She’s someone, I feel like she just gets it
and, like, it's kind of true allyship and
you can see the fakery to people
that are authentic with the support
for the community and she is one
that I feel genuinely does and, like,
obviously she’s watching UK Drag Race,
like, Ariana Grande's watching it.
Hi, this is Jodie Harsh,
DJ, icon and all-round humble human being
and you're watching Tea Time
with Attitude magazine,
a weekly show where I delve deep
into the lives of the latest eliminated
queen from RuPaul's Drag Race UK.
Today's the final episode
and we have an absolute national treasure,
Bimini Bon Boulash!
Hi, babes!
Thanks for having me.
-Thanks for coming in,
you are the people's princess.
Let's go right back to the beginning,
what did it feel like when Ru
put you in the bottom two of episode one?
-Well, I walked in with an intent
behind walking in with the big blonde hair
and the boobs and the bimbo persona
because I wanted people to judge me
on my outward appearance.
And then I wanted to prove people wrong,
but it almost backfired
because I did end up in the bottom two
and I was like, "Oh, no
I'm going to be remembered
as the queen with the
tucking tape on show."
But, obviously, it's like
no one goes on that show
thinking they're going to be in
the bottom two the first week,
like, it just-
it goes through no one's mind, so it threw me off,
but I’m a fighter
and I proved why I deserved to stay.
-Yeah.
And then it feels like you came back
after the lockdown, sort of, recharged
and, like, ready to win and you, sort of,
like you say, you went
from having sellotaped tuck
to, like, owning the mothertuckin' world.
So, what happened in those months
in between when we were
back in lockdown?
I went to a few brunches with the huns
and they gave me the power that
I needed to go back.
-I love that, yes.
I think you go on this show
and, like, you see it for years watching it
and you have a certain image
in your mind of what you think
it's going to be like
and it is nothing like that,
it’s a complete different-
I've never done TV before,
I've never done anything like that,
so it was a, kind of, new world for me.
So, I quickly
I was clinging on those four episodes
that we did before
after being in the bottom
and then having a
malfunction on the runway,
the second episode,
I was just like,
at - not there, I wasn't,
I haven't arrived yet,
I was fully, like,
not where I wanted to be,
so, obviously, having that break,
it allowed me time to re-evaluate.
-Yeah.
I went back, like, wanting to prove
why I deserve to be there.
-Totally, it really felt like that.
There was also,
I mean, obviously a lot of expectation
that you were going to end up
snatching the crown,
how did you,
like, how did you really feel about it?
-I'm absolutely torn up about it. No! [laughs]
-Because it’s not all about winning,
and I've said this
in the last few episodes,
it's- being on Drag Race
and being in the top three
or just being in Drag Race at all,
everyone's, kind of, a winner.
-Yeah, and I mean it's,
it's like a,
it’s a competition, but it doesn't- it's not,
it doesn't judge you on who's the best
drag artist at all,
it's literally not about that,
‘cause we’ve seen some amazing people
go home early
that are absolute phenomenal talents
and it's not to do with that.
But I-
like, obviously, it would have been nice,
but I am so proud of Lawrence,
Lawrence fully deserved it.
When we first walked in
in that first episode,
my top three, Lawrence,
Asttina and Joe Black,
straight away off the bat
they were gonna be the top three.
They were who I envisioned there.
So, Lawrence is a worthy winner.
-Was there even the smallest bit of disappointment,
or were you really, like, did you feel like a winner?
at the end?
-I felt like a winner,
like, I felt like I winner being there
and also just, like, the reaction from
people has been just out of this world.
So, I've-
yeah, I felt like a winner no matter what happened
-Perfect.
Have you heard from Ru
or Michelle or any of the judges
since the finale?
-They can't get off the phone,
honestly, like they're just Zooming me
left, right and centre
and it's, like, doing my head in.
Michelle, we've shared a few DMs,
but I’ve not heard from RuPaul.
-Your conversation
with Ginny Lemon about being non-binary
attracted a lot of love.
What message do you have
for non-binary people
who are, sort of, struggling
with their identity and maybe not living
in the most supportive situations?
I think it's all about finding situations
that make you feel the best you can,
and that doesn't apply to just non-binary
that applies to everyone,
anyone that's feeling
any type of way or
not feeling like they fit in or belonging.
You want to be around people
that bring you up and uplift you
in the best way possible
and for me, like,
the thing with being non-binary
and, like, coming out
and speaking about that,
it's something that
when I first moved to London,
and I was actually going to your parties,
and I was seeing, like, all this
freedom of gender expression
where gender wasn't
an issue, like, it wasn't, it didn't matter.
