Canada’s Drag Race: Tynomi and Kiara

Logo announced that “Canada’s Drag Race” will make its US linear debut on Mondays at 8pm just a few weeks after it started showing in Canada. This ten episode series is an extension of the Emmy award-winning “RuPaul’s Drag Race” franchise and the first ever Canadian adaptation of the program. 

However, new episodes of “Canada’s Drag Race” premiere every Thursday at 9pm ET on WOW Presents Plus in the US and select territories, day-and-date with its airing on Crave in Canada.

Hosted by Season 11 runner-up and Canadian local, Brooke Lynn Hytes, as well as Stacey Mckenzie and Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman, the Canadian spin-off serves elements of the classic fan-favorite series with the addition of a healthy dose of Canadian maple shade. Twelve of the fiercest queens in the land come together to showcase their Canadian charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent to compete for the title of “Canada’s First Drag Superstar,” and a $100,000 prize. 

The twelve stunning queens competing in “Canada’s Drag Race” for the top spot include:

Anastarzia Anaquway (Toronto, ON)

Anastarzia has won more than 15 pageants including Miss Canada International, Miss Gay Toronto, and she is the reigning Miss Black Continental @ Large. Her drag is inspired by her Caribbean roots and is heavily influenced by the American drag pageant scene.

BOA (Toronto, ON)

Her drag name “BOA” is actually her real last name and nickname growing up. BOA is also an acronym for “Bitch on Arrival.” Although she doesn’t consider herself a comedy queen, she tends to grab attention of her audiences with goofy mannerisms and quick wit on a mic but put her in a 3” block heel and she’ll high kick and cartwheel!

Ilona Verley (Vancouver, BC)

Ilona Verley is a two-spirit indigenous artist who grew up Nlaka’pamux and strives to be the representation she wished she had seen growing up watching mainstream media. Ilona is always serving monochromatic head to toe pastel looks and has a strong social media presence.

Jimbo (Victoria, BC)

Jimbo has a background in clowning and loves to incorporate elements of that into her drag. As a cabaret performer, Jimbo loves standup and singing and wants to showcase that side of drag. She likes her audience to find laughter in the uncomfortable.

Juice Boxx (Toronto, ON)

Juice Boxx is bright, bubbly sinful, and sexy, and always adds a little bit of spice. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts – Visual Arts from the University of Windsor and a Diploma of Makeup Artistry and Special FXfrom CMU.

Kiara (Montréal, QC)

Kiara recently quit her job and put school on pause to focus full-time on drag. Kiara is one of very few queens of colour in the Québec drag scene. She is proud to represent her community.

Kyne (Kitchener-Waterloo, ON)

Kyne is a YouTube star with more than 100,000 subscribers to her channel, which focuses on her love for makeup, costumes, hair, and art. Kyne was introduced to the divas from the karaoke machine, where she and her family loved to sing Celine Dion and Whitney Houston.

Lemon (From Toronto, living in New York City)

Lemon was chosen by RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Sasha Velour to be one of the models in her New York Fashion Week collaboration with Opening Ceremony. Lemon wants to bring the NYC Drag Scene influence to Canada.

Priyanka (Toronto, ON)

She is no stranger to the camera, having worked as a kids TV host for years before she switched to a full-time career in drag. She graced the cover of Toronto’s NOW Magazine in 2019 when she was voted Favorite Toronto Drag Queen by their readers.

Rita Baga (Montréal, QC)

Rita Baga is very involved in the LGBTQ+ community in Montréal and has been a driving force as part of the bid committee that submitted the city for World Pride 2023. Rita Baga has also been a part of many TV shows in Quebec, including her own reality show Ils De Jour, Elles De Soir, Family Feud, Les Jokers, Code F, And Bonsoir/Bonsoir.

Scarlett Bobo (Toronto, ON)

Scarlett Bobo created and produces Empire’s Ball, a drag competition which she uses as a platform to talk about community needs and to inspire the younger generation of queer youth. Scarlett Bobo went to circus school because she was bored! She learned to eat fire, light herself on fire, and perform aerial skills.

Tynomi Banks (Toronto, ON)

Tynomi is known as the Dancing Queen of Toronto; she is one of the most celebrated drag queens in the city. The first time her mother saw her in drag was when she performed at World Pride 2014 in Toronto.

I originally wasn’t going to interview the eliminated queens as I did not know it would be showing here on Logo, but once I found it would be showing in the US and I saw all the interest on social media, I contacted WOW, and they agreed to exit interviews. However, the interviews will go along with the girls currently eliminated that week on WOW Plus, not the eliminated queen on Logo, which is a few weeks behind. 

Since I am starting with the queen that was eliminated on week 4, here is a quick recap of winners and girls that left on the first three weeks. Week one Kyne won the mini challenge and Rita won the Maxi challenge with Juice Box and Lemon in the bottom 2, and Juice Box Sashaying away. Week two, Boa and Anastarzia won the mini challenge and were team captains for the Maxi challenge which Lemon won. Tynomi and Kyne were in the bottom two with Kyne sashaying away. In week 3 Priyanka and Lemon won the Mini challenge who then became team captains for the Maxi challenge with Priyanka winning and Tynomi and Anastarzia being in the bottom two with Anastarzia sashaying away (Special guest host that week was DEBORAH COX…fan-girling out). 

