Drag Race's Surprise Eliminee: 'I'm Definitely Going Back' for Season 10
First things first: You have not seen the last of Friday’s Drag Race eliminee.
Though it came down to Cynthia Lee Fontaine and Farrah Moan for the dreaded lip sync battle, it was actually Eureka O’Hara who ended up going home, a result of the injuries she suffered during the cheerleading challenge a few episodes prior.
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Below, Eureka gives TVLine an update on her health, offers a very political response about which queen should have been sent home this week, and even reveals her plans to return to Drag Race in Season 10:
TVLINE | Let’s start with the most important question: How are doing now?
Sure, now everybody’s asking me — six months later!
TVLINE | We didn’t know until now!
[Laughs] I know, I’m actually doing beautifully. I’m very blessed, very blessed. And I kid, I promise.
TVLINE | I don’t even know how you made it through those last challenges. You must have been in so much pain.
Yeah, honestly, I was in a lot of pain. But I think with my drive and my excitement to be there, [the pain] didn’t matter to me. I was eating my prescribed Naproxen and I was stomping down the runway, honey.
TVLINE | I was kind of excited to see how you would keep incorporating your crutches into your looks.
I was excited about it, too. I said, “Honey, I’ll go all the way to the top on a crutch. I’m not afraid.” And they were like, “We love that attitude, go out there and do it.” And I’m like, “Signed, sealed, delivered, girl — I’m yours.”
TVLINE | So was it ultimately you who decided you had to leave, or was it the show telling you that you couldn’t stay?
Honestly, it was the doctor. It wasn’t up to us. It would have been a liability on us all if we didn’t follow the doctor’s order, and his recommendation was for me to have immediate ACL reconstruction. My ACL was completely detached in my left knee, so I needed to have immediate surgery.
TVLINE | Whoa, that’s like a football-level injury!
I know! And the craziest thing was that I was a giant cheerleader when it happened.
TVLINE | Did you and Charlie Hides ever swap sob stories about your injuries?
Yeah, we did, on the show. It was a tough challenge. It was something we weren’t used to, something very endurance-based. Most of us don’t tumble, so it was interesting to see it all play out. It was harder than even they realized.
TVLINE | I have to imagine this is the last year they’ll be doing that challenge.
[Laughs] No more tumbles, at least!
TVLINE | Speaking of future seasons, you’ve received an invitation to come back next season. Will you take it?
Oh, absolutely. As long as I’m in physical health, my knee’s repaired and my doctor releases me, I’m definitely going back. I’m at the end of my medical care, and I’ll hopefully be completely released by the time we start filming. So it’s in God’s hands at this point, but if everything plays out in the right direction, I’ll definitely go back without confusion, complication, nothing.
TVLINE | What do you think you’ll do differently the second time around?
First, I’m going to respect the leg up I’m going to have. I’m trying to observe how I’m being perceived by people, what I see myself looking like on the runway. Other than that, I’m not doing any more preparation. Even this season, when we checked into our rooms on the first night, I was extremely anxious and excited, thinking, “OK, this is what I should do.” And then I heard my mom’s voice in my head going, “Just be yourself and everybody’ll love ya.” That’s what I decided to do, so even in moments when people think I’m being too much, I was better this season because I was myself. It really worked for me, being authentically me. So I’ll stick with that.
TVLINE | Lastly, I have to ask: If you hadn’t gotten injured, who would have gone home, Cynthia or Farrah?
It’s so hard to decide, because I love them both so much, and they both have positives and negatives. Cynthia’s lip sync was a little iffy, but she had so much energy. And Farrah is just so stunning, it’s hard to take your eyes off of her. I don’t know how I would have judged that lip sync, but I’m glad they both got to stay. They were both great support systems for me during my pain.
Are you excited to see Eureka return for Season 10? Drop a comment with your thoughts below.
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