I, kind of, felt that anyway, like, gender,
like, labels weren't a thing,
labels didn’t exist.
So these conversations
are really great ‘cause they are important
to, kind of, progress forward,
so people have more of an understanding,
but I think what I would say
is that there is no destination
and there's also no
path you have to follow.
The only thing you need to do
is be kind to yourself,
be kind to everyone else,
‘cause if you're not harming anyone,
do and be what you want,
that's the only thing you can do.
-Is there anything on the show
that ended up on the cutting room floor
that you would have liked us to see?
-Yeah.
-You winning on the final episode?
-They pressed play on the wrong one.
I think a lot of, like,
the stand-up set, for example,
actually to be honest
they probably did us all
a duty there because it was-
we had to do five minutes
and they only showed about two minutes
of our stand-up set
and actually watching it back
it was hard to watch
because of how awkward it was
because everything, there is no audience.
So, in my head I was, kind of, like,
I wish I'd seen more of
what I'd written, but then
it didn't get shown and also
with Snatch Game
we do a lot more rounds than that
and I wished that they had shown a lot
more of my Pricey jokes.
-Oh yeah, but we were well fed
with the Pricey, oh my God,
that was my favourite Snatch Game ever
to be honest.
-Oh, really?
-I promise you, it was so genius.
-Well, I obviously got in the,
like, “Never underestimate the Pricey”,
but they didn't,
they didn't add that, like,
I had to have that,
that's her, like, iconic quote,
but they didn't use any of that
and I had a joke about her getting a job
and retraining, getting a job
and retraining in cyber,
I was like, “I used to be the UK's
best glamour model,
until I retrained
and got a job in cyber”.
-They need to do a, like, a special episode
where they just show
the entire Snatch Games.
-I would love that.
-That would be really good.
Let's pitch that to them.
Some of the people look
better than they were.
-Right, right, right.
One thing that I loved about you,
and I think everyone loved about you,
is just how open you were about things,
and I know you shared
about substance abuse in the past, right?
-Yeah, we didn't go too
in depth for that,
but I think, like, I mean,
I'm not the first queer person,
I'm not going to be the last
that got lost in the hedonism of London
and, like, it's
a thing that happens,
it's very, like, a lot
queer people have
baggage, we've got,
we've been through it,
we've been through things
and you come to London,
you meet people,
you get caught up in the fun and it’s
it's not,
it's, like, it happens
to a lot of people.
So, yeah, it happened to me and it was,
it was quite a dark time, but
I'm in a better place now,
I'm thriving and I'm happy,
and if I can get here, anyone can.
-Yeah, I think there's always a danger
for young people,
sort of, first discovering
the gay scene, to get involved in
in negative situations or whatever.
-Well, especially when you come
from smaller places,
where there was not that
and you're meeting,
so many people and new people
and it's fun and it’s new and it's fresh
and you just say, like,
you just get into it.
-What do you wish you'd known then
that you know now?
-I was always quite confident
and then I lost a lot of that,
I think through a lot of the things I did,
a lot of substance abuse.
I, kind of, dimmed my shine, but I would,
I think I would say, don't listen
to the opinions of other people and
just go for your goals
and you'll get there,
like, you need to believe in yourself.
That's the most powerful thing.
-Yeah.
Did I see the other day
that you've got a vegan burger
named after you?
I do, the Bimini Bon Burger.
It is actually-
-Have you got one there?
Raising money for Not A Phase,
which is to support trans youth.
-I know the, I know
the charity, it’s amazing.
I might order one tonight for my dinner actually
-Yeah, they're doing really well,
which has been amazing and all proceeds
go to Not A Phase,
which is phenomenal.
-Amazing foundation
that you guys should check out.
So, is the future of drag
in the food industry ‘cause
I feel like that's, sort of, new territory
for the gals.
-I think
Paris Hilton monetised,
anything and put her face there,
so I think drag can do that.
-Totally, a hundred per cent
-I’ve got my burger,
I've got my book coming out.
-Yeah, yeah.
-I’ll have a perfume range
by the end of the year.
-Oh, I wanna smell
like Bimini Bom Boulash, I need that.
-Deluded and sweat.
-Yes.
And apparently some pop star
called Ariana Grande just followed you?
I had to Google her but I was like...
Have you exchanged any
messages with her yet?
-We've had a little message.
-Oh, love! That’s amazing.
