02x03 - Ginny Lemon

[bunniefuu]

- [Lawrence] Yeah, it's been sh*t.

Yeah, tonight's been sh*t.

- I like that everyone
else has gone wrong.

I got caught in my
feather boa yesterday and

this time I was like, I'm throwing it

before I go down the stairs

and I made best decision.
- That's a good thing.

That's drag isn't it?

You learn from your mistakes.

- Just f*ck it. Well...

(laughs)

Doesn't she look f*cking beautiful?

- Yeah.

- Somebody say drag?

- You wanted drag?
- No.

- Let's do some drag!

(airy music)

- [Lawrence] Welcome everyone to

the RuPaul's Drag Race UK Season 2 tour!

(audience cheers)

- It's show time!

(laughs)

(energetic music)

- [A'Whora] 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.

(energetic music)

- [Bimini] We're selling
out every place we go

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

- Fancy a slice?!

(zealous music)

- It's gonna be a wild show.

(thrilling music)

- [Joe] It's amazing.

- Do you feel like Tommy Lee?

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

- [Ellie] The best drag
show you've ever seen.

(cameras clicking)

(energetic music)

- [Ginny] It's great to have
such an amazing reaction

because having that moment,
seeing all of those lights

it really makes me think I've done it!

(music crescendos)

- [Audience] God Shave the Queens!

(audience cheering)

(bass drum pounding)

- I know I've got loads of time here.

Could've done this for ages.

I could've finished that drink!

This is just stupid!

(lively electronic music)

- Hiya babs.

Have I said fancy a slice yet?

Fancy a slice?!

(camera crew laughs)

(lively electronic music)

I have no idea who Ginny Lemon is.

No, Ginny Lemon is an icon.

(tongue clicks)

(congregants laughing)

- Hiya
- Hey

I think Ginny Lemon for me is a

kind of a mask that I wear a
creature that I have created.

A very much a living character

which makes me sound like an
absolute... in this jacket.

It's, oh come on. Oh, it's
a character I play, darling.

- Can't believe it. We didn't even

go through the final number. There I was.

I had time for another drink.

I ran around that corner

on my cue.

Never missed a beat. Never once!

One take wonder,

never anything wrong for me.

- I'm definitely not the character I play.

I'm definitely not like the party girl

or doing all the things that I pretend

that I'm doing or, you know.

(laughs)

- I'm not like the other girls, you know,

I'm young, I'm fresh, I'm hip.

- but I, I do enjoy it and I do.

But at the same time, it's like...

I don't know what I'm doing.

- Am I on now? What time is it?

- Ginny, what are you on
about? You've done your act.

- So we've had the first bit?

- Yes.

- Who's now?

- It's Ellie.
- Ellie.

- I'm Lawrence!
- Oh!

(Asttina laughs)

- Sorry.

- This is Ellie.

- I thought Ellie won. Was it you?

- It was me.

- Oh, the other Scottish woman

- Yeah, I'm sorry.

(perky electronic music)

- [Stage Director] Ginny?

- Yes?

(jubilant jazz music)

- Hiya babs, it's me! Ginny Lemon!

Fancy a slice?!

It is. It is fun. Being
back with everybody.

People may have this drama from the past

from the show that happened.

- [RuPaul] The time has
come for you to lip sync

for your life.

(energetic electronic music)

- [Tayce] Ginny Lemon, fancy a slice,

has left the building.

- [Michelle] What just happened?

- She BenDeLaCreme'd herself.

- I've completely forgotten about it.

I have no drama or, or
beef with anyone, but

at the same time, if something's going on

I'll be involved tour
giggles and all that.

(laughs)

That's why I'm still
allowed to do this show.

I told you they don't want me on it.

They've got to have me on it.

(laughs)

(camera crew laughs)

- You could come up to here.

Just be wary.

- And then jump.
- This will all be marked.

- And then sue.

(both laugh)

- I feel good. I feel really good

because it's always nice
to be in, in a theater

getting excited about playing.

Should we do it with the full...

- Yeah.
- Aw yeah.

- [Ginny] Something quite magical

about an empty theater and then seeing it

when it all kind of is populated

with those beautiful faces. So...

(lively music)

This is a bit, we
spiritually fill the space

ready for the, the communion
of drag to come in.

(laughs)

(bright music)

Oh, I think I've been
preparing this tour since

about this morning. You know?

I mean, when you're an icon like me,

you don't have to work
so much as the other

No, I just get to show up and be fabulous

cuz I've a natural born... Um...

What's that rare commodity?
None of the girls have it.

What is it?

Oh yeah, talent!

(lively music)

- What I love most about Ginny

is that they do exactly
what they want to do.

- She's a cr*cker and a half,
but I love her to pieces.

