02x06 - Tia Kofi

[bunniefuu]

- [Veronica] I should
really be getting ready.

- [Tia] No, let's talk
about time travel more.

What would you do if you
could travel in time?

- [Veronica] Oh, it's a spicy one.

- Go on, say it.

- Well, I'd probably get

a 10 grand loan, and
come back to Drag Race

with amazing outfits, and not get COVID!

- Oh, I was gonna say
prevent global genocides,

but you do that, that's fine.

- Oh yeah, sorry, yeah.

(Veronica slurping)

(dramatic music)

- [Lawrence] Welcome everyone,

to the "RuPaul's Drag
Race UK" season 2 tour!

(audience cheering)

- It's showtime!

(Joe laughs)

(upbeat beat)

(audience cheering)

- We probably won't ever
all be together again.

This is the only time
we can say thank you.

- Oh my God!

I saw ball.

- We're selling out every place we go,

and they're getting to
see drag at the finest.

- Fancy a slice?
- Slice!

- It's gonna be a wild show.

- [Drag Queen] It's amazing.

- Do you feel like Tommy Lee?

- I've never been involved in
a production this big before.

- [Drag Queen] Best drag
show you're gonna see.

(cameras clicking)

- [Tia] I wanna get out there
and perform for everyone

who's been kind, and supportive
throughout the whole show.

So that's the motivating factor for me.

- [Crowd] God shave the queens!

(crowd cheering)

♪ Bring it up, bring it up right now ♪

♪ Bring it up right now ♪

- [Tia] That's like, really gutting.

Oh, you just told me, oh.

- Honestly, it's fine.

We've got the mirror downstairs.

- My name's Lawrence.

Not the one who won, but
my drag name is Tia Kofi.

(upbeat music)

Reveal!

It's not a reveal, soz.

(Lawrence laughs)

Life has changed
massively since Drag Race.

I mean, it's absolutely amazing.

The platform that we've
had off the back of it

means that we can travel
across the UK, and the world.

And we get to perform for
audiences who seem to,

for some reason, care that we exist,

which makes no sense to me.

I don't understand why
just going on television

means that people care more about you

as a human existing, but
thanks, I appreciate it.

I think there are loads of pressures

that come with going out on tour.

For me, I really don't
like being away from home

for that long, and
we're gone for 41 dates.

(upbeat music)

I think I'm the most
hyper-emotional person

out of this entire cast of people.

But, it's also a lot of pressure

in terms of being away from home

for that amount of time.

I wanna do it.

I wanna be there every single day,

every single performance.

And I really wanna sort of enjoy

this incredible opportunity,

but I mean, it's really hard.

And I feel really lucky

that I have people in this cast

who I consider to be genuine friends,

who I know support me, and care about me,

and will have those conversations
time and again with me

where they're like, "How are you?"

And I'm like, you know how you're meant

to just say, "I'm fine?"

I'm like, "Well actually,
last night I couldn't sleep,

"and I'm just thinking about
whether or not this means that,

"and whether or not this."

There are people who will
literally listen to me do that.

And I appreciate them very much.

- [Director] Major.

Okay, same thing again.

It's getting there, thank you.

(people chattering)

- I'm going full out.

I'm not a dancer.

I think people think of me as a camp cow

from Drag Race dressed
as an ice cream cone.

- [Michelle] Tia, no!

- Or a pterodactyl, whichever you prefer.

- It does look a bit pidgeony.

- I think the best thing about our season

is that everyone's completely different,

and has their own niche.

But, there's definitely the vibe

that you constantly get
compared to other people.

- As Baroness Basic, you have elected,

Tia Kofi!

(Tia laughs)
- Oh!

- Especially sort of
out in the real world,

people make a lot of comments about,

oh you've had a glow up.

You're not basic anymore.

And I was like, yeah.

That's kind of hard to hear,

'cause people mean it as a compliment,

but I'm like, that does not feel great.

It's also weird how
people remember the show.

They really misremember
things that happened,

which is sometimes nice.

'Cause loads of people think I came fifth,

and I'm like, work.

I placed seventh.

Good for me.

So you're saying I'm the star of the show?

- You're amazing.
- Thank you so much.

I should've won, that's so kind.

I think a lot of us

maybe have that influence of being like,

okay, this is what I need to show.

'Cause my whole intro, I'm
like time for the glow up,

because that's what everyone
sort of has pushed me towards,

and what I feel like I need to deliver.

But, I just really enjoy the fact

that I get to sing my own song.

