Drag Race UK’s Michael Marouli thought this eliminated queen would make the final

Drag Race UK finalist Michael Marouli has revealed the two queens she was surprised to see didn’t make the final.

(Warning: spoilers for RuPaul’s Drag Race season 5 follow).

Last week, Drag Race UK season five reached its crescendo, with the final four whittled down to a final three. DeDeLicious was eliminated following the roast episode, leaving three queens of the North East: Michael Marouli, Ginger Johnson, and Tomara Thomas.

Speaking exclusively to PinkNews ahead of the finale on Thursday (30 November), Michael revealed that she was surprised to see that one queen in particular didn’t make it all the way to the end.

“As it was going on – Kate Butch,” Michael explained when asked which queen she expected to see in the final.

“She’s an incredible all-rounder. Everyone is so, so good. When the badge winners started going home, it was like, ‘what!’. It made it seem so real.”

In a chat with PinkNews following her elimination in fifth place, Kate revealed her theory that the judges never intended for her to be in the final, as she was eliminated before the roast challenge – a task that the comedy queen likely would have performed well in.

In addition to Kate Butch, Michael Marouli shared that all ten queens in the cast were adamant that trans icon Cara Melle would make it to the finale – but she ended up being sent home in sixth place.

“I think we all collectively as a cast had Cara in the finale. From day one, she was such a strong force as an entertainer as a queen and as a person,” Michael shared.

Despite believing both Cara and Kate would be contenders for the crown, Michael also disclosed that she actually realised early on in the series that if it were only a top three, it would be her, Tomara Thomas, and Ginger Johnson – who all eventually did make top three.

In episode four, the three finalists-to-be were paired together in the “DisasterClass” challenge. They won the episode, and each received a badge.

“I knew we were going to be the top three,” Michael shared. “I even had a little journal that I kept every night [writing about] what had been going on in the challengers ‘cos I wanted to look back and remember everything.”

Michael revealed she had written about herself, Tomara and Ginger being in the final, alongside a drawing of a love heart, following the DisasterClass challenge.

“Something magic happened when we got together – and it’s all thanks to Tomara, she put the group together.”

During the chat with PinkNews, Ginger Johnson also revealed that she believes the DisasterClass challenge was potentially the moment RuPaul decided they would make the top three.

“I think the DisasterClass – apart from it being a great challenge for us – I think that was a real watershed moment for Ru. I think Ru watched the three of us doing it – I think it helped that the others didn’t do particularly well – I think she watched us do the challenge and [was] like, ‘who are these three?’

“Ru is a silly person. I think she saw that in us and was like: ‘Right!’”

The RuPaul’s Drag Race season five finale airs this Thursday, 30 November at 9pm on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer.