To be honest, unless I'm mistaken
Ru never said,
you know, "Ginny Lemon, sashay away".
So I assume I'm still in the competition.
Hello, DJ, drag superstar,
all-round icon and humble human being
Jodie Harsh here
Welcome to Tea Time with Attitude magazine,
a weekly show where I spill
the freshly brewed tea
with the latest queen to be eliminated
from 'RuPaul's Drag Race UK
Today, it's Ginny Lemon
Ahhh!
-Ginny Lemon in the house.
-Hiya babs, how you doing?
-I'm good, I'm good.
That was mad last night.
-Was it? What happened.
-Okay, you know what happened.
We'll go straight in.
So what we witnessed on the runway
was quite literally a moment of Drag Race herstory.
You made herstory.
In retrospect, is there any part of it that you regret?
-Absolutely not, no.
I went into that show.
I never went into that show as a competitor
I went into that show was an icon.
And I always stay true to my own artistic character no matter what
I will push and pull no matter what people-
If they ask that of me, but I always stay true to myself.
And there was no part of me that was going to be competing
against somebody that I just seen a blossoming friendship with.
Regardless of rules and regulations,
I thought bugger this, I'm knackered
me feet hurt, I'm off home.
And to be honest, unless I'm mistaken,
Ru never said, you know, "Ginny Lemon, sashay away."
So I assume I'm still in the competition.
I mean, I don't know.
-You could still win.
-Who knows? My lips are sealed.
-You're my season 2 winner.
So you knew that you might be in the bottom two after the critiques.
Did you plan to walk if you're in the bottom beforehand?
Or was it like a spur of the moment decision
when you're up on stage and the music started?
-Well, I kind of had a little inkling
because I thought, you know, I've done quite well, in the challenge.
I thought I looked quite nice on the runway
with my nice yellow teeth to match my outfit.
And in the challenge I'd done quite well.
So it was the first time that I felt quite comfortable in a challenge.
and quite like, "Oh, I've got this."
So it was the first time I didn't worry.
And what I don't like is as an artist having this pressure and artistic...
it kind of this pressure fizzles in my head,
and it doesn't make everything come out, right.
So I thought, No, I'm not going to have this.
I don't need this.
I don't need to feel this way about myself.
I'd already displayed such a raw vulnerable side of myself.
I thought now I'm going to reclaim a bit of it.
Because I don't I don't want to do this.
I'm knackered.
So, it was that very moment that I thought,
"Well, if they're not buying what I'm selling,
then I'm going to bugger off home
And do a car boot."
-Did you tell any of the other queens about
what you were thinking of doing?
-No, I was very, you know, for once in my life, I was lost for words.
And I kept my mouth shut and I just had this smug smile on my face
I thought I know what I'm gonna do
and just thought I'd make a bit of telly history, darling.
You know us icons we can't help ourselves.
-So what was going on backstage when you word for walkies?
Did anyone like try and persuade you to stay or return to the stage?
-Well, it was so funny because I walked off
and then we, obviously there's loads of people on the set
running around.
And this absolute dear backstage grabs my arm and goes,
"Ginny, what are you doing?"
And apparently my only response was, "I'm making telly, darling."
And then I couldn't stop laughing.
I honestly, it was like the funniest thing.
I've made myself laugh so much that one of the people even went,
with this lovely like, sort of Southern accent,
like, "You're laughing like a mad woman."
And I thought I couldn't
and because I forgot how I looked
because you forget that you're all dressed up like a pig in a wig.
And I looked like this demented witch
with yellow teeth cackling away on my broom.
So then when I realised that when I caught myself in the mirror,
I couldn't stop laughing.
So I was delirious because I'd made myself laugh
because I knew everyone would be outraged.
-There were reports in the press as well
before the series aired that you'd had a few more choice words
to say Ru than what actually showing you the episode.
Is there any truth in that?
Because I thought I heard that you told the panel to eff off?
-Well, don't read everything you believe in the gutter press, darling.
And also, I mean, you saw the edit.
Did I flip off Ru?
I mean just have a little look, have you do your own investigations.
I can't reveal what happened that went on backstage.
But, you know, who knows?
Make up your own minds.
But don't read everything you believe in the press, darling.
Do you think I'm the sort person that will flip off Ru?
I mean, come on.
As much as you know, you could have feelings at the time
RuPaul is an icon and from one icon to another,
there is nothing but respect, you know?
-Speaking of another icon as well,
Michelle said that she felt she'd seen it all from you.
So what did you think about that?
Do you think you have plenty more to show still?
-I think she needs a new prescription.
