Whether behind a sewing machine whipping up one of her signature garments or delivering a stunning look on the main stage of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, the word “precision” can be used to describe Chanel O’ Conor to a tee. This Scottish stunner has departed this season of Drag Race UK, but is departing with her personality and style firmly etched in the viewers minds. I sat down with O’Conor to dish on this season of Drag Race UK, the unseen moment she had with RuPaul that stays with her, and her plans to showcase her sewing skills to the next generation!
Michael Cook: Congratulations on a great showing on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK! What was your experience like?
Chanel O’Conner: It was fantastic. One thing that struck me was that it was a time when I was actually, truly alone. I am so reliant on so many support networks and systems around me, be it friends, family or contacting spirits beyond the grave. This was a moment where truly, it is just you. Obviously you have producers & the queens around you but at the end of the day, you could say something to someone and the next day they’re bringing it up in Untucked and it’s like “For fuck’s sake”!
MC: That is an excellent point, the ability to know who it’s safe to share and open up to is a layer of Drag Race that has not been mentioned to me that often in the past.
COC: You kind of never know when someone is going to pull a trick or pull a card and with me, everyone was obsessed to the point where I was like “Come on, can you bitches do something else”?
MC: The queens did seem very focused on you at times, and whether it’s your polish, your presentation, or your ability with a sewing machine, the girls did at times seem laser focused on you. What do you attribute it to?
COC: I think it’s this; because I am funny. It was hard a lot of the time to be on set and just exist without people annoying me. I put big target on my back being there and saying all of this stuff and “being the drama”. I’ll tell you this though darling; it don’t fuss me and it don’t phase me. If they’re talking about me, it’s more airtime.
MC: You and Drag Race UK Season 2 standout Ellie Diamond are extremely close. Did she give you any advice on the RuPaul’s Drag Race journey or did she want you to truly have your own experience?
COC: A bit, yes. You know Ellie’s experience was so unique. They filmed three or four episodes, then break for six months, come back, and film. For her experience, she used to tell me that she would just cry every day. So I thought, that if I am not crying every day, I am doing better than Ellie!; I only cried a couple times a day.
I think I cried once after the whole Marmalade fight and then I cried once after my elimination, I really just let it all out then. Those tears on that main stage are real and I can ramble on, I am standing in front of RuPaul for what felt like forever, so they did quite well to cut me off!
MC: As for your Snatch Game, it is well known to be one of the most challenging Drag Race challenges for a variety of reasons. Choosing Coco Peru was an interesting choice, and it was not entirely that far off from the drag legend that is Coco Peru herself. What do you think?
COC: I’ll say this, as an actress and as someone who has studied Coco Peru and been a fan of hers for years, my iteration was there but it just was lacking the jokes. My vision of who Coco is, I mean she is someone who is just like me, her humor comes from storytelling, she is not a one word “Panatone!”…. no one is gonna get that (laughs)! Whereas someone like Elvis (Presley), you can really go wild with that. Coco is someone like me, I am quite reserved and I am not going to jump up and down like a starfish and show everyone my hole every single day and every episode. I am a calm reserved demure lady working in first class and living in first class.
MC When you started your drag career, did you always have such an elevated perspective and such a tight and polished persona?
COC: Absolutely and even on the show there were certain things that had to be done the way that I like them to be done and I know that I am fully invested in what I am doing and who I am. Chanel is a machine and it’s a well oiled and a well lubricated machine my darling; but the cogs need to match. You’ve got the shoes that need to be right, and the outfits and hair needs to be right for me to feel truly ethereal and unstoppable. There were some runways that I really was not happy with.
Those were the moments where I didn’t feel comfortable and I didn’t feel good. I don’t know, it is one of those things where the show kind of makes you put on a front a lot of the time and you think that If you show weakness, you’re out, or if they’re going to pick on you. So if I just pretend to be confident the entire time…Listen, I hated being in my Doctor Who, I hated being in that outfit, but I wasn’t going to tell anyone that.
