Sometimes, herstory on Drag Race is in a manner that you don’t want to happen. But when you can spin the negative into something positive and flashy, being eliminated first on an international television program may not be as bad as it seems! For La Kahena, new doors have been opened as La Kahena has introduced herself to a brand-new fandom. Canada’s Drag Race vs the World 2 has united nine international Drag Race superstars as they compete for a cash prize of $100,000, a crown and scepter, and the title of Queen of the Motherpucking World!
Hosted by RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 11 runner-up Brooke Lynne HyteFs, with Brad Goreski and Traci Melchor, Canada’s Drag Race vs the World 2 is the spin-off of the Canadian version of the American flagship program. The second iteration of the series features a cast including Canada’s Drag Race’s Lemon, Miss Fiercalicious, and Tynomi Banks, RuPaul’s Drag Race’s Alexis Mateo, Eureka, and Kennedy Davenport, RuPaul’s Drag Race UK’s Cheryl and Le Fil, and Drag Race France’s La Kahena.
La Kahena Became the First Double Porkchop in ‘Drag Race’ History
When it comes to these newfound “Versus the World” seasons on Canada’s Drag Race and RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, the opportunity to include queens from around the globe in hopes of expanding their profile has allowed countless queens another opportunity to shine. Many hope that a second, or third or fourth, shot at the crown will be their moment. For La Kahena, her main objective was to get past the first episode. As the sole representative from the first season of Drag Race France, La Kahena was remembered for setting herself on fire twice, but also being the French Porkchop. Being the first queen eliminated from the franchise, La Kahena hoped her time on Canada’s Drag Race vs the World 2 would allow her a second chance. Instead, she made herstory as the first ever Double Porkchop. As the first queen in the entire franchise to be eliminated first, twice, it’s time to spin that title into something positive and flashy.
“I do think it’s something positive and flashy. I still have a crown. I’m happy about it. The OG Porkchop is now the goddess, and I’m the queen of this castle. It’s pretty iconic. I wouldn’t say I worked my ass for it, but I worked very hard to get that title,” declared La Kahena. At DragCon La 2024, she was able to speak to some of the other girls as they discussed the importance of a queen like her appearing on this season. She said, “Seeing Gothy Kendoll on UK vs the World and myself on TV back again, makes them hope and gave them hope that, yeah, anybody wherever you got sent home, which is your placement, you can still go back on the show, be cool, and have a great time.”
La Kahena Represented More Than Just ‘Drag Race France’
While viewers may think Drag Race, no matter where in the world is the same, La Kahena set the record straight that is NOT the case. When asked about the differences between competing on Canada’s Drag Race and Drag Race France, she exclaimed, “Oh honey, the drama. The drama of it all!” But are we surprised? The stakes are in fact higher on this All-Star season. La Kahena shared, “In France, we don’t have drama. We didn’t have drama, any sort of drama at all. We were all very like a close-knit season. I think because we were creating the show, we had to make it work because it will all depend on us if there is a Season 2 and Season 3. And I think we did a great job.
As the sole representative from Drag Race France, La Kahena didn’t feel she was at a disadvantage. “I speak English pretty well. I didn’t feel left out. I got everybody’s joke. Maybe for a minute I felt it when I got there and saw some legends like Kennedy or Alexis. In a second, I just reminded myself what my sisters to me before I left: if you’re there, you deserve it, and you’re as good as anybody else on that show. Period.” Being cast on any iteration of Drag Race is a major deal. Many drag artists strive for the opportunity to share their craft on a national stage, but to then have the chance to bring it to an international stage is what dreams are made of. Regardless of placement, La Kahena’s presence had immense meaning for many viewers watching her.
Beyond representing a drag artist from Drag Race France, La Kahena was there representing Tunisia. “For different reasons, I think France, because we’re a new franchise, and I’m very proud of being French. This is where I live. This is where I work. This is where I make my life. And it’s also my heritage because my grandmas are French. To me, I’m even prouder to represent for Tunisia because of the history of where it is. Because I’m the first and only contestant from there worldwide. It’s a Muslim country. When I was doing the tour with France, I said, ‘I just wanted to be the representation on TV that I never had growing up there.’ Yes, I’m French, but I’m also Tunisian. As an Arab queer growing up, I didn’t see anybody who looked like me, who was like me. I just wanted to be that person for those kids in the whole Arab world. Not just Tunisia, but also Morocco, Algeria, or Lebanon. To be able to see themselves on TV and feel like yeah, it’s always possible, there’s a bright future ahead for you,” she shared.
La Kahena Shares Her Inspiration Behind Her Runway
With a cast of some of the world’s most infamous drag artists, La Kahena found a close ally in RuPaul’s Drag Race and We’re Here star, Eureka. They just clicked. “When we did the entrances, I sat with her and Alexis and just bitched out on everybody. I think it got us close together. And in the end, as she said on the show, she didn’t want to create cliques by country or something and I would have been left out by myself. It helped create something. I think Eureka is someone who is very genuine, and I am too.” Viewers were able to see the duo crack jokes the second they entered the Werk Room and chose their spots as La Kahena and Eureka poked fun at Alexis Mateo and Kennedy Davenport pairing up in their alcove, calling them the “retirement home.” As La Kehena asked, “Is it a lie though?” No, no it’s not! “I love my grandmas,” she says.
While she may only have been able to show off one runway, her Wonders of the World runway was an important look for La Kahena. She revealed the inspiration for the look. “I have a close bond with the Scorpios. I’m not a Scorpio, but as the queen of the desert, there aren’t many animals there. I felt like the scorpio was my animal totem in a way. I used it a lot on my first season. I used it on tour with a huge scorpio outfit. It was obvious to me that one of my first looks needed to have the scorpio in it. The dress is really inspired by the desert, and the flowiness of it. It also needs to be somehow comfortable, sexy, but still covering. And dark colors because that’s what people wear in the desert, because of the sun. I’m a very dark-sided queen and I wanted to show that.” And she did! Oh, and she added, “It needed to have sparkles, so the scorpio was all beat!”
For fans of Drag Race France, La Kahena was in fact known for her fire tricks. Would we have seen them again had she lasted any longer? “Maybe. Listen, I’m not there, so who knows.” La Kahena may have only appeared on a single episode of Canada’s Drag Race vs the World, but she was able to showcase herself as a drag artist and continue to build upon the mission she set forth in bringing. She represented an underseen community, all while making Drag Race herstory! She’s ready to rule the world and spread the good word of drag, the love, and the politics of drag. To hear the full interview with La Kahena, listen to Block Talk, available on all podcast platforms.
Canada’s Drag Race vs the World 2 streams new episodes every Friday at 9:00pm EST on WOW Presents Plus in the United States and select territories and on Crave in Canada.