-We'll leave it at that.
Have you seen or spoken to any of the judges since that night?
-Well, you know, me and Michelle had a sleep over last night.
And we were just we had sweet and salty popcorn
that we've made in the microwave
and she was cracking me toes.
And she said to me, "Ginny, you're beautiful,
you're amazing, you're everything.
You had to go, the sexual tension
between you and Ru smelt like a burnt cheese toastie,
you just had to go"
So you know, we'd like to keep that away from
the, you know, the fact that we've had a sort of open
relationship before
the three of us,
but it's all very mutual in the end
I was feeling very sub that day,
so I just had to do anything I was told.
-You said you walked because you didn't want to lip sync against
your sister, Sister, Sister.
Was there also an element of
wanting to take back some control of the situation?
-Yes, of course! Of course!
Like, we are all in control of our own destiny.
Well, we're not all in control our own destiny.
But we can be if we put into certain positions, we can control that.
And I thought, do you know what, I've been really emotional,
you haven't been, you just don't get it.
So I thought, why linger on into something
where I see girls that are there to win RuPaul's Drag Race,
they want to win that title.
And I'm not gonna stand in anyone's dream.
It was kind of, I kind of got over myself.
You know, in that moment, I was like, You know what, Ginny,
like, just shut up, like, go home.
Like, in a nice way.
I've had a lovely time.
But it was like, go home and let these girls who really want this
strive in the competition.
And I thought, you know what, I'm just kind of like,
I just kind of went in there broke the binary wanting to fuck things up.
That's what I wanted to do.
So I'll do my thing.
And I'm not going to stand in the way of somebody
who genuinely wants to win a competition.
And I'm not about competitions.
I mean, pitting queer people against each other is not my thing.
-So when Alan inquired about your shoes,
you opened up about your medical diagnosis as well.
How has that impacted you?
Did it affect your ability to compete on the show at all?
-Oh, God, honestly, before,
the funny thing is I found out I was on Drag Race
around about the time that we were having these these tests
done at the doctors
and going through this process, I've had, you know, problems for
a good few years now.
And it was and I just didn't know what it was.
So it all kind of came to a head around about the same time.
So I went into the competition without even thinking about it.
I just got the diagnosis. And I just didn't think about it,
I put it out of my mind.
And I thought, No, this isn't going to affect me.
I'm not going to let this affect me one bit.
So I just kind of did it until I couldn't do it anymore.
And it came to a point, and they you know,
every week there was a comment or something about my shoes,
and I'm known for wearing flat shoes.
I didn't I didn't give a shit what people say
you can do drag wearing whatever you want.
I hope you've got slippers on because I can see the top here.
You know,
you know, we-
-I haven't got any shoes on.
Good, get those crocs on
And I'm like, you know, if you're just gonna say about my shoes,
I'm just going to be honest with you and be like, you know what, babes
I've got fibromyalgia.
So I can't be doing full throttle madness
as well as wearing big stupid shoes
like you either get one or the other.
So for me it's all about the entertainment value
and also like I love a flat shoe it's dead comfy.
-Totally.
We saw Ru encourage you to embrace a sexy Ginny Lemon last week.
So is sexy Ginny Lemon here to stay or has she come and gone?
-I've never seen, when I talked about that,
I've never seen Ginny as sexy.
I mean when it comes to myself, I've, I mean, I've had a year in lockdown
And I've got two partners, I mean, I've been I've not been
lost for feeling sexy
if you know what I mean.
So we know this year is very much helped me connect with that
sexy side.
It was just I felt uncomfortable bringing a gendered side
and introducing like anything that would be particularly
gendered into my character.
And I think that yes, I am sexy,
but I don't need hips and tits to prove that I am sexy.
But also I'm in a drag competition and I wanted to do
drag for a little bit,
you know, I thought I might as well try it for the first time
while I'm there.
-Yeah.
We also heard you and Bimini discussing being non-binary.
So forget the rest of society,
do you think there are still too many gay men
who are dismissive of non-binary identities?
-Well, it's hard to,
I wouldn't say it was particularly one minority of people.
So I can't like pinpoint gay men,
I would just say society as a whole needs changing.
So it's hard just to say,
I think it's hard because maybe when one has fought for
something for so long,
with gay rights, when you get comfortable,
and you've started to achieve the things for yourself,
maybe you're a bit more comfortable,
and you don't feel the need to fight anymore,
but there are, people need to understand that,
you know, the position that they were in, people are still in now.
So the prejudice, the laws, all of those things
are the fights that the non-binary and trans community
are going through now.
