Heidi N Closet on returning to TV, Drag Race divas and her true feelings about Nicki Minaj

RuPaul’s Drag Race icon Heidi N Closet is back on our screens for Drag House Rules season two. It marks her first major television appearance since she self-eliminated early in All Stars 8 in 2023.

Drag House Rules, which debuted on Canadian channel OUTtv last year, sees a group of drag icons compete in a reality competition, only it’s a scripted, satirical version of series we all know and love.

The star-studded cast of season two includes Heidi N Closet, Angeria Paris VanMicheals, BeBe Zahara Beneit, Jujubee, Plane Jane, Salina EsTitties, Sapphira Cristál, Scarlet Envy, Tammie Brown and Trinity the Tuck, as well as legendary queen Sherry Vine.

PinkNews sat down with Heidi ahead of the launch of the show on 21 May, to talk about her return to television, the biggest divas on set, and, of course, how she really feels about Nicki Minaj, after her support of President Trump.

PinkNews: Heidi! Drag House Rules season two… what made you decide to take part?

Heidi N Closet: Honestly? It was a job [laughs] It’s very important to me to be visible, especially during this time. So when I was asked to go, I was like, ‘You know what, let’s do it.’ And I haven’t exercised my acting chops in a while. So I was like, let’s do it, because the show is scripted. And I was like, ‘You know what? I think I can do something with this’. And you know what, you’re gonna see it on TV every week, trust and believe.

PinkNews: As you say, this show is scripted, which is a very different format than fans are used to seeing you on. How did you feel going into filming?

Heidi N Closet: I was really excited. Any kind of filming day, regardless of it’s scripted or if it’s not, I just love having fun on set with the crew and the people in the show, and filming Drag House Rules was just more of that. I got to bond with a lot of the girls, me and Trinity, we’ve done a couple projects together and stuff. Love, my black sister, SheDevilByNight… Sorry, I had to [laughs] Getting the opportunity to do this and to be visible during these crazy times, it was the right move. I was like, ‘Yeah, let’s do it. Let’s go have fun with it.’ And of course, I was the correct choice to do it.

PinkNews: Absolutely! And it is a weird time right now for the LGBTQ+ community, but this show is a really fun display of queerness. How important was it for you to be involved in a show like this?

Heidi N Closet: I feel like for queer people, it’s always been like a pendulum. It’s a swing back and forth. We go through waves of being accepted and being like, it’s OK to be gay, and then it swings back the other way. And I feel like at this moment in time, we are in that swing back, unfortunately, because of the crazy regime that we’re living in. Just just being visible, like growing up, there wasn’t that many people on TV like me, like Brown, Black, and gay, flamboyant. Just being able to be that. And then for some small town queer person that will see me who came from a small town, they can see themselves in me and see that they can do great things and go out there and do whatever they want in the world. Especially when we’re trying to be shushed and scooted back into the closet, it’s very important to be visible so people know it’s OK to be loud. It’s OK to be vibrant, flamboyant, homosexual.

PinkNews: You mention your All Stars 8 early exit on the show, why did you decide now was the right time to make your TV comeback?

Heidi N Closet: I feel like it was time. I took a little break off from the TV moments. I wouldn’t say break, I’ve been a couple things since then. She’s done a couple things here and there. But I feel like, in this capacity, it’s been a while, and it was the time, it was like, ‘You know what? Let’s dust off the ruby slippers’, you know?

PinkNews: And what a way to come back, with some Drag Race icons on Drag House Rules! Was there anyone you were most excited to work with?

Heidi N Closet: I would probably say it was Angeria, she’s one of my girls. She’s a southern girl like me. We’re both kind of stupid and goofy and stuff. Trinity, as well. On the flip side, I was nervous work with some of the girls. I was nervous to work with Plane Jane. I hadn’t met her before. Lo and behold, we ended up liking each other. Oh God, I was so disappointed to myself, I was like, ‘Oh God, I like her, no!’

