Bimini Bon Boulash: ‘I Revel In My Weirdness’

Bimini chats all things Katie Price, UK Hun and gender identity before tomorrow's big RuPaul's Drag Race final.

Bimini

by Nick Levine |
Updated on

Having won three of the last four challenges, Bimini Bon Boulash, the Norwich-born, east London-based queen enters the final with real momentum. Known as 'BIMINI!' - usually shouted with excitement - here the queen chats all things Drag Race, including their iconic snatch game look and which lyric some fans have even had tattooed on their bodies. (As we said, Bimini has some serious fans.)

Your Katie Price impersonation in Snatch Game was an instant classic. Why did you decide to do her?

I had other options. I would have loved to have done Jennifer Saunders because I grew up watching a lot of Absolutely Fabulous and French and Saunders. But Katie Price is also someone I feel I've grown up with and always loved as a personality. I studied journalism before I started doing drag, so I know how the media can work: she's had a bit of a bad rap, and it's not always been fair. I've always respected the way that she's had her ups and downs, but survived them by being authentic to who Katie Price is. She's just someone who's always really resonated with me.

Your conversation with Ginny Lemon about being non-binary really struck a chord when it aired. Did you go into the show knowing you wanted to have that conversation?

Not at all. I just went in trying to be myself, and I'm not always the loudest person who walks in and grabs the spotlight. I'm actually someone who's more of a peacemaker: obviously the producers are looking for drama, but I'd have us sitting there singing Kumbaya if I could. So going into the show, I never expected to have that conversation. For me, as long as someone is being kind and being themselves, it doesn't matter how they identify. But it warms me a lot to know that a little conversation we had sparked some big conversations for other people. A lot of people struggle with their gender identity – I know I have. But I've now found comfort in my weirdness and I revel in it. There are seven billion of us on this planet, and it would be boring as hell if we were all the same.

What was the hardest part of the show for you?

Learning to believe in myself, which I think as queer people we don't always find it easy to do. When we came back after the [Covid] break, I really tried to ground myself and step out of my head in every challenge. I think my biggest achievement was not getting in my head after the break, because earlier in the series I definitely fell victim to that.

You now have half a million Instagram followers. What's been the biggest headfuck since your popularity exploded?

I think seeing people with tattoos of [my UK Hun lyric] 'gender bender, cis-tem offender'. And I've had people shout out to me when I'm walking the dogs – like, 'release the beast!' I've been working on music with a producer and he said to me that people were blasting out UK Hun on the beach in Margate the other night. When it got to my verse, they all said 'here comes the best bit!' and started doing my dance. It's just been surreal.

READ MORE: Tayce: 'I Was Fuming Watching Australians Dance To UK Hun!'

READ MORE: Lawrence Chaney: I've Always Thought Of Myself As Weird Looking'

READ MORE: Ellie Diamond: '99.9% Of What Brought To Drag Race, I Made For Myself'

READ MORE: Behind The Scenes With Drag Race's Baga Chipz, The Vivienne And Divina de Campo

Just so you know, we may receive a commission or other compensation from the links on this website - read why you should trust us