MC: To your credit, while you may have been uncomfortable you definitely didn’t let them see you sweat…
COC: You know, a moment that is not included and is a moment that I talk about in my YouTube series, is that I almost passed out on that main stage. You are standing there during the judges critiques and they run down and they said if we ever needed a water, need to sit down, or take our shoes off that we can say something and they will sort it out; they understand because you are up there for ages!
I made this outfit really tight on the neck and I didn’t realize it until I was really in it for a very long time and I was like “Oh God this neck is really tight”. I had to stop the judges during the critiques of someone else and said “I am so sorry, can I get some water and sit down, I think like I am going to pass out”. I was so sure, I thought they were gonna use that. You know, when Max during Season 7 of Drag Race sat down on the stage and sang, I thought they would do that. I was so glad that wasn’t used because it does show me being more of a human being that requires oxygen and I just don’t think that’s very chic.
MC: What do you think your rose and thorn are of your Drag Race UK journey?
COC: My thorn would be I do wish that I had just maybe had a thought about having that conversation with Marmalade. There was a moment that I remember being really annoyed at myself for allowing myself to make Lill’s outfit and annoyed at myself that I didn’t give myself enough time. I took my anger and my frustration out on Marmalade when actually I should have just taken accountability for myself. I remember walking into the werkroom thinking “Don’t talk about it, just sit there” then I just said “No it’s annoyed me, so I’m gonna talk about it”! So lo and behold, if something annoys me I just say it.
My rose would honestly be the interaction that I had with Ru was phenomenal. Any time I spoke with him it was truly butterflies in the stomach, such an icon. Here’s the thing, they want the best for us and they are never going to try and sell you something that you don’t want to buy. They really want to make sure you feel good in yourself. I remember a moment off camera in that week’s episode and we were talking about Coco. I was asking her if she remembered what Patrick Swayze smelled like or if she remembered being lowered down in “To Wong Foo” and she was like “I don’t fucking know”. I remember Coco Peru in that movie where she crushes the cup…
I remember she was just talking nonchalantly and she asked me “Chanel, who made that dress you wore last week”? I said “Well I made that”. She said “It was beautiful. That dress had such a beautiful shape on your figure and it was just so stunning”. I remember being like “Ru, you guys said nothing during the runway, you were so quiet”. Ru said “Chanel, sometimes we don’t have to say anything at all”. I was like “Okay I’m done, thank you”!
MC: For so many people, RuPaul was the reason and the inspiration for them starting drag. it is wonderful that you had that moment.
COC: That is why for me, I was totally okay to go home. I came in, caused a fuss, stolen some bits, broken some hearts and then get to have some amazing moments with RuPaul; I’m good to go!
MC: What’s next for Chanel O’Conner post RuPaul’s Drag Race UK?
COC: For me, I want to keep showing off my personality and showing off what have to offer which is my ego! I have a YouTube series where I do the behind the scenes of every episode and from my perspective, the Chanel O’Conner edition. I want to keep doing that and pushing content that way. While doing that, we are also touring Draculas’ Child in the UK, that is very exciting! I will also be starting to do sewing classes because I want to offer the children of the next generation of drag the opportunity to to learn how to make a fabulous frock. And maybe, if they get on the show on day, they could win a badge!
MC: For an experienced seamstress like yourself, I must say that is an absolutely genius idea.
COC: Listen, you meet so many people that don’t know how to sew but I’ll tell you this, if you come to a Chanel O’Conor sewing class I will teach you everything you need to know. I’ll teach you those tricks that in the werkroom when you are sewing stuff, you don’t have time to sit there…I mean you don’t want to look like Actavia on the main stage (laughs)! You want to look like Chanel, you want to look like Lill actually, Lill won a badge!
MC: What advice did you get take into RuPaul’s Drag Race UK that you are now taking into the next phase of your career?
COC: If it’s not bolted down, put it in your purse.
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