Exclusive: Zahirah Zapanta is the latest queen to be eliminated, following a lip sync showdown with fellow Manchester queen Lill
The latest queen to leave RuPaul’s Drag Race UK has opened up about her experiences on the show, as well as the microaggressions she’s still facing in the LGBTQ+ community.
In an exclusive chat with Attitude, Manchester-based Zahirah Zapanta discussed her elimination and what it’s like to face challenges as a queen of colour, both on and off the stage.
Zahirah was eliminated in last night’s (17 October) episode after a lip-sync battle against fellow Manchester queen Lill. Reflecting on the moment, she said, “We both did what we had to do… but somebody had to go home, and it was me.”
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“That’s my sister Saki. I’m Zahira”
In earlier episodes, Zahirah shared her frustration about being confused for other queens of colour. She said she’d often be mistaken for castmate and fellow Manchester queen Saki Yew in Manchester’s Gay Village, or get called “Jujubee” in the street, describing it as “uncomfortable”.
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However, she recounted a moment at a recent viewing party. “Somebody turned to me and said, ‘I’m so sorry about what happened to your knee,’ thinking I was Saki [who left the show in week two following an injury].”
“I was like, ‘That’s my sister Saki. I’m Zahira. But I guess you didn’t learn that from the first episode. Or the second one.”
She added, “We don’t all look alike. We’re all different, and we all deserve to be recognised for our individuality.”
“Chanel is the biggest bitch… but we love it”
The queen also weighed in on her fellow contestant Chanel O’Conor’s fiery personality, saying, “Chanel is the biggest bitch… but we love it. She’s clever, and watching it back, all her confessionals are iconic.”
She added how she and Chanel helped each other out during last night’s music challenge, which saw the queens compete on a Halloween track performance.
“Chanel made my skirt for this week’s runway. I made the rest of the outfit, but she sewed the skirt for me whilst I’ll helped her write her verse because she was struggling a bit.”
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On her legacy as a Manchester queen, Zahirah shared: “The Family Gorgeous? Legendary. So to be in a season with Lil… what? And then there’s Saki, who’s been in the Manchester and Leeds scene for years, and I’m like, ‘Oh my God, I’m on the same season as them!’ It was a very proud moment. I hope we made Manchester proud and continue to do so for the rest of the competition.”
RuPaul’s Drag Race UK continues every Thursday on BBC Three and the BBC iPlayer from 9pm.