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00:00Tune in next week for the grand finale of RuPaul's Drag Race.
00:04Are you team Darlene Mitchell?
00:12Hello, hello, hello.
00:14She's a little bit country, a little bit and a whole lot of camp.
00:19It's Darlene Mitchell.
00:21Well, hello.
00:22Hello, Miss Thing.
00:24How are you?
00:25You are stunning.
00:26Oh, stop it.
00:27You are gorgeous yourself, Darlene.
00:29Thank you so much.
00:30How are you?
00:31Great. It's nice to meet you.
00:32Nice to meet you, too.
00:35Like what you're watching?
00:36Well, be sure to click like and subscribe.
00:39You ready for this?
00:40Let it rip.
00:40Let's do it.
00:41Now, this is a show where we talk about everything drag, okay?
00:46And the first thing I want to know, where were you when you first got the call for RuPaul's Drag
00:50Race?
00:50So the first call I missed, I got a message to like call back.
00:55And so like I was home alone and my partner was like, wait, wait till I'm back, like wait till
01:00I'm back.
01:00What is it going to be?
01:01What is it going to be?
01:02I was like, I cannot wait.
01:03I can't wait.
01:04Like I have to do it right now.
01:05So like I called back and got that I had like advance and I was like immediately looking for paper
01:11and pen.
01:11I was like, hang on, hang on, do I need to write stuff down?
01:14Like, do I need to?
01:15And she's like, no, no, no, like you'll hear from us.
01:17We'll get you.
01:18Yeah.
01:18And like, I remember like hanging up and I was literally in my drag room and I just laid on
01:23the floor and just sobbed.
01:25Because it was just like everything that I, you know, have wanted for so long.
01:31How many times have you auditioned for the show?
01:33This was my fifth audition, but I mean, I've been, my first audition was season nine.
01:38So you've been doing drag how long?
01:40For a little over probably 10 years, around 10 years, yeah.
01:42Seasoned queen.
01:43Seasoned queen.
01:44Seasoned queen.
01:45Well, here you are, Diva.
01:46Yeah.
01:47But now we get to see your audition tape in front of the whole world.
01:51Let's go.
01:52I'm so excited.
01:53Let's go.
01:54We did it.
01:55Yeah.
02:07Hi, I'm Blake Bytes.
02:09I'm 34 years old, which means these ankles still have a few more good years.
02:12I live in Venice, California, but I'm originally from a small town in Indiana.
02:16My drag name is Darlene Mitchell.
02:18She's a little country, a little and a whole lot of camp, but not like, oh, camp, but more
02:23or like Couture Halloween costume camp.
02:27Oh my God.
02:29How long did it take to film this tape?
02:31A couple weeks?
02:32Yeah.
02:33I literally printed out a calendar
02:34and I wrote like, we're doing this.
02:36Gonna change my makeup at this time.
02:38And then we're gonna do this.
02:39So this one actually went so smooth and quick
02:43because like I knew what I wanted it to be.
02:45And it felt so good doing it.
02:48There was one point in the middle where like
02:50my partner looks at me and I look at him
02:52and I was like, I just, I just got on Drag Race.
02:55Like this was, this was the one.
02:56So you didn't do it yourself.
02:58You did get help, right?
02:59Me and my partner did all of it.
03:01Well, y'all did a damn good job.
03:04Thank you so much.
03:05You should be so proud.
03:06Amazing.
03:06I appreciate that.
03:07So I heard you're a hairstylist.
03:10Yeah.
03:10Yes.
03:11I want to see more.
03:12I want to see more about this.
03:13I'm a hairstylist, which means I can make anyone
03:15my best friend, but that also means that I have
03:17excellent manipulation skills.
03:19I'm generally a giggly good time guy,
03:20but that Scorpio intensity sometimes definitely
03:23likes to leap out.
03:24Not going to lie.
03:26Okay.
03:27So who became your best friend on set?
03:30I got really close to Jane and really close to Athena
03:35from the jump.
03:36Awesome.
03:37This was a little emotional and rocky at the beginning
03:39for me, like this like personal journey.
03:42And me and Athena just got really, really close.
03:45Cause she was kind of the first person that was like diva.
03:47Like, are you, are you going through it?
03:49Like you could, you know what I mean?
03:50Yeah, yeah, yeah.
03:50And me and Jane just, that bitch just makes me cackle.
03:54Like she's just hilarious.
03:56Okay.
03:56So you did make a lot of friends.
03:57Was there anyone that you tried to manipulate
03:59with your superpowers?
04:00I think like all of my superpowers,
04:02like just kind of went out the, out the window.
04:05Like it was all of a sudden like landing here and feeling
04:08like you're almost like stripped naked.
04:10Like it felt almost very like find yourself and find like
04:14who you are bringing to the competition.
04:15Cause it feels like when you first land here,
04:18it like all gets stripped from you.
04:19And then in like no time, it's like, okay, well cameras
04:21are rolling.
04:22What do you got?
04:23Like that type of feeling.
04:24Don't I know it.
04:25Don't I know it.
04:26Speaking of talents.