(drum beats)

- [Cherry] Doesn't really
give a f*ck about much.

I love that.

- I said Bru take that
cucumber out your mouth

ya dirty b*tch.

- You never know whether she's

got a problem with you or not.

And it's hard to distinguish when she's

being serious and when she's joking

- [Ginny] Oh, come and gimme a kiss.

- Aw

(lips smacking)

- Go on, you're on. You're on.

- Oh yeah.
- You're bloody on.

- sh*t, sh*t.

- It's Mr. Burns.

I can't believe I've just met Mr. Burns.

- Her sense of humor
is unlike anyone else.

I'm just like, what is going on

in this magical person's head?

- I feel like they're becoming more them.

Well, yeah. Staying as themselves

and just becoming bigger
versions of themselves.

They've not tried to fit in.

- When you've made it, there's Versace.

They've got their Gucci.

I've got my Bradford Exchange.

It's nice. Isn't it?

Made it big now, girls.

- People wouldn't enjoy it
if Ginny was going, you know

proper dances and giving it to them,

they'll enjoy it more
because Ginny's like,

I'm just gonna stand here like that

and let everyone else do the work.

It's the sort of mantra
that I try left by.

(laughs)

- One of the things that
I like to get clear is

that I'm definitely part of it.

I'm not anti-drag race. I'm for it.

What I am for is showing
full representation

of British drag, and as much as I love

and adore and appreciate
that other form of drag.

When it's all about performance, looks,

makeup, fashion. I love that.

However, you know, for me, I wanted to add

to the legacy of drag race and UK drag

and bring that truly unique
sense of humor and outlook.

I started doing drag as a response to the,

the death of my sister.

It was my way of escaping
life and going out there and,

and performing and
forgetting about that really.

Yellow traditionally
is the color of healing

and protection. And at that time

I needed healing and protecting.

So you kind of surround
yourself in that color.

And I always say that my
makeup is a, is an armor.

You know, it's very much,
I do the lines on my face

so I know I'm ready to kind of fight

and go out and attack the
audience in the best possible way.

So this has been six years
since she passed away.

Grief affects people in
so many different ways.

You know, it made me into Ginny Lemon.

But the thing is about my sister,

and I'll tell you this is that
she was an absolute b*stard.

So I'm a b*stard, she's a b*stard.

It runs in the family.

Like we couldn't help ourselves

like the giggles, the laugh,
the playing people up.

Like, so when I go on that stage,

I'm always honoring her

and her spirit anyway, because
without that, you know,

obviously I'd...

I would take it all back

if I could.

And have her back instead of being Ginny.

But I can't. So I'll do that and I'll try

and do that for her as much
as I can. But she'll be,

she'll be watching me in hell right now

(laughs)

For me, it's about using a dark sense

of humor to get through it, you know?

(bright electronic music)

- Hiya, my birthday, my 21st birthday

washing me knickers, eh?

Oh it's ready.

Oh, skidder's still in deffo Sister's.

Oh, me birthday doing that.

I should be sat back
having sushi and champagne,

but well it's tall life,
isn't it? We make do.

- [Assistant] I'll put, I'll remind myself

to come check. All right?

- Do, do that every time.

It's not, no phone's in there.

Do you ever do that?
When you put on a wash

and the first thing I
do once I'll press play,

check me phone it's in there,
but what's just a swig?

No one will tell the
difference. Get outta my fa-

I need champagne!

(bubbly electronic music)

- [Assistant] Time for Ginny's birthday.

We're gonna do something,

and wherever the Cantina is

- Yeah

- [Ellie] Have we got her a cake?

Have we sorted everything out?

- [Assistant] So, we're
gonna get a caterpillar cake

because she's allergic to citrus.

- [Tia] She's allergic to citrus?

- [Assistant] I know the irony.

- Ginny Lemon's allergic to citrus!

Her name is Ginny Lemon. What the f*ck?

- Why did this not come up on the show?

- [Producer] Are you
actually allergic to citrus?

- I, well, you know,
in, in this day and age

it's very hard to say this,
but I'm, I'm just intolerant.

I'm intolerant to citrus.
So I can't actually have it.

So I mean, I'm calling myself
Ginny Lemon, it's a lie.

But I can't call myself
bottle of water, can I?

- I still think we should
give her a little lemon cake.

(everyone laughs)

Make her birthday go with a

(blows raspberry)

(everyone laughs)

- [Veronica] Fancy a slice?

(everyone laughs)
- Whoa!

(energetic electronic music)

(Ginny and fans laugh)

- Okay ready?

- No.

- Happy (indistinct)

(cheers)

It's my birthday!

- So yeah, I had a great
time on my birthday.

