00:00I'm a goddess. Look at my face now. Like, this is beauty. This is grace. This is Miss United.
00:06No, I'm Canadian. Never mind.
00:14Hello, my name is Priyanka. I am a drag superstar, pop star, icon diva. I'm 30 years old, and I'm
00:21from Toronto, Ontario. Holla. I started drag about four years ago. I had a drag queen before
00:26around my birthday party, and she was like, you should start drag. You should enter this
00:29fun local bar competition at Cruise and Tangos. So I did. I came fourth place, and I looked
00:35really bad, but look at me now. Look at me now, Toronto. Look at me now.
00:41I saw the posting for Canada's Drag Race come up, and I literally looked at my co-host, Spencer,
00:46and was like, my life is about to change. When I first went on the show, I definitely thought
00:50that I was a contender to win, but when I got put in the bottom twice and gave you two iconic
00:55lip syncs, you're welcome, I was like, maybe I don't have it in the bag. I remember the
01:01makeover challenge, and we were sitting there, and I was like, I'm next to go home if I don't
01:06nail this. Elton, my drag daughter, came in and was like, Toronto's rooting for you. You're
01:11the reason I feel safe in the bars. I love you. And I was crying and crying and just painting
01:16that face. If you watch that episode, you realize that I'm not talking while we're getting
01:21ready because I'm so focused. I think that it's okay to fall sometimes because that's
01:26what really solidifies the crown on your head. When I won, I felt nauseous, anxious, like
01:33I was going to have diarrhea, like my life just changed, like I was rich, like I was poor,
01:37like my boyfriend just dumped me, like I just got married, like all these feelings rushed
01:42to my body all at once. The thing that I was most proud of was the look I won in. And when
01:48I won, I was very just like to my mom, like you're such a big part of this, like you being
01:54open and accepting and loving me and being here at the finale and understanding drag and
02:00opening your mind to it is the reason why I feel even more like a winner. Being a kids
02:05television host is something that's so near and dear to my heart because I also didn't
02:09think that I was going to be a kids TV host. I thought I was going to be an entertainment
02:12reporter on Entertainment Tonight or E-Talk, and that's what I was going to do. I was going to
02:17interview celebrities and that was it. But now, lo and behold, I am the celebrity surprise.
02:21I find it so inspiring that like kids growing up, like they're going to have this guy that
02:25they used to watch on SpongeBob's Fair Pants now be the winner of Canada's Drag Race. And
02:30that's normal. Cake is so important to me because it's a lead single off an album that's coming
02:36out very soon. And I get to really just enjoy my dreams. I wanted to create music that sounded
02:44like girl group music because I wanted like the fans to be in the girl group with me.
02:48Every single song on my album that's coming out is about a boy who broke my heart or made
02:51me happy. Like, it truly is just drama. It's so amazing that, you know, you can take your
02:56traumas and turn them into art because now you get cake.
02:59Get up with us this cake.
03:04Being one of the first ever drag queens to shoot at that castle was like, you just feel
03:07like you're paving the way. I had to get funding for the video. I got a sponsor for the video.
03:12And we were able to shoot at the castle. And I worked with this amazing director, Caroline
03:15Tortie, and I wanted to have my sisters come. Like I'm the winner of that season. I sent
03:19all those girls packing, but it doesn't matter because like we're all so iconic in our own
03:24ways. Like all these girls like truly inspired me in a different way. And I love sharing the
03:29love because we all come from the first iconic season of Canada's Drag Race and nothing will
03:34ever top it. Drag isn't a job. It truly is a culture. And like learn where people have come
03:42from, learn about the ballroom culture, learn who's the top, you know, performers, learn
03:46from people. I was able to walk out of my front door in drag easily. No one even bat an eye.
03:51But there's some drag performers that did it and it wasn't so easy for them. And just do
03:55it and ask questions and get excited and know that like drag could change your life. And know
03:59that like if you're not seeing yourself yet in the media, know that like you could be the
04:03first person to do that. Like it doesn't have to be such a negative thing. I was driving on the Gardner
04:09and saw myself on a billboard. Little old brown boy from Whitby who now is a drag queen. Former
04:14kids TV hosts Anna Gardner just surfing. What I want people to know is that like if you feel
04:19like you're not represented, like you are the representation and we have to just keep working
04:23hard to make the strides to make sure that we're seen everywhere. I'm a champion of our community
04:27in whatever way that means us to be all accepted. If you want to find me, head over to my Instagram
04:33at TheQueenPriyanka or you can hear my brand new single cake at TheQueenPriyanka.com.
04:39Stream it, listen to it and watch the music video to find out who killed Priyanka. Happy
04:44Pride everybody. And don't forget you could work so hard to make your dreams come true.
04:48And don't forget you too.
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