04:27I personally think that you took lip syncing in your video
04:32to a whole new level.
04:34And I would love to look at it again.
04:36Absolutely.
04:36Thank you so much.
04:38Oh God, I want to know why, why?
04:44Yes.
04:45Felt is my life.
04:46Take whatever you like.
04:50Oh my God.
04:52That was amazing.
04:55So steel magnolias and pink flamingos.
04:58Yes.
04:59Why'd you choose these?
05:00Divine.
05:01I mean, you just, you have to,
05:02it's like this other end of the spectrum of drag.
05:04And I just wanted to show that I just have this like,
05:08nasty, raunchy comedy side that's not afraid to get ugly and dirty.
05:12Oh, so, and still magnolias.
05:14And still magnolias is my favorite movie.
05:15Oh, I could watch it front to back, start it over.
05:19I've only seen it a couple of times, but that scene is iconic.
05:25Absolutely.
05:26Absolutely.
05:26Yes.
05:27So you were also a vulnerable queen and you told us your biggest struggle in drag.
05:31Let's watch.
05:33My biggest struggle in my entire drag career is that I cannot walk in pumps.
05:36If you ever see me in pumps, it's because I'm standing still in a photo, bitch.
05:41Do you really struggle with walking in heels?
05:44So like, if, if I am going to be in movement,
05:48Yeah.
05:49If a bitch is on the move, then I need like an ankle strap or a boot or, or something.
05:54If I'm in a pump, it is literally like, I take one step and that pump's behind me.
05:57So what's your go-to shoe?
05:59What's your go, like, what's your, what's your shoe that got like-
06:01Something chunky, clunky, strappy, oh yeah.
06:06I love it.
06:07Well, at least you know yourself.
06:08Why you mad?
06:11But if you ever need some pointers and walking in heels, your sister got you.
06:14Okay, okay.
06:15I got you, babe.
06:16I'll hit you up after this.
06:17It'll take a couple of classes.
06:18We be good.
06:19We're good.
06:19Well, girl, I think it's time and the library has officially opened.
06:25Okay.
06:26It's time to see your reads for some iconic queens on RuPaul's Drag Race.
06:32Are you excited to see it?
06:33Hit it.
06:33Well, let's hit it.
06:35Hershey LaCour Jatay, thank you for inspiring me to audition again.
06:40I saw your performance on the show and I just couldn't have people thinking
06:43that was the best LA had to offer.
06:47That was good, sister.
06:50That was good.
06:51Straight to the point, slightly personal.
06:54And look at LA now.
06:58Alexis Mateo, mother of Miss Vanjie.
07:01Must have been a red state.
07:05Oh, bitch, you're clever.
07:06A thinker, a thinker, right?
07:07Yes, yes, yes.
07:09Like Susie would say, cerebral.
07:11Oh, there we go, there we go.
07:12I do declare, Miss Blair St. Clair,
07:15you couldn't win a challenge if you were the only one there.
07:18Yes, yes, I live.
07:21Do you stand by your reads?
07:22Uh, I do, I do.
07:24Yes, absolutely.
07:25I would too.
07:26Those were some really good reads.
07:28Ten toes down.
07:29Oh, the library was open.
07:31But were the books worth checking out?
07:33Comment below.
07:35Okay, so we're going to keep these vibes going, okay?
07:37I got some questions for you, but you can answer as quickly as possible.
07:41Just the first thing that comes to your mind, okay?
07:43Who was the biggest flirt on the show?
07:45Athena.
07:47Who do you text the most?
07:49Mia.
07:50Who are you taking out of the group chat?
07:52Ooh.
07:54How am I taking out of the group chat?
07:56Well, Jane ain't even in it, so.
07:57Period.
07:58Is there a second group chat?
07:59No.
08:00Okay, okay, okay, okay.
08:02Who had the best entrance look, in your opinion?
08:04Ooh, I love, actually, same answer.
08:06I love Jane's.
08:07Yes.
08:08Who, when you walked into the work room, who was your biggest competition?
08:12Ooh, Vita.
08:14Who was the most delusional?
08:17Briar.
08:18And who was the messiest?
08:21Briar.
08:23Phil.
08:23Who is the most likely to crash out on the internet?
08:28Discord.
08:30Are you sure?
08:32And, you know, we all made it.
08:34We're all here on RuPaul's Drag Race,
08:36but who shouldn't have auditioned?
08:39Uh, ooh.
08:41Who shouldn't have auditioned?
08:47You can whisper it to me.
08:48I won't tell anybody.
08:49NeNe and Mikey make it easier for me.
08:51NeNe and Mikey, there we go.
08:53Chop them both.
08:55Oh my God.
08:55Make my path a little easier.
08:57Yes.
08:58Thank you so much, Darlene.
09:02You are the best.
09:03It was nice to meet you.
09:04It was nice to meet you, too.
09:05You're a key.
09:05Congratulations on everything that you've done.
09:08Keep doing and will continue to do.
09:11And I'm so happy to call you a sister.
09:12Thank you so much.
09:13Me, too.
09:13Yes, babe.
09:15And I'll see you next time with my next finalist.