So you know, get up off your asses,
stop wearing your wide man spread jeans
that you've become comfortable in
and stop listening to Liza Minnelli or Barbra Streisand
and start fighting, you know?
So I'm so glad that that conversation happened.
No matter how raw it was for me,
just to get everybody listening.
And I think at the time, it was one human talking to another human.
And that's just what it was.
-And what kind of response have you had?
Have fans perhaps struggling with their identities
got in touch with you?
-It's been overwhelming.
It's been absolutely incredible hearing-
as I said, like, I'm not used to being so raw and showing such emotion.
So to share that, I had to put aside how I felt for a moment
and consider the bigger picture
and go this isn't about me,
this is about a lot of people that are struggling as well.
And we can all seek solidarity in knowing that we're all
struggling sometimes.
And I think lockdown has been a perfect example of that.
But to have that conversation about gender,
I think has been the response has been overwhelming.
I'm not, I don't know how to process or deal with it.
Because I'm not, I wasn't expecting it.
So I'm taking it and trying to now use that voice.
I think if people are looking to me, I never set out to be a voice
I just went out to be a clown.
So if I've got that voice, then I'll use it because we all need to fight.
-You audition for the 'X Factor', didn't you, in 2017?
In glorious Ginny Lemon drag.
Will we be seeing more of you on telly?
I'd love I'd love to see you on the 'Great British Bake Off'.
-Oh God, could you imagine?
Could you imagine, I can make a good fish finger sandwich
but I'm a veggie now so I can't even eat that.
But absolutely, I'd love to do it.
Like I really feel quite at home and quite fun in front of the cameras
I feel like it's bought a side of me,
I'm so used to being a stage and cabaret performer.
So yeah, I did, I've done like, I've dipped my toe into reality
TV before.
-What was your Snatch Game gonna be?
-Oh, me snatch!
Everyone's talking about snatch.
Well, I wanted to stay very true to my fans,
and I'm very well known for having a song called 'Cilla Black'.
So I would definitely, definitely be Cilla Black.
I mean, there was no, my only other option was Mona Lisa.
Because she doesn't really say much, she just smiles,
which I thought was good so I could just do this.
-Which queen did you bond with most?
Well that's again a difficult one.
I was very close to Joe and Asttina and Bimini before I went
into the competition
they were three, three, three there is my Worcestershire accent.
There were three close, close friends,
so it was difficult watching that journey,
especially what happened for them.
But the person I connected with the most during my time there
was definitely Sister
she was the other fruit loop and we bonded over that, I think.
-Was there anyone that you perhaps didn't see eye to eye with?
Not necessarily eye to eye
but I just think sometimes we were just on different
wavelengths,
you know, there was just like, everyone's energy was coming
and sometimes the energy would connect
and sometimes it was just, kind of, like, kind of, boing a little bit.
But, to be honest, I kind of got on with everyone.
So even if I wouldn't-
Yes?
Crossiant, crossiant, crossiant, crossiant
Oh! Crossiant. Is it buttered?
Where? Am I sat on it?
Crossiant!
Thank you. Breakfast that was, that was breakfast being served.
-A bit late for breakfast, isn't it?
I will leave you with one final question.
What did you learn about yourself and your drag?
-What did I learn about myself?
I think-
Oh, that's a good question,
that's the first time anyone else has asked me this.
I've learned maybe just to like, not be in character as much.
You know, like just to like, calm down a touch.
I think because I think maybe I was just like,
I trying I was trying to make I was trying to impress everyone.
I trying I was trying to make I was trying to impress everyone. I think I was just trying to I had this desperate desire to be
I think I was just trying to I had this desperate desire to be loved.
And I think well maybe now I received that sort of public out-
You know, that's the love that I don't know.
So maybe I could just chill out a little bit and be like,
okay, I don't need to make everyone love me,
I can just have a nice time.
-Just be you.
And honestly, I've seen so much outpouring of love for you.
And I feel like we haven't seen the last of you.
Hopefully we can see tons more.
-Oh, absolutely not,
because you know what this year needs is Ginny Lemon's tonic,
so please listen to my brand new single, 'I'm so offended'.
-Which I absolutely love.
I left a comment on your Instagram last night.
That's a sick beat.
I'll reply, blue tick, I'll reply.
-Thanks so much for chatting to us today.
-Thank you, gorgeous, it's been an absolute blast.
Thanks for watching Tea Time,
served to you by Attitude magazine.
Tune in next week for more freshly brewed tea
with muggins here
as I'm joined by the latest queen to be eliminated from
'RuPaul's Drag Race UK'
see you then.
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