The sixth queen to leave RuPaul’s Drag Race series 7: ‘I’ve done a lot of random s***, but this was seriously intense’ (EXCLUSIVE)

The sixth queen to leave RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Series 7 has been announced – though no, she didn’t sashay away with Snatch Game bachelor Jordan North.

Paige Three, the latest queen to boom kaka her way home in a latex Nutcracker costume, truly left her mark, whether it was her twink-death Peter Pan moment, jaw-dropping dance moves, or uncanny Claudia Winkleman impression.

In her exit interview, Paige Three opens up about the queens being “kookoo bananas and nuts”, why she refuses to be labelled a body suit queen, and how Drag Race turned out to be the most intense experience of her life.

Going into Drag Race, was the experience what you expected?

Yes and no. I think, you know, I was in the lucky position where I’d known many girls who had done it before, and some of them are really close friends of mine. So you get little titbits of what it’s going to be like, you know what to expect a little, but then, on the other side, there are so many unexpected throws and turns. I’m somebody who likes to be really prepared, and there are things you just can’t be prepared for. So those were definitely the moments where you’re like, “Oh! All right, okay, left turn.” But, yes… so it’s yes and no.

What was the thing that threw you off the most, do you reckon?

I think just the unexpected things people keep up their sleeves. Some people don’t talk about what their things are, and then suddenly they come out with it. And I think that’s incredible, you should never underestimate anyone. I never did, and I had beady eyes on everybody, but sometimes you just don’t expect it.

Who was the one queen that really surprised you?

Elle Vosque, Oh my God. And again, I don’t want this to get confused with me underestimating her, I never did. I know in episode one there was something said about underestimating her, but I never underestimated the diva. Actually, she’s probably the one I was really looking out for. When you don’t know much about someone, how can I edge my bets on what they might provide? So I was very alert, watching closely. But every week, she would just come out with things like, “Now I’ve got a degree in textiles,” and I’d be like, “Oh, right, okay, got it. Where had that come from?”

And do you think you deserved to go home last night?

I knew I’d get this question. But I don’t think it’s really a fair question, because if I didn’t go home, I’d have to choose somebody else to go home, and that’s not really what this is about. The real question rather, would I have liked to have stayed? Absolutely. I’ve got so much more to show, and so much more to give. After getting a win the week before, I got my rev back. But I wouldn’t replace myself with anybody else.

How was it lip-syncing against Bones in the last episode?

Kismet. It’s one of those things where the stars align in a weird way. And the irony of the song being ‘Tainted Love’, I was like, “Right, okay.” It was hard, though, because at the end of the day, in that scenario, one of you is going. It’s never going to be nice – if I go, she’s not going to like it if I go and vice versa. So yeah, it was a hard situation. Mentally, I was like, “Okay, let’s go,” but I was definitely going through it.

In the final episode, you had a heart-to-heart with Bones. How important was it for sisters to be there for each other?

It’s one of the most intense things I’ve ever done in my entire life. I’ve done a lot of random shit, but this was seriously intense. You need to be able to rely on friendship, sisterhood, and people who know you, or are learning to know you, to give you advice and re-centre you.

I’m not saying I was a mother at all, but during the season there were actually a lot of conversations, most of which got cut out, that I tried to be there for them. There were so many moments when someone felt down, and I’d be like, “Okay, let’s rejig this, let’s pick ourselves up and get back on the horse.” Otherwise, what’s the point? It’s all about sisterhood, not just doing it for yourself.

Who or what first inspired your drag?

The first inspiration for why I do drag and what I do in drag was really pop divas, like Britney Spears, Janet Jackson, Lady Gaga, and now Doja Cat. That’s why I started doing drag, because I wanted to be that, and I could never be that. Then I realised, “Wait, I can.” My aesthetic is very Pamela Anderson–based. It’s kind of funny because people assume the name “Page Three” comes from the top models or the Playboy route, but actually, I had that name way before I put two and two together, I just love that aesthetic… You can’t not love that.

Speaking of Paige Three, who in your season cast would most likely volunteer for a Page Three shoot?

Are you joking? It would be Silllexa, those tits are unruly, they’re out anyway, they were out last night!I mean, walking down the runway last night in that gorgeous, teal blue Tiffany-box runway, with a tit out. I’m like you can’t write it!

Has anyone ever persuaded you to wear a breastplate?

I wore her breastplate for the acting challenge. That breastplate had arms! I felt like I was being swept and taken. It just doesn’t work for me, I’ll leave the breastplates to her. I like to show actual skin. It was so hot in there as well! I mean, I have leather on now, and if I’d had the breastplate and wig, I would have melted.

The judges said you had a similar silhouette throughout. Why do you love bodysuits?

Don’t you come for me with that bodysuit comment. Not that I love bodysuits per se. Sometimes it’s frustrating when people say, “Well, if you take the jacket off, you’re just wearing this.” And I’m like, “Well, I’ve got the jacket on.” Branding is really important to me.

Take my WWE look for Warrior, for example. When I think of Page Three, or the characters and things I’m inspired by, I don’t think Joan of Arc it just doesn’t hand in hand. It does go WWE. I have many things in my package that I think have been overlooked. My Brit Gala look was a deconstructed suit with a huge skirt, for my cuddly I wore a corseted gown had six sheets and a train runway, and yes okay I had a bra and panty on for the Polly Pocket runway, I had a whole dollhouse on my back. My brand explores different versions of silhouettes… the silhouette comment can’t just be stained to one silhouette.

I’m called Paige Three, at the end of the day. If I came out in a kaftan, it’s just not really giving.

How did it feel to win a badge for the Rusical, given your background in musical theatre?

Oh my God, so validating! I mean, it would’ve been bloody embarrassing if I hadn’t, could you imagine? People would’ve been like, “She goes on and on about it. She hasn’t shut up about being a musical theatre diva, she’s got the experience, she’s been in the West End, blah, blah, blah,” and then – booted! That would’ve been very embarrassing. So I’m really glad I won it. And it was really nice to have won it with Elle, because in theatre, there’s no show without a cast and crew… So as a co-star, it just made sense for Peter and Wendy to get it together.

If the cast of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Season 7 were to star in a West End show, what would it be?

It would be called Misfits: The Musical. We’re all nuts, kookoo bananas and nuts. Sometimes I wish they’d included more of that footage hunny! I honestly wanted a camera on me 24/7. I was like you better bring that camera on the bus home – we were not well on the bus home. We’d be eating hash browns and giving it large, completely exhausted, which just made the kookoo bananas even more unhinged.

Do you regret not doing Miss Charlotte Tilbury for snatch game?

Yeah, I do. I really do. The thing is, when we got the new version of Snatch Game, we didn’t have much time, it threw us all. Normally you go into Drag Race knowing Snatch Game is coming, so you prepare, and I’m someone who really loves to prepare. And I had prepared what I had thought that would look like. and then you get thrown the change of how the actual challenge works. And I thought, “Hmm, if I was doing Charlotte, I don’t know if it would just e too small or fall under the radar a bit.” So I decided to do something a bit more stupid.

I would do Charlotte Tilbury now, but it meant more to be because my family is scousers.

And Ru seemed more keen on the Alexa idea. Did that sway you?

Yeah it does. If Ru says, “Do it,” you do it.

Put yourself back in the workroom – who do you think is going to take home the crown?

Ah! Honestly, I really don’t know. It could go any way. Everyone’s got such unique qualities about their drag that fit different aspects of what Drag Race requires. So genuinely, I don’t know.