Eureka! You found it! After competing three times on the American franchise, Eureka returned to the reality competition once again, this time up north. With a new chapter in the life of Eureka to share, this time around was a different experience for the RuPaul’s Drag Race star. Having worked through sobriety, Eureka was able to inspire viewers all while showcasing her fierce drag. Before competing for the fourth time, Eureka spent three seasons as one of the co-hosts of We’re Here.
Canada’s Drag Race vs the World 2 is the fierce competition that unites nine global Drag Race queens as they compete for the title of Queen of the Motherpucking World. Hoping to snatch the crown, the cast includes Canada’s Drag Race’s Lemon, Miss Fiercalicious, and Tynomi Banks, RuPaul’s Drag Race’s Alexis Mateo, Kennedy Davenport, and Eureka, RuPaul’s Drag Race UK’s Cheryl and Le Fil, and Drag Race France’s La Kahena.
Eureka Had a Connection With the Host
Eureka first introduced herself as a competitor on the ninth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Unfortunately, her time on the season was cut short as she suffered a knee injury. RuPaul invited her back to compete in the following, where she was a runner-up. With the status Eureka formed during her time on the show, she came back as an all-star for RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 6. So what was it about Canada that intrigued her to try to snatch the crown for the fourth time? “It was really the idea of wanting to compete in Canada because of my experiences in Canada. As well as just what they’ve done for diversity and the queer community, and transness and their acceptance and such. I had a really great experience,” she said. “I love giving back to the franchise because it’s given me so much. On top of, you know, as my transness, I’ve never had an opportunity yet really to show this part of myself on Drag Race. So that was also something that fueled me to want to return.” The timing also just happened to be right. Eureka said that sometimes things come into your life at the right moment, and this was the right moment.
With three seasons standing before RuPaul as the head judge, this time, it was for an old friend, Brooke Lynn Hytes. Eureka shared, “Honestly, it felt great. You know, I have a past with Brooklyn before Drag Race where she was competing at National Entertainer of the Year. Her and her mother was so kind to me…I was watching the final night. She got first runner-up. She did her Black Swan talent. I love ballet. I was just obsessed. So, you know, I’ve obviously had experiences and relationship-building with her since, but I look back on those memories. That was another reason that made it really special for me to compete.”
While she did have American queens alongside her when she entered the Werk Room, it was two international queens that Eureka formed a close bond with: La Kahena and Miss Fiercalicious. Eureka simply joked, “Yeah, I connected with La Kahena and Fierce because they’re both bitches.” She said, “They’re actually both very outspoken, but sweet and funny. And, you know, I also relate with people that I feel like are on the outs a little bit because I know what that’s like. I’ve always kind of felt that way in my life. No matter what success I’ve had, I’ve always felt so different. I think we all have a little bit of that. For me, La Kahena was very chill. She was on her own. You know, I felt like Alexis and Kennedy were like super close already, first day. Everyone else was like either UK or Canada. And it just seemed like me and La Kahena fit, and I wanted her to have a buddy and I wanted one too…And then Fierce, you know, honestly, I always make best friends with the other pretty girl in the room. Cause you know, us gorgeous girls got to stick together. I felt like we both kind of were having issues with our home country girls. Cause you know, we’re like competitive, reactionary, maybe easy to provoke. So it just seems kind of natural for us to kind of click. It just kind of happened naturally for us to kiki and support each other.”
Eureka Spills the Tea on Princess Fiona-Gate
For the first time ever, the library was open in a very different manner. Long-time fans of RuPaul’s Drag Race are familiar with the iconic mini challenge known as the reading challenge. Inspired by the documentary Paris is Burning, the queens are tasked to read one another to filth. For this season, things were a bit different as they each selected a rival to shade. With the assistance of guest judge Samantha Bee, Eureka was able to take her reading talent to the stage as she battled Cheryl. But there was one moment that rattled Eureka. Princess Fiona-Gate. Viewers saw Eureka try the joke out during her coaching session, but it was ultimately Cheryl who used it in the challenge. So what had happened? “So listen, I’m not sure, but I really think that we were set up to be honest. Because I did not have this joke as a part of my set. And Alexis Mateo came to me. It was like, ‘Hey girl, here’s a joke for you.’ And apparently Lemon went to Cheryl and did the same thing. So I’m wondering, I guess we’ll find out. But I’m wondering if this was like a saboteur moment or not. I’m not sure. But like when she said it, it just immediately was like, ‘Oh sh-. Well, f- you, ugly princess.’ I don’t know what to say now. I don’t know. It was weird,” she laughed.
Reading and throwing shade are important parts of the drag and queer community. Eureka noted, “I think it’s just the way that we kiki. We pick at each other because it makes us laugh one. But two, it helps us build on insecurities that we already have. So it’s actually really sweet what we do when it comes to reading, but also like, it’s fun because girl it’s funny! It makes you laugh! It’s like literally, you’re cracking jokes at each other constantly. If you think about it, no matter who you are, whether you’re in the queer community or not, picking at each other is fun. And it’s a part of all cultures, especially friendship cultures. So I think in the drag community, it’s just a way for us to show each other very quickly that we like each other, and we get along. If you can laugh and poke at each other and not get offended, just like in any other, you know, heteronormative, queer, whatever. It shows you like oh, I can trust you.”
It Was Important for Eureka To Share Her Story of Sobriety
As noted, Eureka was able to share a new part of herself on this edition of the show. Eureka opened up to her sisters in the Werk Room as she spoke about her journey through sobriety and transition. It was an important part of why Eureka was back again. “Being able to share my journey has been extremely important for me just because, at first, I got a lot of negative feedback whenever I went public about being in rehab. After anyway. And it comes with such a stigma that people tend to not let you live past. So, finally coming into a place after being in recovery for three years, I realized that it’s kind of my opportunity to explain myself in a way where my transness and my sobriety go hand in hand. Through sobriety, I was able to understand through the work that I did in rehab, things like that, that my transness was a big issue for me. Not only losing my mother and grandmother, but it was also a lot of the dysphoria that I was dealing with.”
She said it caused her to numb, which affected her daily life and happiness. “Once I realized that it was based a lot around me, not living in my truth, it’s also helped me survive in a different way. Without having to depend on drugs or alcohol or sex or social media attention, so on and so forth,” she shared. She acknowledged that we all have those little addictions and such, but for her, it was her chance to show the world how important it is to move past those parts in life and showcase change and growth. “It makes me someone who’s survived something really important that helped me become the person I am today and I think that’s something that’s missed a lot when it comes to stories told like mine.” Eureka was able to share this version of herself that the world hadn’t seen on this platform.
To end our chat, we discussed the discourse regarding her infamous high kick she threw into the ballad during the first lip sync of the season. So are high kicks allowed in ballads? “Oh mama, listen, do a high kick any day of the week. If you can get your leg up to your motherf-n neck, you kick that bitch any day you can hang until you can’t kick it no more! That’s my f- motto.” And there you have it! The gospel according to Eureka. She may not have snatched the crown this time around, she continued to leave an imprint on the franchise. To hear the full interview with Eureka, listen to Block Talk on all your favorite podcast platforms.
New episodes of Canada’s Drag Race vs the World 2 streams every Friday on WOW Presents Plus.