Drag Race UK vs The World star Melinda Verga: ‘A lot of the things said to me on stage were not necessary’

Melinda Verga is the first queen to sashay away from RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs The World season three, and understandably, he has no gratitude to reciprocate for the judging panel.

After a lukewarm start to the competition last week, thanks to some dodgy vocals during the ‘The RuRuvision Song Contest’ challenge – which, he explains below, were caused by sickness – Melinda’s time on Drag Race UK vs The World was off to a tricky start.

Things looked up for Melinda Verga ahead of episode two, the ‘Runway Ru-Mix’ design challenge, considering he has a background in fashion design.

Sadly though, after some pretty harsh criticism from judges RuPaul, Michelle Visage, Alan Carr and guest judge Kristen McMenamy, he landed in the bottom two alongside Drag Race Germany star The Only Naomy. The lip-sync was to Dannii Minogue’s seminal hit “I Begin To Wonder”, which Melinda forgot the words to – “All the words! Gone!” – and he was told by RuPaul to sashay away, becoming the Pork Chop of the season.

Below, he speaks to PinkNews about how his placing in the competition sent his mental health spiralling last year, his fury at the judges’ remarks, and online comparisons to the trajectory of his Canada’s Drag Race sister Lemon – who went on to win Canada’s Drag Race vs The World season two.

PinkNews: Melinda Verga! How are you feeling now the first two episodes of Drag Race UK vs The World are out in the world?

Melinda Verga: We waited a long time for this season to air, and while that period of waiting is happening, it’s torture. So today is a full circle moment for me. I’m ready to close the chapter and move on to the next chapter fully and completely. In 2025 I wasn’t well mentally. I’m going to be frank about that. It was a real struggle. That’s not something that many people know because it’s just something that I chose to deal with privately amongst my nearest and dearest, and whenever I showed up for a show or a gig, I always showed up full Melinda, full throttle, without people knowing that I was actually suffering. So for today to happen and it to be finally here, the healing is complete. The healing started a little while back, but today we’re feeling galvanized, we’re feeling healed, we’re feeling refreshed and ready to move forward.

Was your mental struggle throughout 2025 linked to your placing on Drag Race UK vs The World?

Absolutely. It’s definitely my run on the show that set the tone for 2025 for me. Already there were signs; nothing was going my way. When I got to the UK, I got there sick. Some people did say online, ‘Oh, look at Melinda Verga, she’s making excuses again.’ But people don’t know these things, right? I got there sick. I was even worried that I’d be sent home because I was sick. Then with the design challenge, there were so many other things that I had to deal with off camera. I was spiralina, let’s just put it that way, up until the lip-sync moment. All the words – gone! It was just piling up and then that set the tone for 2025 for me and that continued on for the rest of the year. Healing didn’t really start until later on in the year and hopefully I got that fixed just in time for this season to air.

The reaction to your casting was fervent. That must’ve felt like a consolation prize?

More than a consolation prize. Honestly, I’m shook because right from the get go, Meet The Queens, the response was just like, what the f*** is going on? I’m gooped really. I’m grateful for how [being eliminated first is] backfiring in a good way. 

Online, people are making comparisons between your track record and your fellow Canada’s Drag Race sister Lemon. After leaving UK vs The World first, she went on to win Canada vs The World. Are you keen to come back for another season?

Ten thousand per cent. Honestly, one of my first phone calls was to Lemon. I’m now of course seeing lots of parallels between Lemon and myself. Same trajectory so far, fifth place on Canada’s Drag Race and now first out onUK vs The World. But I also got to do The Traitors Canada, and I did well. While Drag Race definitely opened doors for me, it’s not the only platform available to me and I’m grateful for that. So I’ll definitely be exploring other avenues in the next little while here, so don’t be surprised if I appear on your TV screens sooner than later.

Fans knew you from Canada’s Drag Race for being explosive in the very best way. How did you feel going into UK vs The World?

Going into UK vs The World I was super confident. [On Canada’s Drag Race] I made a lot of the looks myself. I had a stash of fabrics in my house. So, when people are like saying, ‘Taste level! Taste level!’ No, b**** I was working a full-time job. I made a lot of my looks that I brought on the show and spent $0. So, Canada for me was a huge win in so many ways. 

Going into UK vs The World however, knowing my edits or my storyline on Canada’s Drag Race, I made sure I brought the looks. So we spent a lot of money for my runway package. That didn’t pan out quite well, so that put quite a bit of dent financially on me, which then added to what was already the beginning of a bad year for me for 2025. This s*** is real, kids. If you’re going to be on a TV show, it’s a lot of money. But with that said, I was way more confident about my runway package and knowing I already had the charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent aspect of it. I was like, let’s go.

Episode two was a design challenge. Considering your fashion school background, were you expecting to win the episode?

The PTSD from my first design challenge [on Canada’s Drag Race] was quite real still. So for UK vs The World, I was like, just chill. Don’t overthink this. If you become safe today, that’s also fine. There are so many other things I am intending on bringing to the table this year. But again, that didn’t go my way, so here we are.

Were you in agreement with the judges on your looks this week?

No, I wasn’t. I’m not going to be sugarcoating that today right here right now. I wasn’t. Of course I wasn’t! Oh my God, I’m still salty about that. I talked about healing earlier and now I’m like, I wasn’t! Maybe that’s one of the reasons that I still haven’t watched the episode because – I don’t know what made the cut – I do remember being told things that I was like, ‘OK that’s just not needed. That’s not necessary. Maybe you’re going for a reaction here, but I’m not going to give you the satisfaction of that reaction.’

No I didn’t agree with the judging. I didn’t agree with the results. I didn’t agree with a lot of the things that were said to me on stage that day. Yes, a part of me was wanting to bring out [Canada’s Drag Race] episode four Melinda back on stage and probably that would have made an iconic TV moment, but no, I wasn’t going to be that girl who wasn’t able to get her s*** together. And it’s RuPaul! RuPaul is due the respect, no matter my feelings, no matter anyone’s feelings and opinions. RuPaul created this platform for all of us and she deserves utmost respect. I wasn’t about to disrespect her in her own house. Was I happy? No. But was I about to disrespect my mother? No.

We know that the next episode is the Snatch Game, which you famously did well on during Canada’s Drag Race. Who were you planning to be?

It was going to be bats*** crazy again. I mean, if anything, it’s being bats*** crazy that I specialise in. That’s why I wasn’t so pressed about being on the top right away because I’m like, ‘Ooh, the next few challenges, I know I can bring it to Snatch Game.’ I was ready for Snatch Game. I was ready for the girl group challenge. I prepared months before this just with the idea that I could possibly be back on an All Stars season, because everyone just kept talking about it. I got ready months before this.

I researched several [Snatch Game] characters. I’m not going to reveal them because I want to bring that character back on TV if I do make it to another season. But I was prepared. I went to dance classes. I took dance classes probably four or five months before: ballet, jazz, technique. I was ready. I was confident.

RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs The World season three continues on BBC Three, BBC iPlayer and WOW Presents Plus every Tuesday.

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