Look Over There! Jaida Essence Hall Is A Drag Race Winner, Baby

By Christopher Rudolph


Look over there, it’s a winner!


On the Season 12 premiere of RuPaul’s Drag Race Jaida Essence Hall stomped into the workroom, making her presence known with her line: “Hey bitches, she’s here!” While in the competition Jaida was not only the “essence of beauty” on and off the runway, she was also a regularly strong queen — eventually taking her to the best three and over the finish line.


The Milwaukee-based pageant queen not only served effortless eleganza with her larger-than-life style, yet she was also a comedic powerhouse. She was habitually able to squeeze a number of laughs, whether as a bad apple in the “World’s Worst” sketch or as Rhonda Shimes in “Gay’s Anatomy.” Her candid “Look over there” line from the “Choices 2020” political debate became an instant meme. Jaida was also a lip-sync assassin, sending Miss Congeniality Heidi N. Closet residence, before beating Crystal Methyd and Gigi Goode while in the finale.


Jaida was crowned the winner of Season 12, although the road to the best was not habitually smooth. She discussed with MTV News about her toughest times on the show, her emotional exchange with Whoopi Goldberg, and why Celie’s journey in The Color Purple inspired her while in the competition.


MTV News: What was the hardest part about filming the remote finale?


Jaida Essence Hall: The hardest part about filming the finale was getting used to the fact that it could be different. It's a little bit scary although, at the same time, it presents a good possibility for the world to be able to see exactly how creative both the show and the queens can be once put in a complicated situation.


MTV News: the full cast was so strong. Have you been keeping in touch with all of your Season 12 sisters?


Jaida: Yeah. We've all been staying really, really close together. So, I'm thankful that this has been a cast of loving women. Because I can imagine, if we all hated each other, it could be a lot harder.


MTV News: you could tell that all you ladies get along and it's really nice to see.


Jaida: Yeah, it's a really good thing.


MTV News: There were some really tough challenges this season. What was the hardest challenge for you? 


Jaida: The one-woman show. I think that challenge was so challenging because humor is so different to so several different people. And I think that was the one thing that sort of tripped me up. My humor, I don't know if it's habitually funny to everybody all of the time or if they routinely get it.


MTV News: The scene between you and Whoopi was one of my preferred scenes from the season. What was that like? What was going through your mind?


Jaida: It was so crazy because as a Black, queer person growing up… we don't visualize that several successful people or successful in that sort of way in lives. And she's just so lovable to so several people, and thus kind. And to be able to see her be so successful and, As soon as I was growing up, playing roles and characters that resonated with me, just seeing her there in person was almost like one of Oprah’s “aha” moments. And to know how busy her schedule is and why busy her life is, and to come to the show and spend time with drag queens and converse with us. I just did not imagine in a million years that I would visualize Whoopi Goldberg in person.


MTV News: Yeah, it's crazy. You have said the competition was sort of like Celie's journey in The Color Purple?


Jaida: Yeah. In no way is it overtly comparable, it's just the fact that you go through so several rough things. Celie went through a lot of terrible, terrible things. Yet in the show you get pushed through so several things. You're tested. And you also feel alone at a lot of times, yet in case you make it by means of the competition, there's so much reward on the other end of it. As long as you hold it with each other and permit yourself to prepare it through.


MTV News: Are you a fan of The Color Purple musical?


Jaida: Oh, my God, yes. Getting ready for the purple runway, I was like, oh, my God, I'm going to listen to The Color Purple soundtrack.


MTV News:  Do you like “I’m Here”?


Jaida: “I’m Here” is so good. My main go to song is as soon as Shug is singing to Celie and telling her, “Look how pretty you are. Do you realize cute and astonishing and why gorgeous you are? Even whenever you feel like you are ugly so you feel worthless.” That, to me, that's the most powerful message. And every time I hear that song, I get chills and goosebumps all down my arm. The show is astonishing and the soundtrack is amazing.


MTV News: Yeah. I didn't realize you were such a musical theater fan, yet I saw you tweeted about Smash coming to Broadway.


Jaida: Yes! I've Been waiting for it. Because they mentioned a while back that they would turn it into a musical. Although I just want it to be the Bombshell story. Turn Bombshell into a musical!


MTV News: How have you been passing the time in quarantine?


Jaida: I've Been sitting around the residence attempting to be as creative as I possibly can. However also I have been spending a lot of time connecting with the people who support me from the show. They support my journey on the show. I think that's really critical since we haven’t been on the road. And these people, they hope to meet us. And even as soon as we don't know that we've been an impact in their lives, we have been in a lot of ways to so several people. And because we're not on the road, we do not get the possibility to meet them and converse with them and hear their stories. So, I have been spending a lot of time on social media, making sure that I can converse with them, learn who they are as much as show who I am, and just uplift each other.


MTV News: Just a fast glance at the comments online, it is clear that the fans were rooting for you to win. How's that feel? Is there a lot of pressure?


Jaida: I don't think it's pressure, because a lot of these are, "Well, got this. Although in the event you don't, we still love you." Although it's so unexpected. I didn't expect it to be so several people going crazy for me. It means a lot. I think it speaks to me just being myself. I don't speak the ideal. I may not be the smartest person in the full world, however I'm still going to be who I am. And I feel deserving of things. I can still be astonishing, creative, and there really are so several people out there in the world who are exactly like me. And I think that people love the females from the show because they can visualize themselves in those girls.


MTV News: And have you been in touch with your drag daughter, Jazz?


Jaida: Yes. Oh, my God, we talk all of the time. She is so sweet. She's routinely messaging me, checking up on me. The five of us — Heidi, myself, Gigi, Crystal, Jackie — we all had a Zoom call with the superfans. We all chatted and spoke and met their partners. It was really cute.


MTV News: How did the competition change your drag?


Jaida: I've habitually been the kind of person who was myself in everything that I did. People love to mention drag queens are confident, nevertheless I don't habitually feel the most confident. Nevertheless while in the competition, I've learned that, not only just be yourself, nevertheless bitch, yourself is really sort of pretty. And also you have the correct to be confident in who are. And also you have the correct to be overjoyed of the work that you do. I've learned that what I do in drag and who I am is enough. So you could be yourself, nevertheless you don't have to habitually overcompensate. And also you wish to work hard, however you don't habitually have attempt to work harder, harder, harder. Who you are is literally enough.