Let’s Kiki About the Top Moments from RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, Episode 4

12 Min Read
RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, Episode 4
Photo via RuPaul’s Drag Race UK/Instagram

Yes, we have finally come to the much-anticipated Snatch Game episode on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK.

In their first go at attempting to make celebrities funny, the UK queen-testants did not disappoint (for the most part) and it was actually one of the best Snatch Games in Drag Race her-story. Since the Snatch Game was easily the highlight of the episode, let’s just get right into it.

Thanks to Google, we can talk about some of the “contestants” you might not have heard of first. Blu played Mary Berry, a popular chef who was a judge on the Great British Bake-Off. Cheryl played Gemma Collins, who was a cast member on the UK’s version of Jersey Shore, The Only Way is Essex.

Ironically enough, she was a contestant on the celebrity edition of the UK reality show All Together Now, where Divina was often a judge (as was Geri Halliwell, more on that in a bit.) Sum Ting  pondered portraying celebrity chef Nigella Lawson but settled on Sir David Attenborough, a British broadcaster and historian, best known over here for narrating the nature documentary series Our Planet for Netflix.

The Vivienne also had decisions to make, choosing not to take on the UK’s Marie Kondo, TV personality Kim Woodburn (who she gave us a taste of during the first episode) and (wisely) not choosing judge Alan Carr to give us the most eerily accurate depiction of the president I’ve ever seen (Alec Baldwin, take note.)

Baga Chipz gave us former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, showing us a different side than we saw in the Meryl Streep film The Iron Lady.  Divina also had a Streep-ian connection, giving us famed French chef Julia Child (who Meryl played in Julie and Julia). Lastly, Crystal chose Golden Girl Blanche Devereaux, played by Rue McClanahan.

The contestants on the Snatch Game are “Queen of morning TV” Lorraine Kelly and investigative reporter Stacey Dooley. Among the best Snatch Game zingers are Crystal as Rue missing a match and replying, “What do I know? I’m dead. Thanks, syphilis.” And everything The Vivienne said as 45.

The rapport between The Vivienne and Baga is priceless, with Baga channeling her inner Latrice Royale when she tells 45 to “Keep those orange cheesy balls away from my face.” 

Poor Crystal struggled, Cheryl was fine and Sum Ting was visibly nervous and took his Sir David a little too seriously. Divina also missed the setups Ru was putting right in front of her face and you could tell she regretted giving up Thatcher when she cut her eyes at Baga after her Maggie again cracks up Ru and the contestants. Blu made Mary Berry a dirty old lady, which brought a lot of food-related risqué puns, and was pretty funny, but it was definitely the Vivienne and Baga show, so it was no surprise when they both earned their Ru Peter badges in a two-way tie for the win. Let’s take a look at some of the other gagworthy moments from the episode.     

1. Shades of Blu

Blu Hydrangea may be middling in the competition, she is sure maintaining her reputation as the queen of shade. Before Ru enters the werk room, Sum Ting observes that, “It feels like there’s so fewer people in here”, to which Blu replies, “That’s because Vinegar took up so much space.” Later in the episode, Blu, Divina and Crystal are talking about relationships and, when Divina said she’s been married for seven years, Blu said, “It must be nice finding someone that can stick you.” Ouch.

2. Divina’s sacrifice

As the queens start putting their Snatch Game personas together, Baga, who gives us more words of wisdom with this advice for playing – and winning – the game, “Don’t be a tit, have wit,” announces she will be playing Margaret Thatcher. Unfortunately, Divina was also set on playing the former PM as well. The battle lines appear to be drawn, with both sides not seeing to want to budge. Baga even suggests they have a Thatcher-off, to see who does the best job.  Shockingly, Baga says she didn’t bring any other costumes, so Divina not only gives up Maggie, she even gives Baga the costume she was going to wear because, as she tells Baga, hers looks like “a pile of shit”. That’s sisterhood for you.  

