Canada’s Drag Race herstory-making winner reveals the emotional reason she set out to slay the competition
Scarlett Bobo, Priyanka and Rita Baga in the finale of Canada’s Drag Race. (BBC)
Canada’s Drag Race crowned a winner, baby. If you don’t know who won, spoilers obviously follow.
After 10 weeks, Canada has found its first-ever Drag Race superstar. And what’s her name?
Priyanka.
The Toronto queen beat stiff competition from Rita Baga and Scarlett Bobo in a glittering finale, clinching victory after a fitting final three-way lip-sync to Love Inc’s “You’re a Superstar”.
She was crowned wearing the first-ever lehenga to grace the Drag Race runway, a tribute to her Indo-Caribbean roots.
Priyanka’s Canada’s Drag Race win – which comes just two years into her career as a full-time drag queen – makes her the first queen of Indian heritage to snatch the crown in the franchise’s herstory.
Days before the finale aired, PinkNews spoke to Priyanka about what victory would mean to her.
"Why should you be crowned Canada's First Drag Race Superstar?"
🍁 @thequeenpri #CanadasDragRace https://t.co/RQEQXc30D7 pic.twitter.com/KSEgQKYOhR
— World of Wonder (@WorldOfWonder) September 4, 2020
“Winning Canada’s Drag Race is what I went there to do,” she said.
“I want to represent my people and I want people to know that drag can just be the thing that you’re meant to do.
“And no matter how many years you do it for, if you’re meant to do it, that’s what you need to do with your life, because I would have never thought in a million years I would be doing this.”
I WON @canadasdragrace 👑
I love you #TeamPriyanka ❤️ pic.twitter.com/29lppIwvDQ— queen priyanka (@thequeenpri) September 4, 2020
When she entered Canada’s Drag Race, the winner hadn’t come out as gay to her father – he thought Priyanka was his son’s girlfriend.
That’s since changed, and her father is “starting to get it now, he’s starting to see how exciting it is and how drag queens can be superstars”.
“It’s the highlight of my life,” she added.
After she Priyanka was announced as the winner of Canada’s Drag Race, she was celebrated by fans and alumni of the show.
Congratulations @thequeenpri!!! #WhatsHerName?!— Detox… (@TheOnlyDetox) September 4, 2020
I MEAN, WE ALL KNEW NO ONE WOULD WIN OVER PRIYANKA ON A FUCKING LIPSYNC AND WITH HER LOOKING LIKE THIS??? PLEASE OUR REIGNING WINNER IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HUMAN EVER #CanadasDragRace pic.twitter.com/nU5jwex7cy— nica (@rhnyratargaryen) September 4, 2020
Priyanka had one of the best runways tonight that the show has ever seen. WOW.
— Aja 〽️iyake-〽️ugler Sanchez (@ajaoxum) September 4, 2020
LOOK AT THE EXCELLENCE THAT WON THIS YEAR! CONGRATS PRIYANKA #CanadasDragRace pic.twitter.com/9IhFEvVX4d— 👼🏻 (@cherubottom) September 4, 2020
Jaida Essence Hall, Shea Couleé and Priyanka being crowned in the same year #CanadasDragRace pic.twitter.com/1Pmu3PY5KB— JushForFans (@jush_for_fun) September 4, 2020
Canada’s Drag Race streams on BBC iPlayer in the UK.