She's so lovely, you know,
like, she's someone
I feel like, she just gets it
and, like, it's kind of true allyship and
you can see the fakery to people
that are authentic with the support
for the community and she is one
that I feel genuinely does and, like,
obviously she’s watching UK Drag Race,
like, Ariana Grande's watching it.
So, that's, yeah, it’s great.
Me and Tia she followed.
-Have you attracted any other,
sort of, unlikely celebrity fans?
-Lily Allen
tweeted me and we
follow each other.
Cara Delevingne.
-Amazing.
-And Kathy Burke
was, like, my mind-blowing one.
-That’s gagged me,
you've got Kathy Burke following you, that’s major.
-Yeah, we've spoken quite a few times.
Kathy's so lovely, Kathy, like, messages me
quite regularly, like, very supportive,
just, she's another one
that just gets it, like,
she's someone I've always,
I've always watched growing up and
it blew my mind
when she messaged me.
She actually changed her Twitter
to Kathy Bimini Bon Burkey.
-Now in just a few weeks
you've walked runways at fashion shows,
you've shot with British Vogue,
you've announced a book
and now you’re on the Attitude magazine cover.
Have you even had a chance,
like, to catch a breath? Because it is just-
-When you say all of that, it sounds quite good.
-Babe, it's amazing!
It's so major watching
all this explode for you
but are you knackered?
-Yeah, but I'm very much of the mindset
of, like, what's meant for you
won’t pass you by,
so if these things,
these opportunities are coming in
I'll take them, I'll work,
I'll hustle, I prefer to be busy
and I'm just very grateful
because it's not often that
these doors open up.
-Yeah, how does it feel to be famous?
‘Cause you are famous.
Well, I can't take the dog out
without getting a picture taken.
-Oh, those damn paparazzi
hiding in the bushes waiting for Bimini-
-It’s a nightmare, people coming up to me
at 7 in the morning saying, “Can I have a selfie?”
and I've not even brushed my teeth.
-I want to see, like, a Nigella-style,
vegan cooking show or something.
-I mean, that's, that
should be happening, I'm sure.
-It should be happening, yeah.
-Put it out into the universe.
And also drag’s roots
are very much in activism
and you're very vocal on social media
about political issues
and about social issues.
What causes are you
really passionate about right now?
Like, what are you really, sort of, behind?
What's the message at the moment?
-Well, I think
right now in the media
and over the past few years we've seen
a lot of kind of attacks on trans people
and there's been attacks on,
kind of, non-binary
and I think these conversations
are important to move forward
for our community,
and I think we need to stand up
together and support
those that are less-
like, I'm part of a-
like, my community would be non-binary,
but I know that I have a platform
and I know that
I'm able to speak to people
and I think I'm lucky
in that sense that I'm not,
I don't know,
it's a tricky conversation,
but I think we need to
stand up for the people
whose voices are being less heard
or are being vilified.
And I think in the media
trans people have always had
a, sort of, level of vilification,
whether it was more, kind of,
trying to shame them or like bringing up
that they were very
yeah, like, shaming them,
like, bringing them up.
But now it's, now it's in a smarter way,
it's more tactical, it's different,
it's more attacking characters
and I think yeah,
we just need to speak up to those,
to those voices that we can,
I think that’s very important.
-It’s been a pleasure talking to you,
and a real pleasure
watching you on Drag Race and, of course,
a pleasure knowing you as well.
-Thanks, babes,
I'll speak to you soon.
-See you later.
Also everyone I've got music coming out,
so watch out for that.
Thanks for watching Tea Time
with Attitude magazine
brought to you by Taimi
be sure to watch all our amazing past episodes
’cause we got every single eliminated queen
and the winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK in there.
Don’t forget to like and subscribe
to Attitude’s YouTube
and we’ll see you very soon.
-Who would you like to
see in future series
of Drag Race UK?
-Barbs.
-You’re living together, you’re roomies?
-Yeah, Barbs is my sister,
we started drag together.
So, yeah, I want to see Barbs on there.
I’m a big Barbs fan,
I love all her, like, fake paparazzi shots
where she's like-
I'm completely obsessive with her.
-Oh, I’ll let her know
that she's got a third fan.
-Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Friedaslaves
freed slaves would be great
on there so much.
Margo Marshall gracias.
George eBay.
Love, I would say
I'd love to see any of the East
London crew in there. Yeah totally.
And you're representing for now, yeah.
I'll try me best fly the flag absolutely.
It's been a pleasure talking