unaware that she’s going to be on “Drag Race Philippines”. “I’m very nervous kung anong sasabihin nila. They haven’t seen me in drag,” she shares.
Once a quiet and shy kid, Matilduh is known for her high energy performances, doing “the kicks, the splits, the dance breaks and all of that.” She won Nectar’s Drag Cartel on her first try. “And the rest is history,” she shares.
Matilduh thinks she will slay design challenges. “I’m used to designing under pressure. Most of my life, I’ve been doing arts and crafts. Abangan ang aking mga pasabog sa ‘Drag Race Philippines’.”
Nicole Pardaux
@nicolepardaux
She started doing drag at the onset of the pandemic. The 37-year-old drag queen calls herself “Cebu’s favorite MILF”.
She’s a little nervous about representing Cebu in the show. “It’s an honor but there’s added pressure because Cebuanos are really hard to please. But definitely, this is for them.” And she believes they will root for her, just like her boyfriend of 11 years is rooting for her.
Nicole likes being glamorous and showing off her twins Tiffany and Chanel. The twins and her performances will make her stand out from the other queens, she thinks. “I’m known for dancing. That’s really my background.” She even has the words “dance is in my blood” tattooed on her chest.
“I know I’m still a newbie in the drag scene but Nicole Pardaux is here to slay the game,” she says.
ØV CÜNT
@ovcnt
Born in Cavite, ØV CÜNT describes herself as the “enigmatic provocateur” and her drag as edgy.
ØV C*nt used to be called Olivia Virgin. “Disgusting, right? My god,” says the 24-year-old performer. “Something nasty, something beautiful which describes my drag best is corpse flower. Combine the two elements together – it’s giving you creative process, it’s giving you couture, it’s giving you elements,” she shares.
ØV C*nt is part of the drag collective Drag Playhouse with “Drag Race Philippines” season one queens Eva Le Queen, Marina Summers and Prince. “I’ve been drag royalty since day one,” ØV C*nt says. “This time I’ll be richer, more famous.”
She’s ready to slay the design challenge. “I love working with fabrics, I can sew.”
What can you expect from a ØV C*nt show? “The ‘what the f*ck is happening?’ moment. I’ll give it to you every f*cking time – it’s giving you performance art, a fashion show, it’s giving you life!”
Tiny Deluxe
@TinyDeluxee
With two years of experience, Tiny Deluxe is a relative newcomer to the drag. She is the drag daughter of “Drag Race Philippines” season 1 contestant Viñas Deluxe.
Tiny Deluxe has a warning for her fellow season two queens: “Humanda kayo dahil dadaganan ko kayo. Gusto niyo yun? Gusto ko yun!”
This queen from Pasig City says that she is “bubbly, very beautiful, gorgeous and most of all, a diva.” She adds, “Obviously I’m a big girl but I do want to break stereotypes. Big girls can be fashion girls too.”
And just like her drag mom, she can sing live, she says. It was Viñas who inspired her to start her drag journey. “She told me, ‘Girl, you’re a drag queen! Do drag!'”
She listened and now she’s addicted to the art form. “No turning back now, this is my life, this is my destiny,” she says.
Veruschka Levels
@veruschkalevels
Based in Hong Kong, Veruschka Levels is also a photographer and makeup artist, who has worked with Rita Ora, Nicky Hilton and Gretchen Barretto.
She’s named after the German supermodel Veruschka von Lehndorff so it shouldn’t be surprising that fashion plays a big part in Veruschka Levels’ drag. “My drag is high fashion, high energy, very opulent… Veruschka is very sophisticated, she puts the fist in sophistication, darling.”
This queen is originally from Cebu. “I’m 24 years old… 12 years ago.” Veruschka has had an interesting life, working as a makeup artist for a princess in the Middle East, working with celebrities here and abroad, moving to Hong Kong to pursue photography and also finding success there as a drag queen.
“I can do everything, I think,” she says, describing her drag persona as “quite talented” and “very cultured.”
She was hoping to be this season’s villain but, she asks, “Do I look like a villain?” Veruschka jokes, “I will try to stir the pot but I use air fryer so maybe I won’t do that.”
She has this to say to “Drag Race” fans: “Prepare because this season will be a lot of drama, a lot of beauty, a lot of high fashion, a lot of opulence and coutur
Wildly and uniquely Pinoy
“Drag Race Philippines” follows the same mechanics as “RuPaul’s Drag Race”, but it adds a wildly and uniquely Filipino flavor to the franchise. These are seen in terms of performances, drag inspirations and humor, such as runway themes like “Shake, Rattle and Rampa” where they showcase different Filipino urban legends, and even the incorporation of familial relationships – a huge component of Filipino values – present in the form of video greetings or old photos.
The reality competition has had a lot of recognition since it first premiered. Outside the show proper, the queens even have their own popularity race on Twitter as well.
More than the extravagant looks and the entertainment value of the show, “Drag Race Philippines” and the whole “RuPaul’s Drag Race” franchise always have a message to send: Drag is political.
In between performances and getting ready, the “Drag Race Philippines” season 1 contestants talked about what it was like growing up gay and feminine in the Philippines. The werk room is filled with stories of the queens hiding their identity just to conform to what was expected of them, and even stories of them getting beaten up in the past just for being gay.
Conversations on body dysmorphia, self-love, working as an OFW and more – all of which are lived experiences of many Filipinos, especially members of the LGBTQ+ community – are spotlighted through the experiences of the queens.
More than that, “Drag Race Philippines” gives younger generations role models whom they can look up to and feel represented by as members of the LGBTQ+ community who are thriving and celebrated.
