Mami Watta’s journey began in Ivory Coast, where the future queen first embraced drag before relocating to Saint-Denis, balancing law school with her growing passion for performance. Quickly rising through the ranks of Paris’s drag and ballroom scenes, she became known for her daring looks, powerful stage presence, and the way she transforms her namesake, a legendary African goddess, into an act of liberation. A member of the trailblazing House of LaDurée and a fixture in iconic Parisian cabarets, Mami Watta has long been celebrated as one of France’s most inventive drag artists. She was a finalist on the second season of Drag Race France and sizzled into the werk room once again and took her rightful place in the international Drag Race Hall of Fame.
Now, as the first-ever winner of Drag Race France All Stars, Mami Watta cements her legacy as both a trailblazer and a powerhouse. Her victory is the culmination of years of growth, resilience, and fearless artistry, with performances that fused her Ivorian heritage, ballroom roots, and Afro-futurist aesthetic into a captivating vision of modern drag. With her crown secured, Mami Watta looks ahead to new horizons from a documentary project in Côte d’Ivoire to solo shows and beyond and is ready to enchant audiences on both French and international stages.
We had the chance to chat with Mami about her All Stars journey and more in our exclusive interview.
How does it feel to officially be the first ever Drag Race France All Stars winner?
Well, it feels great. It feels kind of deserved, if I may say so. I’m so, so happy. This is a dream come true today, honestly. It’s really, it’s really amazing.
Can you walk me through the moment when Nicky Doll announced your name? What was going through your mind?
Honestly it felt so quick, because we worked so hard for months to be here today and it’s just going to end here. I may win, I may lose. I don’t know what’s going on. I cannot want to win. It was very exciting and I was very, very happy when I heard my name.
If you had to describe your journey on All Stars in three words, what would they be?
I would say growth, revenge, and fashion. I think those are the words that describe me best this season.
How different was competing on All Stars compared to your original Drag Race France season?
Honestly, I felt more at ease this season because when I came for season two, I was just like, not new, but I was doing drag for two years, so I was just like a baby girly compared to all those girlies who have been doing drag for like 10 plus years, eight years and everything, so I was like, oh, I’m fighting for my life here. I want to win but I don’t think I can do it.
But, this time when I came back, I knew all of the queens, they were my friends, so it was kind of hard to have to send them home this season. But I was like this is what we’re going to have to do and I really want to win this time and I think I can win so I really felt more at ease this season.
Was there a specific challenge or a runway look that you think truly secured your crown?
I think it’s the whole episode four because the challenge was fun. It was the girl group challenge, something I love to do and then the runway was the surgery one, so it was very like close to home. It was very black. It was very powerful, I think. And then I ate the lip sync too. I think the whole episode was something special to me and I think l that’s my favorite episode. I think it’s one of the reasons I won.
Who was your biggest competition this season and what did they bring out in you?
I think it clearly it was Elips. I think we have two kinds of drags that are completely different. She does something more subtle, something more poetic, I must say, and I’m more loud, I’m more in your face. It was like great to see how she was dealing with the challenges and it was like pushing me to do better because I was like, this girl might win and I want to win, so it was giving fuel to do even better.
What was the hardest moment of the season and how did you push through it?
It was definitely the Snatch Game. I felt like I was so bad. I was so awful and I was so sad afterwards. I was like, this is the worst day of my life. I’ve never cried as much as I’ve cried that day. And I thought this is over for me because I thought La Big Bertha was going to win and I almost sent her home the first episode. So, I was like, oh, this is the perfect storyline. She’s going to send me home and my story ends here. And I was so, so sad. It was definitely the hardest day on there.
Your runways were incredible. Can you tell us about the inspiration behind your favorite look this season?
I have so many favorites. Kidding. I think I’m going to pick the last one. The one from the last competitive episode because it’s something that’s really close to home. It’s directly from my culture. I had to call my parents so they can tell me the story of the mask so I can reinterpret it in a way that is pleasing aesthetically, but that also tells a story that is our story. I think that was my favorite look to do and I was very, very happy to present it that way. People loved it, so that made me really happy.
Drag in France has a very rich culture and artistic backdrop. How does French art, fashion, or history inspire your drag?
I mean, France is a country of culture. There’s so much culture in France and I think it’s unavoidable to have French culture in your drag. Even the girls who I’ve been doing drag in the US, they’ve been doing Marie Antoinette for years and we’re kind of getting tired of it actually, but true French culture is everywhere and you see it everywhere.
So, for us, we live in France, we go to the café, we get inspired, we see fashion and people in the street every day and we get inspired. I think that’s why France has kind of the best runways because it’s the country of fashion and it’s the country of runways and I think it shows.
Did you come back with something to prove this season and do you feel like you achieved it…obviously?
Yeah, I definitely felt like I had something to prove because on my original season, I made it to the finale too, and people – not that they were disappointed, but many people thought I did not deserve to be there. I wouldn’t disagree because I clearly wasn’t the best decision. I was just happy to be there, actually.
So, this time I just wanted to prove them wrong and to say that I’m actually a talented girl and it was not a fluke. If I made it to the finale, I could do it by myself once again and I wanted to win something because I did not win anything in my first season. I definitely wanted to win something that that season and I won three times, so that was cute!
Now that you’re officially an All Stars champion, what is next for you?
The thing that’s the closest is that I’m working on a documentary. I’m going back to Côte d’Ivoire to film it in November. So that’s going to be amazing. And then I’m working on a solo show because I want to work in France with my own material and then I want to do many things. I’m open to everything. I want to do movies, I want to be on the runways. I’m open to calls. If somebody wants to call me, call me. I’ll answer!
Revisit the drama and fashion of Drag Race France All Stars on WOW Present Plus. Follow Mami on Instagram.