In week 4, the mini challenge is a memory challenge with many more pit crew members each wearing a colored bikini under their boxer shorts. You had to match up the colored bikinis without being distracted by the hotties (Kudos to Canada’s Drag Race for having a pit crew member that didn’t have a “perfect” body). The winner was Jimbo, and he receives a VIP stay and culinary experience at the Hilton Toronto. They then have to divide up into three groups, and we are told that Canada only recycles 9% of plastics, so hence it’s a recycle challenge. The groups have to create an iconic fashion line made entirely from recyclable materials. Since Jimbo won the mini challenge he gets to choose which groups get which material’s, and he keeps Paper for his group (Tynomi, Ilona), and gives Metal to Priyanka, Boa and Lemon, and gives Plastic to Rita, Bobo and Kiara. They are then reminded that each group must have a cohesive collection as they are presenting a fashion house. 

The guest host for the week is fashion designer Biddell, and the winning team was Plastic, with  Rita being the winner of the week and awarded  a $5,000 shopping spree from Fabric Land. The bottom two are Tynomi and Ilona with Tynomi sashaying away. 

It was a pleasure to sit down with Tynomi for this exclusive Hotspots interview:

At what age did drag become an interest and how did you pick your name?

I think it was around 21 or 22. I was helping a friend create a show and he needed a third drag queen, so I agreed to help him until he would find someone else, and that turned into 14 years of performing. 

My drag mother Nicolette Brown was doing my make up one night and we both love Top Model with Tyra Banks, but there is also a spicy side of me which is Naomi Campbell has so we played around with it, and out came Tynomi Banks. 

How excited were you when you heard Drag Race was coming to Canada and how did you feel when you found out you were chosen?

When they announced it I was away for a weekend, so I had over 50 messages from my friends in Canada that the show was coming. I thought I would have to marry someone in the US to get to be able to be on Drag Race, so this changed the game for me. Then when I found out I got chosen, I was so proud to be making history as the first generation of Canada’s Drag Race. 

How did you prepare to go on Drag Race?

I don’t think there is really any real prep, I remained open and enjoyed it. 

Until they announced the cast, how hard was it to keep the secret that you are on Canada’s Drag Race?

I literally love having secrets, so for me it was easy. I usually don’t talk about my business to people. 

Tell me about your Drag Race experience?

It was very interesting, because one of the first challenges was making clothes and I only had two lessons with the sewing machine. It really is a tornado, as things are thrown at you and you just have to survive it. 

Now that you have been eliminated, is there anything you would have done different? 

I think I would have been more open. I did have fun, but I think I could have had more fun if I wasn’t so serious. 

What’s your marital status? 

I am dating someone. 

What’s Ahead for Tynomi? 

I am dabbling a little bit in music and would love to come out with a song, as I got inspired after the challenge. I hope we get to go back to performing in the next few months. 

For more information on Tynomi. Follow her at: Instagram.com/tynomibanks

Episode 5 starts out with Brooke telling the girls that’s this week’s mini challenge is…The Library is Open, because what? Reading is fundamental. The winner is Lemon who is awarded a $1,000 Gift Card to LAG Concepts for divine drag jewels. Brooke then tells the girls that this week’s Maxi challenge is the infamous “Snatch Game.” As a reminder, the Snatch Game is where they impersonate a celebrity and have to be funny! The contestants choose: 

Lemon – JoJo Siwa

Priyanka – Miss Cleo 

BOA – Gypsy Rose Blanchard

Ilona – Rebecca More 

Jimbo – Joan Rivers 

Kiara – Mariah Carey

Rita – Edith Piaf

Scarlett – Liza Minelli

On The Runway the special guest host is Mary Walsh, and the runway look is “Night of a 1000 Celine’s.” The winner this week was Jimbo who is awarded a 7 day Caribbean Cruise for two courtesy of Pitbull events. The bottom two are Priyanka and Kiara with Kiara sashaying away. 

It was a pleasure to sit down with Kiara for this Hotspots exclusive interview: 

At what age did drag become an interest and how did you pick your name?

I started watching drag race at 17, but I didn’t get into drag until I was 18 Then I practiced make up, performing, walking in heels etc. in my house. When I felt comfortable I got on stage, and never stopped. 

I just love the name Kiara, it was a friend’s cat’s name, so I took it 

How excited were you when you heard Drag Race was coming to Canada and how did you feel when you found out you were chosen?

I remember when I saw the notification I was moving, and I wasn’t sure it was real. However, I was so excited and then got my audition ready. I was very, very excited that I got chosen. 

How did you prepare to go on Drag Race?

It was a lot of thinking and binge watching of Drag Race. I’m already a super-fan, but wanted to re-watch so I could come prepared. I tried to bring as many things as I could. 

Until they announced the cast, how hard was it to keep the secret that you are on Canada’s Drag Race?

It was totally hard, because everyone is asking, why have you been away? I just walked away from those conversations a lot. 

Tell me about your Drag Race experience?

It was a fun experience, and I had a great time. I love to challenge myself and improve. I was actually very excited to get critiques and explore my drag and get better. 

Now that you have been eliminated, is there anything you would have done different? 

I would not have done Mariah Carey for the Snatch Game. It was the only look alike I was doing, so I didn’t think of choosing anything else. I would have loved to do Stacey McKenzie, I think I would have killed that. 

What’s your marital status? 

I am currently single, but I don’t know if I want to be in a relationship right now. There is so much going on, and I need to figure everything out. 

What’s Ahead for Kiara? 

I don’t have specific plans, but I really want to focus on making more content…maybe music, and/or videos. I do have a background in film making. 

For more information on Kiara, follow her at: Instagram.com/Kiara.qc.ca

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