3. The week in RuPaul

You show me any other man who can pull off a suit with geometric patterns in various shades of pink better than RuPaul (from Klein Epstein & Parker, as he helpfully points out). Go on…I’ll wait…

Ru takes Alan with him into the werk room to chat with the queens about their Snatch Game subjects. Alan introduces Ru to the “tit shrug” (which in America is the “wonk wonk”) and later, when The Vivienne brings up the president as one of her choices, to which Ru mutters, “He’s not my president.” Preach, Ru.  

Later, Ru again stuns on the runway in a gold number that I covet, but this should be no surprise to anyone.

4. Love wins

As I mentioned, Divina, Blu and Crystal talked about relationships and marriage while they were getting ready for the runway. Divina is married, Crystal and Cheryl are engaged, and Blu shared “I’m awfully jealous of all you girls because in Northern Ireland we can’t get married,” she said. “It’s illegal still. We can have a civil partnership but actual marriage is still not legal. So we’re behind the rest of the UK.” She points out that some people in her home country feel that gay marriage offends their beliefs, to which Divina responds, “Your belief is a belief; my existence is a reality.” Preach.

There’s a happy post script to this discussion, it was announced  last week same-sex marriage is being legalized in Northern Ireland. The first same-sex weddings there are due to take place in February 2020.

5. The Weird Science/Genetically Modified Drag Queens Runway

This week’s runway brought some mixed results, as the queens delivered a wide array of interpretations for the theme. Blu took Raja’s season three entrance look to the next level and painted her face like an eyeball with an elaborate eyelid headpiece. I loved her look, especially her flesh-colored boots with sparkly red bling and the sheer nude-toned dress with ed lace embellishments. Baga says she’s serving “superhero realness” in a black catsuit that Alan joked looked like is scuba gear.  Cheryl’s neon jumpsuit with attached tubes at the waist was designed for a future where the air quality was so bad that we would have to breathe through our belly buttons. Sum Ting is serving “sexy cyborg” in a look that reminded me of Britney Spears’ “Oops I Did It Again” video. Divina is an avant-garde under the sea creature (and I love it). Crystal gives us a Mad Max-y look with her mouth stretched out. It’s a dramatic look made even more so when she takes a grinder to her metal arm pieces and codpiece and makes sparks. The Vivienne gives us an alien wood nymph and (now, Michelle) rocks a prosthetic nose. 

6. Judge Geri

At the risk of sharing too much, I am a Geri Halliwell Horner stan. I have all of her dolls, both of her books and all of her solo recordings. I adore her (and am still bummed she left the Spice Girls right before they went on tour here in the States.) I (probably like many Spice Girl fans) was psyched to see her on the judges’ panel. While she came with a few jokes, exclaiming “Stifler’s mom!” when Baga hit the runway and said that The Vivienne’s forest inspired look was “a little bit poo-y”, she sure wasn’t the saucy Ginger Spice we all know and love. She thought that Sum Ting’s Sir David was going to bring the show an audience of “grandmas and scientists” and looked shocked at Crystal’s spark-inducing performance. The Twittervese was divided on her appearance and Alan seemed visibly upset with her, telling her, in the words of a Spice Girls hit to “Stop right now, thank you very much.”  Despite this, she did provide the show’s most moving moment (which we will talk about in a moment.)

7. Crystal’s spicy LYSL

Despite her intense runway look, Crystal probably rued the day she decided to do Blanche for he Snatch Game (see what I did there?) She and Sum Ting had to lip sync to “Spice Up Your Life” and, while Sum Ting went for a straightforward take on the song (even replicating some of the moves from the video), Crystal went all out and lives to fight another day.

8. Sum Ting’s Moment with Geri

While we were sad to see Sum Ting Wong go, it seems no one was as upset as Geri, who went into the werk room after the elimination to give her words of encouragement and a hug.  “I thought you brought a lot of joy,” Geri said. “So well done.” It was a really sweet moment, and a fitting farewell for a delightful queen.

And so, we have to say goodbye to Sum Ting Wong. We are now down to the final six and next week, the remaining queens face the girl group challenge. Who will be the next to sashay away? RuPaul’s Drag Race UK streams on WOW Presents Plus Thursdays at 12pm PT/3pm ET (day and date with its BBC premiere), and airs on Logo Fridays at 8pm ET/PT. 

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