The “glamorous aswang of drag” walks out during the lip sync battle with J Quinn on the latest episode of Drag Race Philippines Season 3. Her reason? For her peace of mind
Triple the fun, triple the drag excellence…and triple the pressure in this cutthroat competition. In this series, MEGA Drag talks to the eliminated queens from the third round of Drag Race Philippines. After Versex’s leave from episode three, Yudipota, also known as Yudi, is also now out of the running due to a self-elimination—and to her, it’s “the best decision I’ve made.”
RELATED: Drag Race Philippines 3: What Could Be the Next Challenges?
After the talk show challenge with guest judge Melai Cantiveros-Francisco, Yudi found herself at the bottom two with J Quinn. With chances for the crown and prize money now slimmer, they have to fight for their lives during a significant touchstone in the Drag Race formula: the lip sync battle. But for the first time in Drag Race Philippines her-story, Yudi walked out, effectively giving J Quinn the win.
In a Zoom interview today with select members of the press, the Bacolod queen said there was nothing she would’ve done differently. “I stand by my decision…leaving the show was choosing my peace,” she said. “A crown will not give me my success—peace is more important to me than beating myself up and feeling bad about myself on the show.”
Though Yudi’s time on Drag Race was only four episodes, she described her experience as fun yet stressful: “It was like a pressure cooker in there because the girls were out for blood. Everyone wanted to win.”
Yudi was known as one of the queens who gave the nation a bevy of unique, scene-stealing looks. Her art is rooted in fantastical imagery, creating a variety of characters with edgy and alternative shapes and silhouettes that push the boundaries of traditional drag aesthetics. In episode two, for the design challenge, she created a visual interpretation of the Philippine manananggal using cardboards, trash bags, and fabric. For the next episode where they had to play around with the category Per-Yeah!, her look was a colorful costume of a balloon target game. Then in episode four, she walked the runway in a futuristic ensemble with a bodice that mimicked bones. When asked where her creative aesthetic comes from, Yudi answered, “I always love villainous looks. They always look so passionate, dangerous, and powerful.”
Though Yudi is now out of the running for the title of Philippines’ Next Drag Superstar, she tells MEGA Drag she feels successful in representing her province, Bacolod: “This was their fantasy as well, so I’m not just carrying myself, I’m carrying some other people’s dreams and fantasies. And that kept me going, honestly.”
And since finishing filming for the show, Yudi tells MEGA Drag that she’s still absorbing what happened and that she’s still “growing, evolving, and getting started” with her art. She encourages viewers to watch out for more of her drag excellence on her socials.
Watch new episodes of Drag Race Philippines Season 3 every Wednesday, 7:00 PM, exclusively on HBO GO.
Photos and Featured Image: YUDIPOTA, DRAG RACE PHILIPPINES (via Instagram)
