RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs The World is known to bring back a variety of RuPaul’s Drag Race contestants from the numerous countries within the Drag Race franchise, but the return of Gothy Kendoll to RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs The World Season 2 was truly gagworthy! After departing Seaason 1 of Drag Race UK as the first eliminated contestant, the self-proclaimed “UK’s Porkchop” returned with plenty to prove and as a truly elevated queen. Eliminated after a particularly challenging girl group challenge, Gothy Kendoll sat down with me for an extended chat recently. We dished on her return to Drag Race, the sisterhood she got to experience this time around, and the moment on UK vs The World that made her cringe the most.
MC: It was such a treat seeing you return for UK vs The World Season 2 after making herstory as the first queen eliminated from the first season of Drag Race UK. Was it a surprise to you?
GK: Yes for sure! I remember I got the call I was on the way to Christmas Markets in 2022. I remember thinking “What do I do”? I was on the way to this place with all of my friends and I couldn’t tell them so I just rung my mum and I said “Mum, finally they’ve asked me back”!
MC: You were instantly historic on the first season of Drag Race UK. What it was like though, comepeting against performers that you have been fans of your whole life and career?
GK: I think it’s difficult because the first time you go to compete you don’t know who they are and what they are going to bring, you don’t know anything like that. Now going in this time, they competed during the whole or the majority of their own competitions and they are also going to be rich and famous and have the best drag possible. I felt at sort of a disadvantage because I didn’t know the competition in and out, I was only there for that one episode.
I think I was a little nervous especially when I heard that La Grande Dame was going to be there. She is the most perfect drag queen in the world! Yeah, I was definitely a little bit nervous, but more excited to be myself this time and have some fun. Make sure that I was fully prepared, unlike was last time and just have a camp time.
MC: Seeing you return after the first season of Drag Race UK, it is beyond a glow up. You are a truly different and fully-formed drag performer.
GK: Yeah, I would agree. When I watched the first series & the first episode, I was a little upset, that was so not me. I am really quiet, I am a little bit shy. I am not always on a hundred that just isn’t me. For me to be so regressed within myself with this massive opportunity, I was a little bit upset. So this time coming back, it was like “be yourself”. Don’t be worried, you probably won’t be the best at an acting challenge, whatever it doest matter; we’re gonna make a funny tv show.
MC: What do you think your rose and thorn are of your UK vs The World experience?
GK: The best thing for me was honestly just being able to show, like you said, it’s not really a glow up, but being able to show myself. Within any context really, I was just excited to do that. I think the biggest low for me was that walk through with RuPaul with the Snatch Game. That was one of the worst days of my life, I’m not even joking, it was horrible!
MC: Speaking of Snatch Game, what was it like to be able to finally experience and take part in those challenges, even if it didn’t go the exact way that you wanted it to?
GK: I think Snatch Game was really difficukt(laughs). It’s a real separate skill on its own and it’s so unique, I think people are gonna be really good at it or they’re going to be crap at it unfortunately. And unfortunately, I was gonna be crap (laughs)! I think when I watch it at home, I’m thinking “Oh I wish I could do that”. I’m enamored by people that can apply themselves to every situation, I think that it is just such a huge skill.
MC: Is there anything that you got to experience on your UK vs The World journey that you really found that you enjoyed a great deal?
GKI really enjoyed the branding challenge that we did, that was fun. I thought it was so easy, people seemed really confused by it. I thought that we just had to do what RuPaul knows us for and what the fans know us for and make some funny joke out of it. I think everyone went the wrong route with it and said to themselves “I’m going to show what drag is like in our country’. I thought to myself, “That’s not your brand though”. That’s like me drinking tea and eating scones and saying that’s my brand because I’m British”. (laughs)!
MC: Speaking of showing your brand, not since that talent on Drag Race Philippines have we seen a talent show talent as literally scorching as yours. How did you learn to literally eat fire?
GK: In the back of my mind, I had always said that if I ever got the call, I need to do something that has never been done before. I remember watching the first season of UK vs The World and they said to Lemon “This is really good, but we’ve seen something like it before”. I said that is the first thing that I wanted to do, something that had never been done before. I had it in the back of my mind that I definitely wanted to do something with fire, it’s a huge spectacle and it’s camp; I just think it’s so fab! When I got the call, I reached out to my friend and we did it in the park for an hour. That was my only lesson.
Michael Cook: You mean to tell me that you learned how to eat fire to that extreme based on a one hour lesson in the park? Now that’s fascinating and truly a talent! When you practiced something like that, you didn’t burn yourself practicing?
GK: For an hour as well! That’s why I was a bit nervous, I knew that I had never done it before. I don’t know how to describe it, the vapor is what is flammable rather than the liquid. if the liquid gets on your lips, it’s not going to burn. I guess there is some sort of danger to it, it does look impressive!
MC: You definitely did look extremely proud and impressed that you had had such a strong talent show showing!
GK: That’s actually because I forgot to tuck my ponytail in so when I did the split with the fire I thought to myself “If that’s on fire, I need to rip it off my head” (laughs)!
MC: Did you get to make some deep relationships and start some real new friendships between your cast members on UK vs The World?
GK: Yeah for sure. I think we all were just so happy to be there. We got the opportunity and it’s such an intense situation that you have to make bonds or you’re not going to make it through it. There are some people that definitely got closer with, I got really close with Tia (Kofi), I just think she’s hilarious. Same with Hannah (Conda), the same with everyone. The only person that I sort of struggled with a little bit was Scarlet (Envy), and that was just because I think she is quite competitive. I think she was definitely there to prove something to herself and didn’t want anything to get in the way.
MC: We have truly gotten to see “The Emancipation of Gothy”. What do you think is the next phase of your career?
GK: It’s hard to say. I think when I got eliminated first, you never know what you’re going to get from it or out of it. I’ve gotten songs with over two million streams and I’ve traveled the world. I’ve done so many thing that I thought that I wouldn’t be able to do. I think to put expectations on this experience would be a mistake. I like things to just be natural and just do whatever comes my way. I want to do everything and anything. I would love to do more music, I just find it so much fun.
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