In episode 11 of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 11, for the mini challenge, Ru brought back the “Slap Out Of It” challenge, and the girls had to fake slap each other. The winner was Brooke, who received nails and lashed from Kiss USA, and a wig and styling package from Luxe Lab.
For the maxi challenge, Ru arranged a play-date for the contestants where the Ru brought back some of the eliminated queens and the remaining queens had to make them over into a member of their own drag family. Since Brooke won the mini challenge, she decided the pairs.
Brooke took Plastique and paired up the following teams:
Nina – Shuga
Yvie – Scarlet
A’keria – Honey
Silky – Soju
Vangie – Ariel
The runway look was “Drag Family Values” and the guest judges were Lena Waithe and Wanda Sykes. The winner this week was Brooke, who received a trip to Aruba, including airfare and a five night stay at the Marriott Resort; and Plastique received a $2,000 gift card to Klein, Epstein and Parker. The bottom two were Silky and Nina and Nina sashayed away.
We caught up with Nina West to dish on her RuPaul’s Drag Race experience.
At what age did drag become an interest and how did you pick your name?
Before I went to college drag scared me, but in college they brought in a drag queens before the last day of classes and I fell in love with the art form. I started shortly afterwards because it was like theater to me.
Nina came from Nina Simone (as a tribute) and West came from my drag mom Virginia West.
How many times did you apply to be on RuPaul’s Drag Race? How did it feel when you found out you were chosen?
I applied nine times. To be honest, I resigned myself to thinking it wasn’t going to happen and was auditioning since it was part of my yearly thing to do. When they called I couldn’t stop crying. It was almost a decade of my life that I’ve wanted this. It was an emotional outpouring of so many emotions and a huge overload for me.
Tell us about your RuPaul’s Drag Race experience?
It was everything I thought it was going to be and it was nothing I thought it was going to be…LOL! MY biggest wish was to make it to the Snatch Game and was so happy I did. Every episode I was thrilled to make it through so that I can continue showing my talents. I also had to give over control to the judges, other queens, and the producers, which is something I was not used to doing. It forced me to be real and authentic.
Is there something you wish you did different and/or is there a certain look you wish we could have all seen?
I wish I would have dialed in more, especially in the last episode. For the most part my journey is my journey and I am not sure I would have changed any of it.
What’s your marital status?
Oh my god, I am single…HELLO!
Who do you want to win?
I really do love all of the girls, but honestly as a fan of the show and now watching the show I think it’s going to be very hard to deny Brooke Lynn Hytes. She has been the most consistent!
What’s ahead for Nina?
Actually I am releasing two different EP’s next Friday, but you can pre-order them right now. The first is a Comedy EP, and it’s called John Goodman, and the second one is a Children’s music EP. I want to be a family friendly drag entertainer.
For more information on Nina follow her on: Instagram.com/Ninawest.
