Following her elimination from RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, one thing was clear; the fandom had fallen in love with Kate Butch. Merging her love for classics like Mame with a classic yet current style of drag, Butch became a fan favorite and her elimination stunned the Drag Race fandom globally. Following her departure from the competition, I sat down with Kate Butch to dish on everything from her Drag Race UK experience to pinch me moments like hitting The West End with Drag Race UK finalist Michael Marouli. One thing I discovered about this dynamic performer is certain; “This Woman’s Work” is far from over.
Michael Cook: Kate Bush is my absolute favorite artist and I absolutely adore that she’s your official surname and inspiration. What is your own favorite Kate Bush song?
Kate Butch: There are a lot, different moods have different songs. When I am in a silly, fun mood it’s “There Goes A Tenner” which is ridiculous, if I want to cry it’s either “And Dream of Sheep” or “This Woman’s Work”. I just did a cover to that one….
MC: RuPaul’s Drag Race UK is such a wonderfully big experience, how do you think the experience went from your perspective?
KB: I don’t think that it could have gone better for me. Statistically speaking it probably could have, but emotionally from where my drag was at the time of filming, how it was with everyone else being there, I think that this it the best experience that I could have possibly asked for.
MC: Makeover challenges can be some of the most challenging and emotional experiences during the RuPaul’s Drag Race experience. Was that how it was for you?
KB: Absolutely. It was such an incredible experience meeting Xan finding out how much our personalities are defined in our experiences.
MC: What do you think your rose and thorn are of your Drag Race experience?
KB: I loved meeting all of the other queens, such an incredible group. I get on with everyone pretty much and it was just so lovely to be part of a group. In my line of work as a comedian, I host solo shows and I don’t tend to be in big groups of drag queens a lot; it’s nice to have a drag family at the end of all of this. As for a thorn, there really wasn’t anything and it could not have gone better for me. There wasn’t a day when I was sad, miserable, super stressed; I was the right amount of stressed I would say. It was just a great experience over all.
MC: As a performer and a queen all the way around, you did not enter RuPaul’s Drag Race UK wanted to depart and become a global pop star. Your inspirations, I would imagine, are a bit more broad; is that fair to say?
KB: Absolutely. I grew up on the Original Cast Recording to Mame or Hello Dolly! I’ve always been an old soul I would say, I like it that way.
MC: There definitely is room for everyone in the world of Drag Race, but did you find it to be challenging to be in a competition with performers who have such a vastly different perspective on their own drag?
KB: I think it’s beneficial. I think what Drag Race generally, and specially what Drag Race UK does, it is makes an amazing melting pot of all different kinds of drag styles. Here in the UK, we have our panto groups and our cabaret, and then we also have the more Americanized influence. Honestly, I think we have both in our cast. It’s amazing to kind of learn from all of the other queens. DeDeLicous gave me some makeup tips. I’m trying to learn the splits from Tomara (Thomas), she just won’t show me (laughs)!
MC: Where did you get your own first inclination that drag was going to be the passion that you would actually follow?
KB: You know it’s funny that we did a pantomime challenge this season because when I was year two of school which I think is the age of six or seven and no one was volunteering to be the dame. I’m a professional, I thought “The show must go on”! Someone must volunteer to be the dame so I raised my hand and they said “Are you sure, we could have one of the girls do it”? I said “No no no, actually I can do it.”; it was my first experience making people laugh while wearing a wig. I thought that I could maybe come back to that in a few years and maybe try to make some money out of it.
MC: Now that you have this monumental global platform, what do you think you want to do now?
KB: I mean, the world feels like it’s my oyster at the moment. I’ve got my finger in a lot of pies, I have just released a single, available on all streaming services, and I would love to do more music. I also have a podcast Queers Gone By which has gone from strength to strength since being on the show and we are taking that to the next level. I am going to be on the West End at Christmas with Michael Marouli. Beyond that, i just want to keep going and be in people’s living rooms as much as possible. I’d love a sitcom or a sketch show, me and Ginger Johnson, a little double act.
MC: Being on the West End for queens across the pond is truly a box-checked moment, similar to queens being on the Great White Way here in the States, is that fair to say?
KB: Absolutely. Its going to be an absolutely campy nonsense festival of nonsense. It’s another pantomime, can you believe? It’s massive, huge, it’s like our Broadway.
MC: What do you say to the drag performers that feel their own drag isn’t valid or that there is not a place for their drag in today’s world?
KB: If I can be on the Drag Race main stage wearing silly little outfits being an absolute idiot, absolutely anyone can, I mean anyone, kings, queens, things, in between. If you think that you deserve to be on that platform, reach for it, apply for it, strive for it. Be yourself.
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