Bianca Del Rio doesn’t just cross the line – she dances over it in six-inch stilettos, throws in a roast, and leaves audiences gasping for breath (or running away).
Now, the RuPaul’s Drag Race season six winner and self-proclaimed “clown in a gown” is back in New Zealand, wrapping up her mammoth Dead Inside world tour with three final shows.
In an exclusive chat with Seven Sharp, Bianca opens up about why she loves Kiwi audiences, her unfiltered take on Drag Race, and whether she’d ever step into RuPaul’s legendary heels.
‘You lot are sick—and I love it’
After a career spanning decades, Bianca has taken her razor-sharp wit across the globe. But there’s something special about returning to New Zealand.
“With Australia, New Zealand, and the UK, they have some of the sickest people,” she said. “They have a brilliant sense of humour… and they can take a joke. In America, it’s touch and go. New York? Fine. California? Fine. Texas? Questionable. Ohio? Be careful!”
Ending her tour here, she said, just makes sense.
“A good time is had! People get it, they take the piss out of themselves. And that, I respect.”
It’s been 11 years since she first burst onto the scene in season six of RuPaul’s Drag Race, serving snatched wigs and even sharper comebacks. But back then, she didn’t expect drag to become her full-time career.
“I was 37 at the time and thought, ‘This is it,’” she recalled. “I had worked the bars, had a job at a costume shop. I was about to hang it all up at 40. Then Drag Race came along, and I didn’t think it could be this.”
Now, she’s made her story as the first drag queen to sell out Carnegie Hall and London’s Wembley Arena. But despite the glitz and glamour, her approach remains refreshingly simple.
“A table, a glass of wine, and a spotlight. No backup dancers. No cues. No rehearsals. No backdrop. Just me and a stage.”
That’s all she needs to deliver Dead Inside, her latest stand-up show tackling cancel culture, politics, and being (as she puts it) an “elderly” drag queen.
“It wasn’t necessarily a title I came up with, it was a diagnosis from my doctor,” she joked. “Basically, it’s my perspective as a soon-to-be 50-year-old on society, pop culture – and being an elderly drag queen. ELDERLY! DIAGNOSED AS AN ELDERLY DRAG QUEEN!”
Would She Ever Take Over Drag Race?
For years, fans have speculated who could replace RuPaul when she eventually retires – if she ever does. So, could Bianca take the throne?
“Oh God, everyone asks this,” she responded. “Listen, she ain’t going nowhere. First of all, she can do the show for another 40 years. Not because she’s youthful – because she’s a hologram. She’s not a real person.”
But while she wouldn’t turn down the gig, she does have some conditions.
“I’d have to be the old-school Michelle Visage or the Simon Cowell of it all. If they let me do that, then maybe.”
For now, she’s more than happy staying on the road, delivering the kind of comedy that keeps her audiences (and sometimes, her critics) on their toes.
“I like to say something hateful. I like to draw the line, turn around, cross it and snort it. That’s what you paid for.”
Bianca Del Rio’s Dead Inside New Zealand tour dates:
- Auckland – Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre – February 13
- Wellington – Opera House – February 15
- Christchurch – James Hay Theatre – February 17
Tickets available at biancadownunder.com.
