EDGE Interview: Kyran Thrax, Rileasa Slaves & Marmalade on a Gripping 'Drag Race UK' Season 6

Speaking over Zoom, three of the four queens (La Voix was not available) spoke about their time on the show and how it changed their lives. There were some lessons learned, some lifelong friendships forged, and enough camaraderie to assemble an unflappable drag squad. Individually, they faced a lot of personal challenges throughout the season. One common thread was breaking through their comfort zones.

"What I've taken away from this as a life lesson is to step into your fears," said a very enthusiastic Rileasa. "You know, I feel we limit ourselves from doing things because of fears. Our fears make things seem bigger, or unachievable, or not possible. In reality, if you step into those spaces and places, you shine a little bit of light on it. We've had, what, 10 weeks now and I'm good, and if anything, I've learned something from it. So yeah, I think stepping into your fears really allows for this kind of alchemy which makes life so beautiful."

For Marmalade the fear was based on self-confidence. It wasn't a particular challenge that made her nervous, it was what seemed like a bout of imposter syndrome.

"This is my life," she says. "So for me, what I've really taken away is just to be sure of myself, just to trust that I know what I'm doing but if I fall back, I'll be caught and I'll figure myself out like I've always done, because if I could do that on 'Drag Race' for 10 weeks and stay longer than eight of the country's most incredible drag act, then really, I can do anything."

Competitive reality television is a gut-wrenching gig for cast members. First, they have to endure intrusive cameras in their faces for a majority of the day and then they have to perform, sometimes on the spot. It's a lot of pressure. Rileasa, Kyran, and Marmalade had their queasy moments on the show.

"I think probably even when I look back and I watched myself, the moment they said 'Snatch Game,' I shut down," Rileasa says. "I was like, I didn't even give myself a fighting chance. I'm like, OK, cool. Just give me a lip sync, like send me home if you want to. I'm done. It's over. I can literally just see something just dropped in me and I feel like even on set, which I remember the queen team at the time were like looking at me like something's not right with her. Normally I'm chirpy but that time I was quiet --- let's just get to the end of this episode, whatever happens, happens."

For Kyran it was the sewing challenge. Luckily, she had some divine intervention.

"I had immunity after winning the first episode. I sat and I prayed; I prayed the next episode would be sewing," she says, and miraculously it was. "Once I had that, I was kind of like, ok, as long as there's not another sewing challenge this season, I feel like I can breathe and just have fun."

Werk Room drama is all part of the fun. "Drag Race" is best when sparks fly among a few of the contestants. The competitive side of people clashes with their egos and that can create a tempest made of shade, honesty, and flying expletives. For some, that energetic chemistry can divide them or ultimately unite them. Marmalade says she made peace with her expectations pragmatically throughout the course of the show.

"For me, going into it, I assumed we were going to be at each other's throats. I assumed it was going to be this big, horrible battle, and don't trust anyone," she says. "But really when you get there, you kind of realize that everyone's in the exact same boat as you. Everyone wants it just as much. Everyone has worked just as hard to get to that point that you have, when people start to go home, it doesn't feel like a victory."

Kyran adds: "I felt like we just worked so well together as a group. Obviously, it's a competition, we're all aware of that, but I felt like we just wanted to give the best performances, the best challenges, the best episodes that we could and we worked together so well.

"I was developing such great friendships instead of being at each other's throats," she continues. "It was just everything to me being able to look around the room and be like, you know, we are in a competition, but we all have so much love for each other and we just wanna see the best from each other."

Rileasa says she is no stranger to competition but "Drag Race U.K." felt different.

"This was like you walk into a space, having gone through --- at least for me --- a whole wave of just getting in the door, passing the COVID test all these other little bits and bobs, and then finally you get in, and you look around the room and there's people in this room who are all talented in their own different ways," she says. "Where I feel like the competition energy was more within myself and like I was looking around the room more to be like, ok, wow, she's really good at this. How does she do that? Versus, 'Oh wow, she's really good at this, 'Fuck you bitch.' I was finding myself more inspired by my competitors, whereas the competition was happening within my own mind with myself.

"You see people doing well and you get inspired to wanna push yourself to do better," she adds. "So, like when it came to the camaraderie as a group, it felt very much like I'm doing my thing, you're doing your thing, like damn boo that was actually really good"

Now that the queen has been crowned, barring an "Drag Race All Stars" offer, these three queens are going on to develop their brands on a worldwide scale. Rileasa says she will be making music and Marmalade is sticking to fashion.

Our winner Kyran has a lot on her plate, "Just put it out there. Yeah, I've had a few offers from some producers. But my focus is theater and acting. So I'm gonna be going all over the place doing some fun, silly Kyran stuff and I can't wait for everyone to see."

"RuPaul's Drag Race UK", Season Six is available to watch //www.worldofwonder.com/on the World of Wonder website./>