Drag Race UK’s Zahirah Zapanta on her relationship with Mariah Balenciaga and Kate Butch: ‘That’s my baby’

Move aside Eliminaysha Lopez, it’s Safehirah Zapanta’s time. After five episodes of being chronically safe, Zahirah Zapanta is the fifth queen of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs the World season three to sashay away.

On the bright side, coming in sixth place isn’t half bad for someone who got the call to return to Drag Race while her original season, Drag Race UK season six, was still airing. “When I got the call, I was like, what? I was shook!” Zahirah tells PinkNews, hours after her elimination.

Thankfully, her time on UK vs the World season three has been far more memorable than her season six stint, even if she never got the top spot she was so keen for. She delivered one of the season’s tensest moments with Kate Butch after Sminty Drop’s shock elimination, gave us yet another bizarre UK vs the World season three lip-sync to Boney M’s “Rasputin”, and formed one of the season’s sweetest bonds, with Mariah Paris Balenciaga. She tells us all about her wild ride.

PinkNews: Hey Zahiiiiiiirah! How are you feeling after your elmination?

Zahirah Zapanta: I feel a sense of relief, like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Throughout the competition, as it was going further and further, [fans] wanted me to excel [and] get that top placement. We filmed this a year ago now and I knew that I was chronically safe. The fact that I knew that I couldn’t give the fans what they wanted, it was really weighing on me. I can just sort of let the competition go now. It’s actually a massive relief. 

Sixth place though? That’s a win.

Being on this show was such a win in the beginning from season six. To be invited back pretty much straight away was incredible. I got the call while my season was still airing. I got eliminated on episode four of season six, and then whilst it was airing I got the call [during] episode seven. Then I had eight weeks between season six [and this season] to come up with a new mug, new hair, elevated branding, having that All Stars glow up. I feel like I achieved that!

You came back to UK vs the World with a renewed attitude and more confidence. Was that because you were on the show with your Manchester sister Sminty Drop? What was your mentality coming into this season?

For season six I expected to be cast, however I didn’t expect to win. I felt like it was the beginning of my stardom. However, I knew that it wasn’t my season. Coming into [UK vs the World], getting that call and getting that recognition, I definitely took the critiques on board from season six and wanted to apply that to [this season]. All Stars has always definitely been on the cards since season six in my heart and in my head. I just didn’t think it would be so soon. When I got the call, I was like, what? I was shook. 

You mentioned being chronically safe. As viewers, we could see you started out being frustrated by that, and then you seemed to lean into the humour of it. How do you feel about your track record, and which challenges did you want to get a top placement in?

I mean, Safehirah is a brand now I guess! Safehiiiiirah! In terms of the challenges that I wanted to excel in, definitely Girl Groups. I thought I deserved a top placement. Definitely the Ball, I thought I excelled in [it]. Even the RuRuvision Song Contest; the reason why I felt so strongly about getting critiqued and having a top placement for that was because [during] the full-length version of the song, RuPaul just kept tapping on the judges’ table, cackling. I wasn’t trying to be crazy and be like, ‘[The Only] Naomy, you don’t deserve this.’ I just wanted to have a top spot as well with her. Backstage the queen the queens would be like: ‘Oh this is your week! This is your week to win!’ To be called out first to be safe on the judges’ panel I was like, ‘Oh I guess this is the storyline.’

One of the very best things to come from this season is your connection with Mariah Paris Balenciaga, as her biggest fan.

That’s my baby. Seriously, we talk all the time. It’s gone from this sort of fan met senior mentality to literally [us being] good friends. We talk and we FaceTime and I can’t wait to see her very soon. We’re going to be working on a lot of different stuff in the future. I think the friendship that we have built based on just me being a little fan, it’s so beautiful and I’m glad that that was really showcased throughout the season. She may have gone further and won that lip-sync, however if there was anyone who was going to go further than me and take my spot in the competition, I’m so happy that it’s Mariah. She deserves it. I feel like she’s really knocked it out the park. I’m so proud of her.

Are you genuinely a Mariah Paris Balenciaga encyclopedia, or are you just a big Drag Race fan?

Both! I’ve always loved what Mariah stood for. When she came out in [her] season three entrance with that long 40-inch pony[tail], horse legs, face card, mug for days, I was instantly hooked. I’m just a big Drag Race fan in general. 

One queen you seemed to have a less-than-perfect relationship with was Kate Butch. After you called her out for not giving Sminty the Chippy Tea, how did your relationship develop from there? How are you both now?

I was shook when Sminty got axed [and] not given the Chippy Tea. That choice did shake me up a little bit [in terms of how] the rest of the competition was gonna pan out. However, since that moment we just bonded so much more. Her jokes are so British. It’s such a different humour to me because my humour is very silly. Backstage she would tell me all of these jokes and I would be the one howling and cackling because Serena [Morena] is over there being horny, then Gawdland’s over in the corner screaming, Fontana’s like… ‘Bucket!’ and I’m just there sat with Mariah and Kate on either side, laughing at Kate’s jokes and awing at Mariah.

You’ve been part of such a great cast and season.

It’s been such an amazing season. This season kind of feels like a fever dream. Lip-syncing to “Rasputin” in that damn mullet? I don’t know what’s going through my mind because I have never looked so dog in my life. In my drag career that is the peak dog drag that I’ve ever done. I cringed but I low-key love it!

During the lip-sync, your wig almost fell off. What was that moment like for you?

I should have put a bobby pin in, damn! Was there not pins in the Werk Room? Zahirah, you know better. I’ll give you a pass for putting that damn ugly wig on, however, I will not forgive you for not putting a damn pin on that damn head.

You didn’t even see, I took a while putting that wig [back] on my head because I wasn’t about to lip-sync bald-headed. It is what it is!

This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs The World continues on BBC iPlayer and WOW Presents Plus on Tuesdays.

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