“RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 10” has once again, revolutionized the “All Stars” format, and that is in large part to the bracket format.
Seeing performers return for their Ru-demption six at at a time gives us an opportunity to focus on returning queens, while giving them a bit more room to breathe, interact-and-battle in the Werk Room. Bracket Two showcased Tina Burner, Mistress Isabelle Brooks, Nicole Paige Brooks, Lydia B. Kollins, Kerri Colby, and Jorgeous, and while Tina, Kerri and Nicole have not moved forward to the semi-finals they still have plenty to say about their “All Stars 10” experience. I sat down to chat with them about the point distribution and the fallout during their bracket and returning for their own individual Ru-demptions.
“RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 10” is a smash hit with the fans. How does it feel for you to be on the inside and watching this reaction as it plays out?
Kerri Colby: Honey, it just does not get better than this!
Putting Mistress Isabelle Brooks, Tina Burner and Nicole Paige Brooks in one bracket truly was a stroke of casting genius. We also got to see Tina Burner completely shine and get that much deserved Ru-demption. Tina, how does it feel for you?
Tina Burner: It feels great, I'm just happy. I knew when I went back that there was nothing more that I could have done. It was one of those moments in life where I felt that my look was correct, what I performed was correct, every challenge that I did was correct and it felt nice to finally have that confidence to be able to be so confident about my choices.
So do you think that your elevated confidence is truly what changed the game for you this time around on All Stars?
TB: In New York, I have worked many many years doing many shows and I had reached that glass ceiling there. To break through and do something like “RuPaul's Drag Race” on Season 13 and have people comment on many different things. It wasn't the package that I wanted to bring because of COVID and this and that. To get a second chance to have grown with my makeup and my style where I have learned different things and watching these girls. Going on Season 13, I got to be around other people that did such amazing things. I got to learn and take a step back and re-look at myself. After 15 years in drag, for me I like to push myself. That is what I did pageants for and that's what I did this for. I think it's just the zero fucks era, I am doing it for me now; everything.
Kerri, You have done “RuPaul's Drag Race,” you were part of Slaycation on WOW Presents Plus and even entered a new phase of your career as a DJ! What was it like returning to “All Stars 10” after all that you have accomplished?
KC: I think I just wanted and manifested to have a shot at “Drag Race” where I could give people "me" as I always wanted to be received. It takes work, especially as a trans woman. I feel like I am a testament to there being nothing wrong with being in transition, it is a beautiful journey. There is also nothing more beautiful than seeing that caterpillar turn into a butterfly and come back and float all over the screen and share light. Some people have said that I was competing on a whole different show, and you know what? Maybe they're right (laughs)!
Nicole Paige Brooks, the fans have been waiting for you to return for well over a decade and the fans have absolutely fallen in love with you. What was it like returning to an entirely different “Drag Race” as you returned for All Stars?
Nicole Paige Brooks: I celebrated my 15-year anniversary from being away from the show and my 30-year anniversary of being in drag in February. I think it's a great reintroduction and I think it's perfect timing. I always believe that things happen for a reason. I was the number 10 queen in the room and I'm on “All Stars 10.” It's just great timing and I think that the audience is ready for a breath of fresh air and a fresh point of view on drag. It's less about the aesthetic and actually having a personality. Some of these girls packed up all the drag in the world and spent their house payment on it and I brought a personality.
Tina, you and Mistress Isabelle Brooks instantly seemed to have a prickly relationship that had its ups and downs. When you initially saw her in the Werk Room did you want to squash any potential beef right off the bat?
TB: My thing is this, I don't ever back down. I believe that yes, some things are done in jest, but it's also a game. How I am presented, what we do, how well we do it, that all affects all of our careers for good and for bad. It's a job at the end of the day. It's how you are portrayed and one thing that I wanted people to know is that I don't back down. I am not going to let someone just sit there and bully me for the sake of it and mess with me and mess with the game.
That is what was interesting with this though, we didn't know how this game was going to play out and then people played a dirty game. That's fine, but I left knowing that I didn't and I will hold true to that. I didn't put people above me because of it; I played fair. Maybe it didn't get me where I needed to go but at the end of the day, the fans see it so I'm not the one that has to worry about it.
You were very firm throughout the competition of not letting Mistress write your narrative during your time on “All Stars 10.”
TB: No, and I wasn't going to let them. Mistress is very good at writing all of our narratives. She tries to bend the rules and she tries to just "do her" and it wasn't that. This is “All Stars,” this is all of us; this is not just Mistress. I was not afraid to put my foot down.
