I was mostly thinking,
I can barely walk in this dress.
(laughing)
Let alone,
I know Bimini's gonna be jumping on the floor
and standing on her head and, you know,
opening her legs nice and wide.
'cause she's a right slapper!
Hi! DJ, drag superstar,
and all round icon, and humble human being,
Jodie Harsh here.
Welcome to Tea Time,
Attitude magazine's weekly show
where I'll be spilling the freshly brewed tea
with the latest eliminated queen
from Drag Race UK, season two.
This week, I'm joined by Mr. Joe Black.
We are joined by Joe Black.
Season two's first out, but without doubt
an extremely fierce, British queen.
You look amazing out of drag.
- Thank you.
(Joe laughing)
- How are you doing after? How are you feeling?
- Glenn Close, but no cigar.
- Yep.
- I stayed up very late
'cause I got a little bit addicted to social media.
'Cause the outpouring of love was incredible.
- Yeah. Who was your most like, epic comment from?
- I mean, the Tracy Beaker one
I got sent quite a lot.
- Right. Okay.
- Well the actress though, Dani,
what's her name, who plays Tracy Beaker.
- Yeah, yeah.
- She was very angry.
Though, I really enjoyed Violet Chachki
putting up a picture of David Bowie
in the Life On Mars video,
and then the inside of the pavilion
and saying, "Make it make sense!"
(Jodie laughing)
And then tagging the Drag Race account.
Yeah, fuming! Absolutely fuming!
But yeah, I stayed up very late
being addicted to social media.
- Have you always thought that you would compete?
Or was it sort of a snap decision last year?
- I applied for season one.
- Yeah.
- It was, I mean, like I said on the show,
to A'Whora when we had that lovely moment
at the workstation
I remember the moment that season one's cast got announced.
I was like, I was out in the, in my like gardeny bit
with a cigarette and a coffee like,
(puffing) scrolling.
And then the first thing I see
when I opened Facebook was Baga Chipz's face.
With 'Meet the queens'.
And I like dropped my phone and went,
(yelling) (laughing)
Not because it was Baga, it just meant,
I mean,
I mean, bless Baga.
Not because it was Baga Chipz's face
but because Drag Race UK was happening.
- Was happening. - You know,
it's been rumoured for years.
I mean, you've obviously you were in a lot of the rumours.
You know it's,
Jodie Harsh and Jonathan Ross have the rights
to Drag Race UK. - Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Which came out of nowhere.
- Yeah.
- Yeah, it was like.
- So yeah, it was, yeah.
I applied for season one,
but I actually did, which season of the US,
I applied to one of the US seasons.
Just wondering what the process was like.
And I think it might have been 10?
- Okay. Okay.
- But you can't work in the US, so couldn't do it.
- And when you walked into the werk room
for the first time,
you knew a few of the queens,
so was that sort of harder?
Yeah. You know, when I was, you know, walked in,
Glenn Close looks rough.
(laughing)
I'm posing and I heard, "Yes, bitch!"
And I'm trying to remain composed
but thinking, I'm absolutely certain that's Ginny Lemon.
I'm absolutely certain that's Ginny Lemon,
while trying to pose.
And not be like, "Arghh!"
I love Ginny so much.
And then turning and seeing her
outrageous, yellow face. - Yes.
- Was, well, that was amazing.
So it was,
I'm not a particularly competitive person. That's the thing.
Which is hilarious, considering I went on Drag Race,
but I just looked round and I was like, wow!
I like all these people!
- Yeah. This is gonna be fun, yeah.
- Yeah. I was like, Oh, what a nice time we're having.
- And who do you think you'd stayed have closest to
had you stayed in the show longer?
- Lawrence was probably the person
that I knew the most. Lawrence and Ginny.
- Yeah.
- Were the people that I was most familiar with.
And then after the show, I've got very close with Tia.
- Hmm.
She's cool.
- Yeah. I love Tia.
- Yeah. - She's so silly.
I haven't seen anyone's confessionals or anything.
So seeing everyone really shine in that and being hilarious.
- Yeah.
And walking into the room as well,
you were one of the most well-known queens
entering the series, and so
I guess a lot of the younger queens in the room
admitted that they sort of look up to you.
- Yeah. A'Whora said that. That was beautiful.
- Yeah, so then when you had to lip sync, how did that feel?
What was that moment like?
- I was mostly thinking,
I can barely walk in this dress,
let alone, you know.
I know, Bimini's gonna be jumping on the floor
and standing on her head and you know,
opening her legs nice and wide,
cause she's a right slapper!
- Yeah.
- You know, it was just like,
alright Joe, you're wearing a 1700s inspired outfit,
and you have to lip sync to Frankie Goes To Hollywood.
What has your life become?
- Yeah.
(chuckling)
I noticed that social media really lit up
last night with you.
fuming at the judges.
- I was number one trending thing on Twitter.
- Everyone was fuming!
What would you say about the decision to go home first?
- Um, I mean, someone's gotta go home first, haven't they?