But I think a lot of people don't know

that I spend a lot of time in
the studio, recording music.

Writing, as well, which I'm
really, really passionate about,

and like, making some meaningful bops

for everyone to have a little boogie to.

And now I get to do it
out in the real world.

- And seeing Tia become
the biggest pop princess,

and Tia genuinely loves
it, and you can tell.

- I love Tia, I love her, I do.

She really is amazing.

And she has every right,

and she really deserves
to be where she is.

Yeah, and she always
says that she's basic,

but I do not think that she's basic.

- They're not doing pop music

just because it needs to be popular music.

Tia's genuine passion is pop music,

and I think that's so clear.

And why they do it so well.

So, so well.

(queens cheering)

- Yes!
- Woo!

- Oh, she's a-
- Oh, she's a cow.

- She's a camp old cow.

- You were amazing.
- Was that all right?

- [Joe] Yeah, it was amazing.

- I am actually like,
genuinely really nervous.

- No, you shouldn't be, that
was (censored) beautiful.

- I just don't wanna be rubbish.

- No, it was beautiful.

- Yeah?

- [Joe] Beautiful, very proud.

- It's terrifying, 'cause of the fans.

- They're all very nice.
- I don't wanna the fans down.

- You're not!

- I know.

- [Joe] You're gonna give
'em everything and more,

and then she'll k*ll 'em.

- Sorry, did I just interrupt something?

- Loved you on coach trip.
- Thank you.

(upbeat music)

- Yes!

Ready as I'll ever be.

I'm quite excited.

Our job is here to entertain the crowds,

and all of that kind of thing.

So hopefully, they will be entertained.

I hate doing five minutes.

It's really stressful,

because I'm used to doing
full hour long shows, or more.

So I'm actually pretty anxious

about getting it right in that moment.

I came off last night,
and my costume had broken,

and things had gone wrong,

and it was sort of causing
me mad anxiety, bro.

But, the kind and congenial
winner of season two,

Lawrence Chaney, has sewn
a new zip into my costume.

We practiced it.

We're feeling like it's gonna stay on.

It's not gonna break.

So, I'm feeling a lot less anxious,

thanks to the kindness
of the other Lawrence.

Thank you so much for your time.

Please join us again for the next act,

Veronica Green.

(upbeat music)

(queens chattering)

- Amazing, but.

(queens shouting)

- I just, I'm just a normal person.

Do you know what I mean?

I'm just a regular human being

with complex thoughts,
feelings, and emotions

that do not come out of
me in the form of noise.

What?

Oh, Loz-a-tron!

- Loz-a-tron.

- Winner of season two, Loz-a-tron.

- Oh my god, I saw ball!

Oh my god, the way I saw ball.

Oh my god!

- Lawrence Chaney saw my ball.

Pop it inside me.

Bit of Dutch courage.

- Oh!

- She's very self deprecating,

to the point of low self-confidence,

and she literally does not realize

how much of a star she is.

- God, it feels like going back to school.

- Yeah?

- Like I feel like I've gone back,

and I'm getting all these feelings of,

your (censored), your
drag should be better,

all of that kinda thing.

No one's saying it.

I'm saying it to myself in my head.

I keep doing it, 'cause I
don't want to let anyone down.

I feel like there's so many people

who are so supportive,

and I wanna get out there
and perform for everyone

who's been like kind, and supportive,

and amazing throughout the whole show.

So, that's the motivating factor for me.

Everyone's waited for this.

- [Veronica] Yeah.

- We've literally done,
the show aired a year ago.

We started filming it like, two years ago.

- [Veronica] Yeah.

- Everyone's waiting for this.

We've been waiting for this,

the audience have been waiting for this.

And when I get out there, and I'm like,

oh, I feel like I've let people down.

It's the most triggering.

It takes me back to
being on the main stage,

and crying because like Tayce is pretty,

and I look like a thumb with rosy cheeks.

And I know no one thinks that.

No one thinks that when
they're watching it.

- You don't look like a thumb at all.

- Right now?

Right now?
- Yeah.

More like a middle finger.

(Veronica chuckles)

- I don't hold back from explaining

that I'm really
hyper-emotional in any moment.

You will get every single
thought that's happening

in my head right now.

My wig's gonna fall
off during this number,

and do you know what I'm gonna do?

Finish the number.

- Okay, thank you so much, babe.

- Tia's very shy as a person out of drag,

but, in drag she's very outgoing,

And very screaming on
the microphone, you know?

But there's something about her,

she just comes alive on stage.

I just wish she wasn't as insecure.