Kerri, the final runway when you each revealed your MVQ points and Mistress did not give you that point was a gag-worthy moment. What did you think as that moment played out?
KC: Well it definitely goes without saying that I took a break from talking to Mistress for quite some time. But we worked it out, we worked it out on the remix right before we filmed for promos; so she and I are good. It kind of shook me because it kind of reminded me of people who didn't have good intentions for me when I was growing up. I think even with the first time and the shady thing with the points, it really took me to a place of being quiet and shocked. Like, "Wait did someone just lie to me and they said that they're my sister? What just happened, why do I feel like Khloe Kardashian?" Mistress kept telling me, "I got your back, I'm gonna make it right, I owe you" since the first episode. I was like "A) Yes you do and B) I need to see it.”
I already felt like there was a lot of talk but I didn't see any action unless it was action for her. I kind of was expecting it and I knew when I made my decision, I think her silent understanding was that I was gonna give her a point, she was gonna give me a point and kind of like, "I gave Kerri her point, big whoop, she gave me my point cause I'm moving on." At first I was kinda down with it during episode 1 and then when she did me dirty I was like, "I'm don't think I'm doing that." Then after Episode 2, I was like, "You know what, no. If you're gonna do me dirty, I'm gonna identify as a mirror." I identify as a lot of things, she, her, female and mirror. I will absolutely match what you give me. If you wanna call me a fake fucking bitch, in that case I'm gonna own it; yes I am, happy to be so. I'm reclaiming my time.
Nicole, I think you got a crash course in how “Drag Race” can work now during the first points exchange, do you think that's fair to say?
NPB: Yeah. She was so heavy on the whole "Auntie" and the Haus of Brooks connection from the moment that I walked in. I was handing it to Kerri because I saw the little conversation that they were having and I was like "This ain't right." Then she went on for another 45 minutes and talked me back into the Haus of Brooks with my point, but fool me once. I'm sure you saw that that was the end of that.
Tina what is one thing that you got to learn from Kerri that you admire greatly?
KC: If you watch Kerri, we know that Kerri is beautiful. We know that Kerri can be spicy and throw it down too. It was amazing to be able to spend time with Kerri and know how kind she was. How she can have those moments of being fragile and open. Just working with Kerri and being able to create that sisterhood, it was someone that I was able to trust. In the drag community it's hard to do that with people. Even though we were playing a game, I didn't feel the lack of trust that I felt obviously… I knew what Jorgeous would do, I knew what Mistress would do. I just know with my sisters, with Nicole and Kerri, I felt that trust, which is a hard thing to earn in this community. It's just beautiful to watch Kerri grow over the last couple of years, and the confidence inside and out. It's a beautiful thing to see.
Kerri, what do you think you learned the most about Nicole Paige Brooks?
KC: Nicole is someone that I have always kind of looked up to. I think for me, coming from Dallas I came from being homeless, kicked out by my parents and early seasons of ”Drag Race” were kind of who raised me. I always gravitated towards people who had certain personality traits that I related to. Alyssa Edwards, Nicole, Kylie Sonique Love, the list is endless. Really ironic characters that no matter what description you give them: drag, gay, influencer, pop star, movie actress-at the end of the day, they are iconic and any shoe you give them, they make look good, the shoe doesn't make them look good.
I always felt that from Nicole even from her early days filming with WOW Presents Plus back in the day, she's the queen of the crossdressers. It's one of those things though, where they say, "Don't meet your icons" because you never know if you might get disappointed. I expected to meet that and learn from that meeting Nicole in the season. Actually working with her, she is so much more than that. She is not just the queen of the crossdressers, she is She-sus Christ in heels! I was hoping to have a lot of fun with this bracket and people ask me what I thought about filming because little shady things happened. I've never had more fun in my life and I've never had a better experience because at the end of the day, we were sisters and we had girls like Tina and Nicole with us.
Nicole, what do you think you learned from Tina Burner?
NPB: To be honest, Tina was the one that I thought that I thought I would be the least close with and I left closest to her. I think maybe my age and our family connections that we had on the show, but also we both came back having something to prove that we are still valid and contributing to the “Drag Race” franchise and the drag community. I think that is something we really related on. I just think that she came in guns a blazing and Tina really turned it for me. I just love and adore her.
Follow Tina Burner on Instagram @thetinaburner
Follow Nicole Paige Brooks on Instagram @nicolepaigebrooks
Follow Kerri Colby on Instagram @kerricolby
