How Arantxa Castilla-La Mancha Is Doing After ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs the World’s [Interview]

The Big Picture

• Arantxa feels grateful for representing Spain and the trans community on
  Drag Race UK vs the World.
• Her emotional elimination experience involved comforting her friend and accepting her fate.
• Arantxa plans to continue performing after
  Drag Race
  and remains open to future opportunities.

When Arantxa Castilla-La Mancha first entered the UK stage, we already knew we’d be having a good time. After all, according to the Drag Race España Season 1, queen herself, if you disagree with her “queer icon” status, you are “transphobic.” Among the 11 queens who joined the international reality series for the All Stars spinoff, Arantxa’s seat on the table — or werk room, if you will — was one of the most meaningful, powerful, and significant. She entered the stage a different woman this time, one that is happy and confident about herself and, most importantly, one that embraces her womanhood. Following her transition, the Spanish drag queen revealed that she had gained newfound confidence. True enough, during her time competing in RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs the World Season 2, Arantxa seemed happier (yet still chaotic) than ever.

Viewers from across the world were introduced to the full Arantxa experience. However, during the second episode, the drag performer got eliminated, making her the second queen to go home following Mayhem Miller‘s elimination. Having found herself pleading her case with two of the top queens, La Grande Dame and Keta Minaj, Arantxa also had to deal with the fact that she or her closest friend in the competition would be leaving.

Arantxa Says She Found “Peace” After Elimination

Of course, going home second — or going home a loser — was not in any queen’s desires. But although it wasn’t exactly what Arantxa wanted, having the opportunity to represent both her country and the trans community makes everything worthwhile. In an exclusive interview with Collider, Arantxa opens up about what she felt about getting eliminated too early in the competition, the ball challenge, being in the bottom two with Choriza May, and what fans can expect from her in the future.

Collider: I’ve enjoyed watching you so much this season and, obviously, viewers across the world have fallen in love with your energy. I’m just curious how you feel about your time in the UK vs the World, and how does it feel to represent your home country?

Arantxa: I have to say that I feel happy with this experience. I know that people will be mad or sad to go home second, but being here on [Drag Race UK vs the World], representing Spain, representing the trans community — it just made me so happy that so many people put their trust and their faith in me and in my work — I’m very happy to be here, even if I have to be eliminated to be talking to you. I’m very happy that it happened.

When you first walked in, who did you think would be your biggest competition?

Well, when I walked in, I only saw Tia [Kofi] and Hannah [Conda]. So we’re talking about the biggest. Hannah is basically a gremlin and then Tia is basically the Empire State. So my biggest competition? Tia Kofi. [Laughs]

Let’s talk about your talent show. I don’t think anyone has done that before. After watching it, it honestly altered my brain chemistry. So what was the thought process?

[Laughs] I thought, if I make them horny, I think they’d like it. No, really. I had a full-on performance planned — everything broke down and nothing was working. And I was really nervous, and I went to the hotel … I thought of Tatiana: what did she do? She had a musical track, she had a pit crew, and I had a sofa. And I was like, okay, you have those three things. Throw that original performance into the garbage and think of something else. And this is the idea that came to mind.

Arantxa Explains Her Ball Looks

During the mini-challenge, the queens were asked to vote for each other on who’s the prettiest, shadiest, the biggest competition, and the neediest queen (or whose drag requires a boost). Marina Summers was voted the prettiest and the biggest competition, Hannah Conda got the shadiest, and Arantxa seems to be unbothered to be voted the neediest.

You were given the “neediest queen” title. Some of the queens didn’t like the idea — and by some, I mean Jonbers Blonde [laughs], so they didn’t like the idea of being voted on, but you seem okay with it. What were you really feeling at that moment?

Drag her! Well, I always think the worst — we only knew each other for a couple of days filming, but I could already tell they’re all very good people, and they are! It’s been proven now. And so I thought, ‘You know what? If they’re voting for me, that I’m the neediest queen, it probably means that they’re going to help me.’ Not La Grande Dame, but the rest of them. Yeah, they did!

Well, honestly, I don’t care about what other people say. I get your drag aesthetic. Correct me if I’m wrong, but it seems like your drag is heavily inspired by the early 2000s.

Yes, it is! Thank you for getting that!

And the Hannah Montana reference just gives it all.

Thank you, that’s why I’m a brunette now.

I personally like your Drags to Riches look, and I’m not saying this because I’m interviewing you right now, but I guess it would have been appreciated if, well, you wore it in a different category. So my question is, was the emo look the theme you were really going for?

I have to say that when we went into this challenge, I had a very clear idea in my mind, it was like a fairytale ball — I’m bringing Regina George, I’m bringing music with David Bowie. I need something different. And my brain went to the Princess Diaries dress, the one with Anne Hathaway, the movie … at the end. And that’s the thing that came to my mind and that’s the thing that I planned. And then, suddenly, [Michelle Visage gave her advice] and my brain just said ‘No … you have traumatic experiences from the first season of Drag Race España, where you went home [during the ball]. So channel that through this dress.’ And I just saw a bunch of black fabric, and I was like, ‘I’m the emo queen that does not want to go to the ball.’

Arantxa Knew She’d Be Eliminated

What were you feeling during that time? Because, of course, you want to stay, but you want your friend to stay as well.

It is very sad. I mean, no one likes to be in the bottom — at least in Drag Race! I mean, in bed is another thing, but on Drag Race, no one likes to be in the bottom. It is very hard. And when you are in the bottom with your best friend in the competition, it is heartbreaking because when they said Choriza and I were, in the bottom, we just looked at each other, and it was at that moment that we realized that either her or me will go home, which means that tomorrow morning we’re not going to see each other, and we’re not going to be here for the next episode to enjoy it and have fun together and share this experience. So it just pricks you a little.

When you saw your lipstick, what was going through your mind? Were you happy that your friend got to stay, or were you just mostly devastated because La Grande Dame sent you packing?

No, actually, while the lip sync was going on I kind of got the sense that La Grande Dame was winning, and I knew that she probably would save Choriza because they helped each other in the challenge, just like me and Keta helped each other. So I made peace with it at that moment during the lip sync. And Choriza and I just held hands and had a party and celebrated our friendship for those three minutes of the song. So by the moment that La Grande Dame pulled out the lipstick, I was like, ‘I’m already packing.’ I know it.

I was really sad when I saw your lipstick, or when I was informed that you went home. Qill we be seeing more of Arantxa in the future?

Well, I think you might be seeing a lot of Arantxa because I’m quitting drag, and I’m selling everything, and I’m going to give it to all the queens from my season. No, I’m kidding. I’m going to be here for a long time and a good time. So get ready because I’m going to be working. I’m going to be at the next bar that you don’t even think about. I’m going to be there performing. And of course, if I get the call from Ru, the call from the angels, I may answer it, so you never know.

RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs The World airs Fridays on WOW Presents Plus at 4pm ET/ 1pm PT. Watch On WOW