Drag Race UK vs The World’s first elimination sends shockwaves through fandom: ‘Robbed!’
The first elimination of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs The World season three has shocked fans. (BBC)
The ‘Porkchop’ queen of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs The World season three has been revealed, and the Drag Race fandom is certainly not feeling any gratitude.
Spoiler warning! This article includes spoilers of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs The World season three episode two.
After last week’s premiere episode ‘RuRuvision Song Contest’ resulted in a non-elimination, episode two was the first to see a queen sent packing.
Episode two, the ‘Runway Ru-Mix’, saw the ten international divas presenting two looks on the main stage: a redemption look of one of their outfits from their original season, and a design challenge, using materials from one of their competitors’ original looks.
After selecting the outfits they wanted to remake and presenting their looks on the runway, Serena Morena, Sminty Drop, Kate Butch and Zahirah Zapanta were called as safe.
Mariah Paris Balenciaga, Fontana and Gawdland were named as the top three queens of the week, with Drag Race Thailand finalist Gawdland eventually being crowned as the winner of the episode.
In a shock twist, RuPaul announced that Drag Race UK vs The World season three would feature a new rule, whereby the winning queen could save one of the bottom three queens using the power of the ‘Chippy Tea’.
Minty Fresh, Melinda Verga, and The Only Naomy were then revealed as the bottom three drag divas of the episode, with the judges dubbing their looks “pedestrian”, “mishmash-y” and “not the brief”.
Melinda Verga, who opted to deliver a revamped version of her iconic “Vivian Westwood-inspired” garment from Canada’s Drag Race season four, was given some of the episode’s harshest critiques, with guest judge Kristen McMenamy saying that Vivian Westwood wouldn’t have been “so proud” of her look.
Ultimately, Gawdland decided to save her Southeast Asian sister Minty Fresh from the bottom, leaving Melinda Verga and The Only Naomy to lip-sync it out to Dannii Minogue’s biggest smash, “I Begin To Wonder”.
While Melinda brought out the big guns with a slew of kicks, tricks and dips, she struggled with reciting the song’s lyrics accurately. It proved to be her downfall, and she was given the chop by RuPaul.
On social media, Drag Race fans have been left absolutely devastated by Melinda Verga’s early exit, considering how much great TV she made on her original season.
On Canada’s Drag Race season four, she was best known for her epic meltdown after the judges critiqued her Vivian Westwood-inspired look. After being saved by her Canadian sister Kiki Coe, Melinda said – or rather shouted, at increasing volume – that she needed to “reciprocate” Kiki’s kindness “with gratitude”. The moment has become an enduring meme in the Drag Race fandom.
After her shock Drag Race UK vs The World departure, fans were all making the same joke.
“I am NOT reciprocating with Gratitude this evening,” one wrote on Reddit.
“Devastated about losing Mother Melinda so early,” another weeped.
Others agreed that Melinda had performed poorly in the lip-sync, and had seemed reserved around RuPaul, but still found her elimination “really depressing”.
After being told to sashay away by Ru, Melinda seemed pretty heartbroken, worrying that she had put her home country to shame.
“Bless Mother Melinda, you didn’t let Canada down gurl, you were thoroughly entertaining in every moment you had and I am an even bigger fan now than before,” one fan reassured her.
Other viewers seem convinced that Melinda Verga will be back for another All Stars-style season soon. Lemon, who placed fifth on Canada’s Drag Race and last on Drag Race UK vs The World – like Melinda – went on to win Canada’s Drag Race vs The World season two.
“Melinda has same track record across seasons as Lemon so we know what’s coming next,” one fan theorised.
Another agreed: “Don’t worry Melinda – I have the feeeeeling… we haven’t seen that last of you yet.”
RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs The World season three continues on BBC iPlayer in the UK and WOW Presents Plus internationally every Tuesday.
Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.