- Yeah, yeah.
- But you know, as sad as that is as a result,
to go, "Oh my God. I'm the first out."
It's, everyone remembers the first out.
- I was gonna say that.
Exactly. Yeah.
- Everyone, you know,
not necessarily, they don't necessarily remember the second
or the third.
You know, even though they get more air time
and it's also amazing to leave
and people go, I don't want you to go.
Rather than overstaying your welcome.
- Yeah, yeah.
- I'd much rather leave and people be furious.
Then me leave and people go, that was the right time.
- I think there's a soft spot in everyone's hearts
for the first one out as well.
- Well, I hope so.
- Yeah.
(laughing)
- You're Brightonian is that how you say it?
- I am, yeah.
I'm yeah, I'm originally from Portsmouth.
- Yeah. - So sorry,
in my native accent it will be,
I'm like a natural, like Pompey lad.
- Yeah.
Was that down the docks?
- Yeah, no. Down the docks.
Yeah, like. My dad sells second hand videos and stuff.
Like bikes and things.
This is my impression of my brother.
- Right.
- Yeah. I'm originally from Portsmouth
but now I've lived in Brighton for nearly 10 years now.
- Okay.
- Cause it's, you know, sort of queertopia, it is.
(chuckling)
- And so what did you think about Liz Hurley's comments saying
that your look was more Hampton Court than Brighton?
- Oh yeah, she said it was,
when I was there she said, what was it?
"You know, I always think of the Brightonians as regency
which is all heaving bosoms and things."
And then she said,
"I liked your Elizabethan ruff."
Sorry, I've made her sound like Boris Johnson.
- Yeah! - Regency.
- Does sounds a bit like Boris, doesn't she?
(Joe grumbling in accent)
- "Go home! Stay home!
Work from home, if you can.
Elizabethan ruff.
Regency.
Heaving bosoms."
No, it was, I mean,
Liz Hurley's pretty camp, isn't she?
I think she coulda told me I was a piece of shit,
and I would have gone, "Thanks, Liz!"
- Yeah! Yeah.
(laughing)
Thank you. Thank you.
Loved you in Bedazzled.
- Yeah.
Now, I've seen you perform many times.
You already have a fantastic career,
so how did it feel being judged by a panel of people
after already having a long, successful drag career?
'Cause you've been doing this for a long time, right?
- 13 years. Yeah.
- Yeah.
Yeah. So how did that feel being judged by?
- Well, just think,
I'm not a particularly competitive person,
but I knew I was going into a competition environment.
So what I had said to myself, I was like,
Right! People are gonna say things you don't agree with.
They're gonna say things that maybe upset you.
This is what they do.
They are the judging panel.
- That's the show.
- You are the contestant. This is the show.
So just stand there,
take anything constructive that you can take on board,
take it on board, be willing to listen.
And I was fully ready for that, you know?
But also, it doesn't matter
how long you've been doing something.
I think if you were not open to learning new things
you're absolutely doomed.
- Mm. - Do you know what I mean?
That's how you get, you get left behind.
I mean, you must know this.
You know, the sort of nights and events you've run,
you would not be continuing today
if you hadn't moved with the times.
And you learn from mistakes,
and from success.
And, you know, it's,
if anyone who doesn't believe they can learn,
and improve, and grow, no matter how long they do it,
if they don't believe it, they're a fool, you know?
- Yeah.
Yeah.
And obviously drag is, as we both know, very expensive
and you have to prepare so many looks going on the show.
So how did, does it feel painful
not being given a chance to show them all off yet?
All your looks?
- Well.
I've done like a beautiful photo series
for the whole season.
So I'm really like,
it's with Greg Bailey of Alright Darling,
who is local to Brighton,
one of my favourite people and photographers.
And every picture is art.
And hard as it was to go, oh my God,
I'm looking at all these cases of things
and going, that's not gonna be on the show.
But, you know, what's better?
Being on the same runway as everyone else
or every single outfit
having its own unique set up and art piece?
You know what I mean?
I still get to show it in the best light
and the light that I wanted to.
- Everything's gonna get its moment.
- Yes.
As soon as Bimini sent me home,
I was like, I felt like a connection made.
And like,
when I got home,
in fact, when I was leaving
the first thing I thought was like, I hope Bimini's okay.
- Mm.
- I mean, the best, it depends how you're wired.
Like, you know,
I would never hold it against Bimini
because it's not Bimini's choice.
But my initial instinct was like,
I hope Bimini doesn't blame herself.
You know?
And then again,
back to episode two and she's like,
(manically laughing)
- Yeah, she's like,
"Joe who?" (laughing)
- "Joe who? Joe blue?
Blue?"
(laughing)
- And if you had to put on a show,
with say two of the queens,
like three of you together,
who would it be?
- I'm going to go with Ginny Lemon.
- Yeah.
- Because I feel like we're a very good match
and it has to be people from the season.
Yeah. I'm going to go for, yeah no, someone else who's live.
