Say it with me, “d-d-d-dita ditaaa.” Dita Garbo left the perfect mirror message by having us all sing her staple talent show number one more time. It’s sad to see her leave, and from here on out, it’s going to get tougher to say goodbye to the queens.
There’s no mini-challenge this week, as Ru jumps straight into annoucing the maxi-challenge. As he puts it, Brits love to follow the battle for Christmas number one. Well, how about competing for Halloween number one? It’s the girl group challenge with a spooky twist! Ru divides the girls into Ghoul groups—a Halloween-themed girl group. If there’s one thing I love, it’s a girl group challenge, especially with a horror twist. Halloween is such a fabulous time of the year, and in groups, the queens must write and create their own choreography to the new pop track Dead Or Alive. Gathering in their respective groups, they discuss team names. In one corner, we have Dracula’s Child, made up of Kyran Thrax, Zahirah, Chanel, Actavia, and Marmalade. Team two, known as The Things, consists of Lill, Kiki, Rileasa, La Voix, and Charra Tea.
This week’s guest is Alexandra Burke, known for her X-factor fame and success on the West End, who will help with the recording process. She adds a boost of energy to the recording process and provides well-rounded feedback to each queen. On top of that, Actavia teaches her the definition of the word twink. Every day is a school day.
Rileasa and Kiki bring the fire to their sessions, and as a viewer, you know they are going to kill this challenge. They nailed the recording process, and during the rehearsals they lead the way and dominated the stage. They also take time to make sure their fellow team members are up to speed and not struggling, which is quite the contrast to team Dracula’s child. Where Marmalade and Chanel watch on as the other three flounce about trying to figure out where they fit in the routine. It’ll all come together in the end, right?
In a wholesome moment between La Voix and Lill while getting ready, La Voix aims to get to know her better during some mirror chat time. She kicks things off with a quick round of “Would You Rather?” feeling more comfortable. Lill then flips the question, asking what animal La Voix would want to be reincarnated as. La Voix says a hyena, and Lill then proceeds to give out the most random and unhinged facts about hyenas and their genitalia, leaving La Voix confused yet in hysterics. This cast just knows how to have fun naturally, without forcing any narrative or playing up to the camera’s—it’s very refreshing!
It’s time to hear dead or alive, and again, no bad notes. Each group delivers a flawless routine, and the song itself isn’t deafening to the ears. Lill stumbles a little in her choreography, and Zahira appears to be a little lost in headlights during her verse for Dracula’s Child.
On the mainstage, the category is: Mother Nature. And this might just be my favourite runway theme—What could be more beautiful than Mother Nature herself? Most of the queens choose flower looks, which I love because, really, what could be more pretty than flowers? An array of creative looks arrive in the form of extravaganza couture, though some miss the mark by a tiny fraction. For me, Zahiras outfit is so stunning; the headpiece alone is gorgeous. It’s also a great night for Rileasa, who, although she likes being more scantily clad, looks red carpet-ready in her gown.
In the critiques, Ru explains how this cast is so strong that it has already come down to splitting hairs, and they aren’t making it easy for him to decide. Which is true; this cast is so varied and talented, and it’s good to see UK drag excel without losing its sparkle and charm.
The winner of the week is Rileasa earning her well-deserved first Ru-peter badge. The bottom two hurt my heart as my gothic ghoul Lill and fairy prince Zahira are in the bottom; it truly is a horrifying episode. They’re lip-syncing to guest judge Mabel’s Don’t call me up. My beautiful Zahira is told to sashay away, and she does so in the most Zahira way possible… loudly and proudly. It’s going to be a much quieter werkroom for sure, so what did we all think of this week’s episode? Dead Or Alive is out now on all streaming platforms!
Tune in: New episodes of “RuPaul’s Drag Race UK” air every Thursday at 3pm ET / 12pm PT in the US and in select territories exclusively on WOW Presents Plus, day-and-date with its local airing on BBC3 in the UK.