(laughs)

Got quite tipsy, but you
know, you're only 21 once.

- Beverages!

Champagne!

- It was made very nice
by everyone around me,

and I, and I had such a great time.

- [Announcer] Make some noise if you

fancy a slice of Ginny Lemon.

(audience cheers)

- I dunno what it is about this tour,

but I'm very much going in
with like this, come on.

So that's why I like to walk
out and take my sweet time.

(audience cheers)

Get all of that applause, do all of this,

and just demand it, you know.

- Am I taking too long?

f*ck off it's me birthday.

(audience laughs)

- [Ginny] I go out every night
and I ravish that audience.

- Sit the f*ck down. What are you doing?

Having a sh*t? For f*ck sake, sit down!

Do you want this?

- Yeah, I do!

- f*ck' buy it then.

(audience laughs)

- Demand for crisps.

- Have you got any crisps?

- Swear at them.

- f*cking popcorn. I said crisps.

- Just attack everybody,
and win everyone's heart.

(audience cheers)

- With you, with you, with you,

with you, all of you!

(audience cheers)

- And then sing a working class anthem.

- DJ, hit it!

(audience cheers)

(chimes twinkle)

- I wanted to do this song
because directly after drag race.

We went into a, you know, lockdown.

I was earning absolutely no money.

I spent my life savings on wigs,

dresses and plastic things.

So I thought, what have I done?

And then I've got no savings.

I've got no money and I've got no work.

What am I gonna do?

And the only thing I
could do was write music

because I was over my overdraft,

and it wasn't until I could,
gigs started opening up.

That was the first song that I sang

to get out of my overdraft. You know?

And it's, as a working
class person for me,

it's imperative to kind of
have that stability. You know?

♪ I am over my overdraft,
I am over my overdraft ♪

- [Sister] I look at Ginny
as an absolute professional.

She's so precise in what
she wants and what she does.

And I know cuz she beats herself up

if she thinks she's done a bad job.

That's how you know that someone's like,

takes their work and
their drag very seriously.

Every night I'll pop my head out

and she's got this sea
of lights, just swaying.

I'm like that b*tch. She's so loved,

and she gets to look at the,
this every single night.

I'm so f*cking proud of her.

♪ There's no pigs ♪

- Whether it's I demand it or
whether they do it naturally

people getting out their torches

on their phone and waving them.

And I get to see, you
know, they don't see it

but I get to stand and perform,

and they're put on a show for me as well.

So, it's so magical. And
honestly, I well up every time.

♪ My overdraft, my overdraft ♪

Having that moment, seeing
all of those lights,

all of those people, it
really makes me think,

I've done it.

(audience cheers)

(beat pounds)

- It was amazing! Everyone
got their phones out

and lit up and it, oh my God. It was like,

this is what we're here for, isn't it?

- [Ellie] Well 41 more days of that.

- Oh! Yay!

- Yay!

- Oh, that was good.

- You did incredible.
(lips smacking)

- It's great to have
such an amazing reaction

because I never expected it, you know.

Sometimes I feel like I've
lost control of the character.

And I was like, I was just
writing my songs in my bedroom.

And now I'm like demanding
people for crisps,

or shouting obscenities about people,

which I don't really mean.

I'm just going f*ck off
to everyone, you know.

Who knows when I get to do something

like this again, and if I'm in this

I'm gonna seize, carpe diem,
soup o' the day. You know?

(camera crew laughs)
I am...

(laughs)

Seize the day!

(audience cheers)

This time of year is
always kind of difficult

because I have my birthday now,

and I just know that the anniversary

of my sister's death, so
they're kind of associated.

So, I have a great time. And then it's,

I have this very somber time

but I think it's very important to go

with the emotions and go with the flow.

And I was able to be the
absolute spoiled brat

that I love to be on my birthday.

And I felt very much a fuss made of me.

(audience cheers)

- Incredible.
- Oh Gin!

- Ginny!
- Happy birthday!

- It's her birthday!

- Yoohoo, Ginny!

- Hang on, I've got one thing to say,

does anybody fancy a slice?

- [All] Slice!

- Yeah
(cheers)

(Asttina laughs)

- I absolutely do not see
Ginny being around forever.

I say a slice for a reason. It is a slice.

And when the time is right for me

Ginny will, you know, go somewhere.

I'm not saying forever, but who knows?

- Lovely.

(wistful music)

- I don't think Ginny
would ever truly die.

I think it's an eternal
spirit that would live on.

And I think,

if I pass this spiritual plane

then some poor other creature will then be

possessed by the spirit of Ginny Lemon.

(wistful music)

That's what I'm, you know,
that's what I'm working on.

(laughs)

(audience cheers)

(wistful music)

(music fades)