- You and Ginny.
That's a great double act.
- I know.
I'm hoping that we get to do the, you know,
the Ginny and Joe tour at some point.
- I am buying a ticket for that.
That sounds amazing.
(laughing)
- Ginny.
I'm gonna say, Tia. Just for some camp pop.
- Okay. - Pop, Eurovision nonsense.
But Ginny, the first time I met Ginny.
I'm sorry, I keep going on about Ginny Lemon.
The first time I ever met her was Brighton Pride.
It was the year that Britney Spears was headlining.
- Yes.
- And then me and Ginny did the Queer Town stage,
which is the live music stage.
And then afterwards me, her and Alfie Ordinary
completely still in full drag.
I managed to blag us into the VIP pit to for Britney
by just lying to a series of security people at gates.
- Yeah.
- So imagine if you will,
me, Alfie Ordinary, and Ginny Lemon
all in full drag.
- It's already too much.
- In a field in Brighton watching Britney Spears,
like, incredible. (giggling)
- That's camp.
(both laughing)
Was there a queen that you didn't see eye to eye with,
that you felt?
- No, I'm quite, uh,
maybe it's naivety on my part, but I'm,
I'm fairly agreeable with absolutely everybody.
You know, maybe like, Bimini is like
the most Zen person I've ever met.
So I think someone could headbutt her
and she'd go, "Oh no, babe.
I think their chakras are just out of line."
- Yeah! (laughing)
- Yeah, no, I mean,
also, I wasn't there long enough to have disagreements
with anybody. - Yeah.
I just fight.
(giggling)
- I'm one of these people that just smiles
and goes, "Oh, isn't everybody wonderful?"
- Yeah.
Who would you have done for Snatch Game?
- I auditioned with Mystic Meg.
- Oh!
- And, (laughing)
- Perfect!
- And Édith Piaf.
(laughing) - Oh!
Somebody did Édith Piaf on Canada. Rita did.
But I brought,
my main one that I brought was Tallulah Bankhead.
- Okay. - Who,
a lot of people go, "Who?"
She was an actress in the thirties
who was banned from working in film
because she was too outrageous.
And she had this lovely, you know,
Kathleen Turner played her in a play.
She's kind of like, this kind of raspy voice, darling.
She called everybody "Darling."
She couldn't remember anybody's names, you know?
So all you can do is smoke four packets of cigarettes a day,
chronic bronchitis.
That kind of thing, you know?
And she was also part of, you know,
very promiscuous group of bisexual women
in Hollywood at the time.
And I think, you know, unsung queer icon.
What did you not get to reveal about yourself
on the series that you wish you could have
had a chance to share with the nation?
- I would have loved to do a musical.
- Mm. - Or,
I mean, I don't know if you're talking about
on a personal level. But I mean,
acting and music, yeah.
Acting and music, I would have loved.
Acting stuff. I just love being the clown.
- Yeah.
- Hence why I pretended to be in the lift
during the lip sync, you know what I mean?
- Yes. (chuckling)
- I'm quite happy to make people feel awkward
and like, what the hell is going on?
- Oh, when you went down?
When you were lowering down?
- Yeah. (laughing)
- Obsessed!
I've never seen that before, but that was so fabulous.
- Well that's everyone's thing.
It's like, right.
No, one's pretended to be on in a left before.
Maybe they're not pretending to be in a lift for a reason.
I'm gonna do it.
(laughing)
I just would have liked to have shown, you know,
I'm very set in my ways. This is the thing.
I like what I like.
And I prepared such a variety of looks for this.
And I really went out of the box for myself.
So I'm gutted I didn't get to show
the range of what I brought.
- What do you plan to do with the rest of your lockdown?
- I thought you were going to say,
what do you plan to do with the rest of your life?
- Yeah!
(both chuckling)
Wow.
I'm gonna, you know, I'm making lots of content.
I have a Patreon. So I make content for that.
I'll be doing YouTube stuff.
Engaging on social,
uploading all these beautiful photo shoots
that I've done. - Yeah.
- Just interacting with people.
And you know, I'm not gonna be quiet.
I'm gonna be playing along every week.
- You're not gonna be quiet.
I know that. - No, I refuse.
- And my final question,
if at some point in the future they ever did an All Stars,
would you do it?
- Let me,
let me wear some of these costumes for a little bit first
cause they didn't get the,
they're gathering dust.
So let me like, dust off the things I've prepared first.
Then if they phone me, I'll think about it.
- Yeah. (laughing)
We wanna see more. We wanna see more, Joe Black.
(laughing)
Thank you so much for joining us today.
- Thank you very much for talking to me, Jodie.
- Big love. (kissing sound)
- Mwah! Bye!
- Bye!
Thanks for watching Tea Time,
served to you by Attitude Magazine
and me Jodie Harsh.
Tune in next week for another cup of scalding hot content
with Muggins here,
as I'm joined by the latest queen to be given the pork chop.
Byeeeeee!