But my mothering instincts,
I love helping her out.

- Let Lawrence have a look.

He's good with the seams and stuff.

So this is stuck in here,
if that makes sense?

Do you wanna come inside a sec?

Let's see if Lawrence-
- Do you wanna have a cig?

You wanna have a cigarette
while I'm looking at it?

- Is that all right?
- Yeah.

- Are you okay going out like that?

- Tia is a barrel of nerves.

An absolute barrel of nerves, always is.

And I don't understand
why, 'cause she's fabulous,

and she's amazing,

and she's always
trembling with the nerves.

You know, you don't have to get nervous,

if you stay nervous, and
that's anxiety for ya.

- Do you know what?

You're right, actually.

If the wig comes off, what's gonna happen?

They'll be like, oh it
was a wig the whole time.

They literally just saw that my hair

isn't naturally lime green-

- Tia shut up!

- Yeah.

I just can't sort of switch it off,

unless I'm on stage.

That's the moment when it's
like, okay, you're ready.

You're about to go on.

Switch off the noise of the world,

and just sort of focus on the job,

and be completely in the moment.

It's like, being on stage
is entirely immersive.

It's like a bubble with
you and the audience.

- Yeah, I got really nervous.
- Oh, it's me.

(crowd cheering)

- That's my cue.
- Crush it!

I am serving you an adequate dress,

made of materials, that is on my body.

Vintage?

No.

Elegance?

No.

Still stuck on me?

Just about.

(audience cheering)

What am I channeling into my performance?

It's a weird thing,

'cause I feel like everyone
who ends up on Drag Race

is kind of like the
Beyonce in their own area.

I think I planned my performance.

I was like, right.

I'm gonna go out there,
I'm gonna be fierce.

I'm gonna give the
children what they want.

And then I got out there,
and I was just like, oh camp!

Dance break!

I don't know, I just
feel like I'm being me.

That's what I'm giving in my performance.

I wanna do the best that I can do

for the people who wanna
watch me on that stage.

(camera clicks)
(crowd cheering)

Ooh, sexy.

I'm being sexy, hang on.

So, the song that I do
in the middle of my set

is "Outside In," which is my own song

that I released when I was
eliminated from the show.

There was someone in the front row

who I particularly caught the eye of,

'cause they'd come to the meet and greet,

and they were in the front
row singing along every word.

And I was like, I can't
believe that this has happened.

I now get these amazing opportunities,

and chances, and people are
enjoying what I'm serving.

Serving that freshly brewed Tia Kofi

♪ Without you ♪
(crowd cheering)

Love you all, keep it basic!

(crowd cheering)

- Hey, how'd it go?
- It was honestly,

this was so much better than last night.

I just,

I just didn't care as much,

and I just decided that this was

how I wanted the show to go.

So this is how the show's going,

and I love it!

So much better!

I don't want the pressure
of people telling me

that I'm doing things wrong,

because I don't care anymore.

I'm free to be whoever I want to be.

That's the whole point of the show

is that we get to go on that stage,

and actually represent ourselves.

And I felt this unbelievable pressure

of trying to be what the
friends want, the friends?

They are my friends.

The fans want the glow up to be,

and what everyone else

who's put the show
together wants this to be.

And I was like, oh my God, wait.

I can actually just go out there,

and have fun, and be myself,

and that's everything that I wanna do,

and that's what I did.

And today, I don't hate myself.

(Tia belches)

(person chuckling)

Thank you.

(upbeat music)

Who am I out of drag?

That's a great question.

I don't know.

Do I know?

Who am I?

Are they separate things?

I dunno, 'cause I feel like drag

is just like my opportunity
to fully be myself.

Like, I just get to be free, and be me.

- [Lawrence] Make some noise for Tia Kofi!

(crowd cheering)

(upbeat music)

- I think drag is a truthful
representation of yourself.

You get to sort of explore things.

It's like everything that's in here

gets to come out, and
come to life on stage.

It's pretty fun.

(crowd cheering)

I've never thought about
the cutoff point of drag,

'cause the way I grew up, there isn't one.

You've got like people
like Maisie Trollette

who's 90, maybe?

And still doing drag.

Still gets, sort of, to turn up

and look gorgeous and
glamorous and perform.

I think that's amazing,

'cause it's all part of q*eer history.

Drag does sort of carry with it

the history of the q*eer community

in the country that it's in.

- Do you feel like Tommy Lee?

(fans laughing)

I feel like Pamela.

- I kind of like being a little,
tiny chunk of that history.

(upbeat music)