From Season 11 of RuPaul’s Drag Race to All Stars 6 to now showcasing her talents on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs The World 2, one thing is certain; the world still wants Scarlet Envy, and the feeling is most definitely mutual. This time, this Big Apple beauty battled it out with queens from all over the globe and while she may not have made it to the finale, she served as the sole representation for the United States for the majority of the competition, and did so fiercely! I sat down to chat with Scarlet about her latest turn on the Drag Race main stage and we dished about her past Drag Race seasons, what made her return to compete on UK vs The World Season 2, and what is different about the competitor that walked into the werkroom this time around.
Michael Cook: Condragulations on am amazing run on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Vs The World! What made you return for a third time to compete?
Scarlet Envy: Well I like to make tv, I like to be on tv. I think it’s always an amazing opportunity and when RuPaul calls, you have to answer. i am happy, it’s wild to get this opportunity even one time, it is life changing .So to get this three times I am more than blessed and very grateful that Ru, Michelle (Visage) and friends want to see more of me; it feels good!
MC: As one of the only USA continegent, you were holding up the red white and blue from America all on your own following Mayhem Miller‘s departure. With typical directness from a New Yorker, you let the girls know fairly early that you would not be going just on repot card when it came to elimination decisions. Were you surprised that they were shocked at this tactic?
SE: No, I wasn’t. I think that it was important to be upfront and honest, even though I think a lot of people said “Oh I wish you hadn’t done that and given it all away in that way up front”. I disagree and I think that it was important to say ”Girls, this is what is on my mind and this is how I’m feeling”. Maybe it was to my detriment at the end of the day, I don’t know. I do believe that actions speak louder than words and when it came down to it, when the decision was mine to make, I did not do what I had been talking about. That’s what I was talking about before, I was there to make good tv and to stir things up; to be the drama; and that is what I was there to do. At the end of the day, I didn’t actually vote that way.
MC: A great deal of the girls seemed to make bonds very quickly but during one of the final votes, Hannah Conda mentioned not being able to connect fully with you. Do you think that was the case during your past seasons as well looking back?
SE: I think I have run into this before. I think during the Season 11 reunion, RuPaul had all of the girls raise their hands to see who hated me the most (laughs)! This is weirdly triggering from issues that I have run into in the past with different girls and getting along with different girls on different casts. This is the one though, that I felt that I was the most friendly with and didn’t have anything to worry about in the way. Which is why I was so surprised about that; it is triggering maybe, but it is what it is. You can’t be everyone’s cup of tea I guess, I just wasn’t aware of these issues until then.
MC: One factor could be being a New York City drag queen; you are born and bred to really not be too pressed about what people think about you.
SE: That’s true (laughs)! I definitely think that that is where we all should live, I think that’s part of what I signed up for here was to be liked by the cast in this way. It’s part of the game in a way, to make sure you squash anything like that before it becomes an issue. But then again you have to know that there is an issue there and I didn’t.
MC: Is there anyone that this time around that you got to work with that you are absolutely stunned by and thought that they were just sublimely talented?
SE: Marina Summers for sure. I had been unfamiliar with the Drag Race Holland and Drag Race Philippines franchises walking into the werkroom for this series. I was pleasantly surprised at how amazing both she and Keta Minaj were. I was honored to work with them and I am a huge fan of both Marina and Keta.
MC: I’ve probably asked you rose and thorn for each season, but what do you think the rose and thorn are of your RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs The World journey are?
SE: I think myrose was probably winning my maxi challenge and winning my RuPeter badge. It’s been a long time since Season 11 since we chatted back then and it took about five or six years for Ru to say “You’re a winner baby” again to me. The first time was shared with Yvie (Oddly) which was amazing. I think that the fist time I won a maxi challenge, I had to share that with Yvie and it’s still a great memory, but it wasn’t just mine so this is exciting to me. I finally took home a solo win which is fun and I took home a Ru Peter badge which I keep with my RuPaul statue from All Stars! Another of those roses is lip syncing Kim Petras in front of the diva herself, and that was really fun. My thorn of course is sashaying away, as it usually is each season so far.
MC: Other than Mayhem Miller, you are the only girl from RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs the World that I got the privilege of interviewing three times. What do you think was different about the performer that walked into this competition as opposed to the person that walked into Season 11 years ago? What’s the most stark difference?
SE: That’s a great question and I think that the answer is perspective. I think that I was young, I was really young during Season 11. I was crushed about how it went, how I remembered it going and I how I remembered it feeling. Filming the season, waiting for it to air, & watching it air was crushing for me for some reason. Luckily the fans came to my aid and they were able to see that I felt like I was gaslit though that season; it was a strange time for me. Not to be dramatic, I was fully not doing well.
All these years later, with the same outcome here and being in a similar place, I feel so much better. I feel clearer, in my head and my heart with what I was able to do and what I want to move forward doing. I feel in a better place when something similar is thrown at me. With a bit of life experience you are not as hurt and you are able to see a bigger picture and stay in the gratitude zone.
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