Drag Race star reveals unused finale lip sync stunt: ‘Too many unknowns’
RuPaul’s Drag Race seas 16 crowned its winner after a stunt-filled final lip sync. (World of Wonder)
Sapphira Cristál, the runner up of season 16 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, has revealed that she planned a stunt in her final lip sync against Nymphia Wind – and explained why she wasn’t able to use it.
As is now traditional for a Drag Race finale, the ultimate battle for the crown of season 16 came down to one last lip sync for the crown – this time, between Sapphira Cristál and Nymphia Wind, with Plane Jane having sashayed away earlier in the episode.
The pair took to the stage to perform “Padam Padam” by the one and only, Kylie Minogue, who has since reacted to the feature; several reveals later, including balloons as tapioca pearls and Sapphira’s vampire teeth, and the title of America’s Next Drag Superstar was Nymphia’s.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly as part of her final interview for the season, Sapphira explained the vampire teeth – and the gag that never was in that final lipsync.
“When you come at it from this very pure way, I just thought, oh, it’s about hearts,” the Philadelphia performer explained of her reaction to “Padam Padam”.
“Who loves hearts? Who loves blood? Who loves to hear the pumping of blood? The one and only Nosferatu!” she continued.
“You think about Interview With the Vampire, Blade, From Dusk Til Dawn, these sexy vampires who seduce people and hear their blood pumping and it makes them excited. My approach was just to be a sexy vampire.”
Continuing, Sapphira was asked whether she had any tricks up her sleeve that weren’t able to be executed.
“There are too many unknowns when it comes to having liquids on stage. I want to win by winning and not by sabotaging anyone.
“As we saw, Nymphia was doing a lot, and if she slipped on some blood, I would’ve felt horrible,” the four-time challenge winner explained when asked if she’d thought about employing some fake blood to complete the vampire lewk.
She did, however, add that she nearly had a “pumping heart” as part of her bloodsucking getup.
“I just couldn’t get it together,” she said, “but I wanted to have a pumping heart that I took out of something and held in my hand. It just didn’t work out in time. But, that was not something that didn’t happen because of production or anything. Logistically, it just didn’t.”
Since winning, Nymphia – the first Drag Race winner of East Asian descent – has been congratulated by the President of Taiwan and Lady Gaga.
Nymphia and Sapphira will return for a special reunion episode alongside the cast of season 16.
RuPaul’s Drag Race season 16 are available to stream on WOW Presents Plus in the UK and internationally.
