'RuPaul’s Drag Race' Interview: Ariel Versace on Her Lip Sync Stumble: 'It Felt Like a Nightmare'

By Christopher Rudolph


The bigger the hair the… harder the fall?


The queens were all treats and no tricks on this week’s episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race any time if they had to show off three frighteningly fierce looks at the Monster Ball.


although Ariel Versace is named for a Disney princess, the judges thought her mermaid runway look was more of a “meh-maid.” And soon after a dramatic fall throughout her lip sync, RuPaul asked the New Jersey-based queen to flip her fins, and sashay away.


We talked with Ariel about watching her fall on national TV, whether being a social media queen is advantage on Drag Race, and how Little Mix needs to cut her a check.


MTV News: I saw you were at Roscoe’s last night for the viewing party. How was that?


Ariel Versace: It was good. I habitually love coming to Roscoe’s. It’s one of the most enjoyable places, each person is super welcoming. It’s habitually a honor to perform there.


MTV News: Were you nervous since you knew this was the episode where you went home?


Versace: I was nervous because of course you are watching it in front of a group of people. Nevertheless you just gotta keep it positive. Being on Drag Race was a phenomenal possibility. Only one girl out of those 15 can win, so unfortunately it was just not my time, yet that’s not going to stop me. I’m just going to keep on going. Although the audience was super helpful last night, and I ended up having a really good time.


MTV News: You were critiqued by the judges for your signature silhouette and hair fashion, nevertheless a lot of queens have looks they are known for...


Versace: People fail to identify that I do run my own hair business with my partner. It’s RuPaul’s Drag Race, so naturally I brought the hugest hair that I have because that’s what you think of while you think of Ariel Versace. It’s a little bit upsetting to me because there really are so several drag queens who have a fashion they’re known for… Even women on my season had something that was signature to them, however I was routinely getting called out for mine. Nevertheless I’m super delighted of everything I brought and no one’s going to take that away from me.


MTV News: I have to ask about your fall. What was it like watching it? Were you dreading it?


Versace: I was dreading watching that lip sync. It felt like a nightmare because it happened so long ago, and then finally seeing it on TV, honestly, oddly enough, it felt like a large weight lifted off of my shoulders. It wasn’t as bad as I remember it, so that was lovely. I’ve gotten a lot of online feedback, even people who aren’t “Team Ariel,” have mentioned, “Girl, you still killed that lip sync. You got back up and also you turned it out.” Any drag queen is lying if they mention they haven’t fallen over in heels before. I’ve fallen over plenty of times, and this time just happened to be on national television.


MTV News: it looked like you were made for that doll mini-challenge.


Versace: I was lowkey so pressed While I didn’t win that. I’m the life-size Bratz doll, how did I not take that challenge?


MTV News: do you know it hurt you going into the competition referred to as a popular queen from social media?


Versace: It’s certainly the ideal and worst of both worlds because you go in having a little bit fanbase that’s rooting for you, however then you also have all these people asking, “Why’s she there? She’s just this girl from online who takes photos of herself.” That’s the one thing that I wanted to shake, and I think that’s why I was so nervous going into the lip sync. I didn’t desire to disappoint all the people who were rooting for me. Social media is a magnificent tool, although you’re routinely going to have the positive and negatives of having a big following because each person wants to put their two cents in about everything.


MTV News: Of the remaining women, who do you visualize going all of the way to the finale?


Versace: Plastique’s my girl. She routinely looks gorgeous. I think the main challenge for her is she needs to show more of the personality that I know. She’s more on the shy side. Then on the opposite end of the spectrum is Yvie Oddly. Her drag is nothing like mine, however I think it’s something people have not saw a lot of on Drag Race. It’s something more fresh that folks are being drawn towards because it’s cool and different. If Yvie keeps upping these runways she’s going to create it far.


MTV News: Any celebrity visitor judges you’re dying to see?


Versace: they require to put Little Mix on Drag Race just because I'd like to meet them. I am obsessed with Little Mix. The U.S. Is sleeping on them. They require to cut me a check for U.S. Promotion for how much I’ve been talking about them.


RuPaul's Drag Race airs Thursdays at 9/8c on VH1.