“A year ago, we were asked if it was going to be good compared to the original American version, or else, bluntly, we were told that it was going to be bad. Now we are asked if it will be as good as season 1, it’s a good sign! “, boasts Raphaël Cioffi. The author of Drag Race France has something to be calm about as the launch of the second season of the drag-queens competition approaches, this Friday, at 6 p.m. on France.tv Slash and in the second part of the evening on France 2. The previous edition was a success in terms of audience and image and the program is no longer awaited at the turn, but impatiently.
“Season 1 reassured the environment, the drags saw that they were in a place where they were respected, affirms Nicolas Missoffe, producer at Endemol. We received more than a hundred applications, like last year, but this time there were fewer amateurs. We know that many are waiting to be at the level to present themselves in the future. »
“I was sure of the quality of the program”
Eleven drags have been selected – one more than in season 1 – to succeed Paloma. Among them, several had already tried their luck last year. Like Cookie Kunty. “In the end, it was good that I was not taken because I had to promote a film [Trois nuits par semaines de Florent Gouelou dans lequel elle incarne l’un des rôles principaux]. I had more fun at the casting the second time, I was sure of the quality of the program. »
An emblematic figure on the scene of the capital, Cookie Kunty has been hosting for several years at Who’s, in Paris, the “Drag Me Up”… a drag contest. Also, she intends to take advantage of the show to get out of her role as matriarch. ” Participate in Drag Race France didn’t scare me, I wanted to reconnect with my art and challenge myself. It’s not necessarily the competition that drove me but comparing myself with other artists, working together, it’s exciting”, she confides to 20 minutes.
“We want to show that we are not in regression”
Keiona, she was almost cast in season 1. “I went to the last stage, but I was taken at legendary “, reveals the one who is the “mother” of the House of Revlon with which she finished in third place in the American voguing competition. “Season 1 heated the room. We, in season 2, we take advantage of the enthusiasm around “, she admits with a smile.
“Last year, there was level. We, we wanted to show that the second season was there to anchor the thing, that it only goes up, that we are not in regression. It’s nice to see that we surpass ourselves, that we go to the end of ourselves. It’s a collective show, so if everyone puts their own into it, it works, ”says Piche. She applauds the fact that Drag Race France has found its own identity by taking liberties with the American format: “It was important to see that the program could represent a lot of drag styles, like me who has a beard. »
“We cannot sum up the world in eleven people”
“We want to represent a maximum of identities, stories, arts, but we cannot summarize the world in eleven people”, recognizes Raphaël Cioffi. The fact remains that this new edition will see the participation, among others, of Rose and Punani, who generally perform as a duo, a Swiss, Moon, but also Kitty Space, the first Asian drag in the French competition, or even Mami Watta and Keiona from the ballroom scene. “It was important that this scene be represented, greets Kiddy Smile, who finds his role as a permanent juror alongside Daphne Bürki. With the drag scene, they communicate a lot and borrow a lot from each other. It was nice, for example, to see a real dip [une figure rebaptisée “death drop” par les drags] or lots of stuff borrowed from the ballroom community but used correctly. »
The production also announced several novelties including the “musidrag” test, namely a musical comedy at the heart of one of the episodes which, we are promised, should be particularly memorable. The first maxi-challenge, of which we had a glimpse, is unexpected for a first episode. It must set the tone for a season seeking to go where it is not necessarily expected. “We try to surprise, says Raphaël Cioffi. I hate when people say to me: “Amazing this guest or this event! I had thought about it too much!” ” Something else ? Yes, Cookie Kunty warns us: “It will be less Care Bears than the first season. »