PinkNews: The show also includes queens from outside the Drag Race franchise that younger fans might not know. How was it working with Sherry Vine?

Heidi N Closet: It was such an incredible experience to get to work with her. There was one day in the dressing room, before shooting and stuff, we were just getting ready, and I liked chatting with her, and I had to take a second. I was like, ‘Listen, I want to take a second to say thank you for all that you and your generation did for us, because of what y’all did, I’m able to do what I’m doing now, and I’m happy that you’re able to be a part of this as well and do it with us’. She loved that. I was like, the legends love me! I can’t help it! But it was incredible getting to work with a legend in the community, and someone who’s been doing it for so long. She’s sweet as pie, not Sherry Pie, but she’s sweet as pie. Not that, we don’t do that, we don’t do that Sherry, but Sherry Vine was incredible.

PinkNews: You’re known for being naturally funny. How was it doing scripted comedy?

Heidi N Closet: Honestly, it was a lot of fun. Like you said, I am very naturally off the bat, kind of where my humour draws from. And luckily, John Mark [Hostetler], he was the director, writer and choreographer for some of the stuff as well, he allowed us to have a little bit of freedom with it. It was scripted, but he let us free-fall a little bit. So he’s like, put your pzazz on it and live in the moment and just take it all in. I feel like that definitely helped, because I feel like sometimes having to say something verbatim, it can come off not as natural when someone’s acting. Being able to be like, ‘Can I put this in my words?’ It can make all the difference. For some people, it definitely helped, for sure…

PinkNews: Was there anything that surprised you about the filming process?

Heidi N Closet: Yeah, I’m a natural. I just, I was so shocked and surprised. I’m kind of good at this, I’m kind of eating the girls up, actually [laughs] I’ll just say, some girls needed the script, some girls did not. I’ll say that.

PinkNews: So speaking of the other girls, who were the divas on set?

Heidi N Closet: All of them, the lot of them. We’re drag queens, and I don’t know how I ended up in this field of work, because I love being on time. Being a drag queen, a lot of times it’s not on time. There’s some girls that take a little bit longer on their makeup, even though it doesn’t look it. Sometimes I’m like, ‘Well, girls, y’all need to hurry up, like how I start last and get ready first? That’s crazy.’ But I wouldn’t say there were no divas. There was some manipulative production people behind the scenes [coughs] Jujubee, but, you know, that was also scripted, but she played the hell out that part. I was like, ‘You feel like one of the real reproducers girl. You scared me!’

PinkNews: So how was it working with Jujubee, as she’s playing one of the producers?

Heidi N Closet: It was a lot of fun. I know Jujubee from touring with her and seeing her out at gigs and stuff. So we’ve always been like that kind of relationship. Seeing her embody this manipulative, kind of shiesty crazy woman, I was like, ‘Yeah, I like this’. It was a fun dynamic. It was fun. It was really cute.

PinkNews: We can’t not ask about Nicki Minaj after you had your moment in Drag Race season 12. Did you feel anything off with her even then?

Heidi N Closet: Something in the hair on my arm, it stood up. I could feel the tension. We lost one. We lost ‘MAGA Minaj’, it’s so unfortunate. But at least we know where she stands now, and there we have it. It’s quite a shame.

PinkNews: Finally, you’re a real favourite among drag fans. What advice would you give to Drag Race contestants hoping to make as much of an impact as you?

Heidi N Closet: Just be yourself. Have fun with it and just be happy and grateful for everything that’s coming your way. When you’re on set with the people, remember that they’re people, and you’re all there to do a job, just make it as easy as possible. Because if it’s easy for everyone, it’ll just go with emotion, and it’ll go by so fast, and it won’t be a difficult thing at all.

This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

Drag House Rules S2 premieres on 21^st May, 2026 on OUTflix, and on OUTflix Proud via Freeview in the UK.

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