‘You live by the sword, you die by the sword’ and sadly this week it was Yuhua Hamasaki’s turn for the chop! She may have only made it to week three of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 10 but she will forever be known as the best thing in that PharmaRUsical challenge. Now she’s coming to Europe for the first time – building up for a performance at London’s legendary G-A-Y club. So we thought we’d find out what’s been going on…

Hi Yuhua, thanks for doing this! What are you most excited about experiencing/seeing in London?
Everything!!! And everyone!!! Not only is it my first time in London….but also my first time in Europe!!! It’s going to be a completely different culture. I cannot wait to experience and learn more about it!!!

Are you going to go and see any of London’s drag? Do you know any of the queens here already?
Yessss, I want to go and see what London’s drag is all about half-way across the world. The only queen that I’ve met in person from London is Crystal Lubrikunt, I met her while she was in NYC two years ago and she’s a fun gal!

You obviously lip-sync in Drag Race but is lip-syncing normally part of your repertoire or do you sing? What songs are on your hitlist?
Yes, I lip sync, but it is not the only thing I do. I dance, I do comedy, I sew, I do hair, make up: I’m a one-woman machine. With music selections, I usually go through phases, depending on my mood and personality. But it usually consists of Top 40s and old school music.

What do you think makes a drag queen?
Anyone that puts on make up and wears a pair of heels is a drag queen, doesn’t matter how you look, it is all about the personality and the way you are expressing yourself. It is about having fun!!!!

I’ve only seen the first two episodes of this season, but there are some big personalities in there. How did you deal with that?
I don’t. Because I have a big personality too, so I ignore their personalities and just keep doing me.

I know you have statements you want to make in this season but do you think viewers are open to that? Or have we got to the stage now where millennials are tuning in for the phrases, wigs and drama?
I think it is both. Without the phrases, wigs, and drama, it wouldn’t be good TV.

You arrived in the US when you were 7, the same year my family arrived in the UK after living in Australia. How was that transition? For me, it’s left me with a constant feeling of not belonging.
The stereotypes portrayed by the media made me feel ashamed to be Chinese, but as I got older and older, through drag, I began to feel comfortable in my own skin. I hope that when other Chinese Americans see my pride in my own culture, or when any other minorities see me, they too can be proud of who they are without feeling ashamed.

Paying tribute to Chinese icons in your drag is obviously very important. Is there a line between honoring it and doing it for gags? Where do you stand on cultural appropriation?
I not only honour it with pride by glorifying it, but also I am comfortable enough to make silly jokes about it. I think if it is funny, then it is funny. Comedy is comedy. Especially when someone who is not even Chinese tells me that it is inappropriate to make jokes about my own race, it does not make sense because the person is not even my race. Don’t tell me what is racist when you are not even my race. I make jokes about it because I am comfortable in my own skin.

I’m sure everyone is asking you about your thoughts on trans women doing drag?
Drag is for everyone! Doesn’t matter if you are cis-gender, transgender, gender fluid, a bird, a giraffe, a dog, a cat…if you want to do drag, just go for it! As long as you’re having fun while doing it, then you’re okay!

During your time on the show, which comment from the judges has stung the most?
“ANKH ANKH” from Michelle Visage!  Thank you Michelle, you’ve given me a catchphrase I can use during the show!

Lastly we are named after the Mariah song, ‘Loverboy’. Which is your favourite Mariah song?
It is such an emotional song with such a cool beat. I’m going to sing it to you……..’We belong togetherrrrrrrr!!’

Yuhua plays London’s G-A-Y on 12th April
Follow Yuhua on Facebook and Instagram or at www.yuhuahamasaki.com