50 Questions With Jimbo

In the summer of 2020, a drag queen named Jimbo breasted boobily onto the main stage of Canada’s Drag Race and titted into our hearts forever. Exactly three years, three countries and three seasons later, Jimbo has finally departed the franchise that made her famous with a crown and sceptre, a one-year supply of Anastasia Beverly Hills cosmetics, a coveted spot in the Drag Race Hall of Fame and a cash prize of $200,000. It feels correct.

After the Canadian panel overlooked her and her UK vs the World run was cruelly curtailed to the tune of the Vengaboys, Jimbo entered RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 8 with the ease of a winner. Clad in flip-flops and a sensible silicone nude bodysuit, Jimbo floated above the season’s drama, proceeding to knock every challenge out of the park. With her insane, childlike sense of humour and peerless fashion on the runway, it’s no surprise that Jimbo became a fast and firm fan favourite, and even less surprising that she’s now a crowned queen.

Throughout All Stars 8, Jimbo gave us moments of incredible visual comedy, from her nightmarishly oversized Shirley Temple Snatch Game and Richard Quinn-ish facekini to the joyous return of her Joan Rivers impression and that scary baloney ghost clown character. Her success points to a fruitful future for Drag Race if it’s still capable of unearthing drag geniuses like the British Columbia-hailing clown however many seasons in. Not since Jinkx Monsoon, well, last year have we seen a queen with such rock-solid comedy chops and the all-important ability to make RuPaul wheeze-laugh to death.

Speaking days after her triumph in the All Stars 8 finale and hours before jetting off to Europe, Jimbo answered AnOther’s 50 Questions.

1. Congratulations on winning All Stars 8, Jimbo. How are you feeling? Thank you, it’s been a wild ride. I can’t believe that only three years ago I walked into Canada’s Drag Race and I’m so grateful that Mama Ru kept asking me back and saw something in me to bring me back to All Stars. It’s been a long-time dream to be in the Hall of Fame so my mind is blown.

2. Where are you right now? I’m at the airport. It never stops, I’m a girl on the go.

3. I think I can guess but what will you be doing after this interview? I’m headed to Amsterdam to film an ad campaign, then I fly to Vegas to continue on tour.

4. How did you celebrate your victory this weekend? I celebrated in New York with a big party with Kandy Muse that Susanne Bartsch threw for us. My family and friends flew in and we danced away. I put on a show, I got to wear the crown – it was everything.

5. Do you know where you’re going to keep your crown and sceptre? Well, I think I have to have a special stand made now. I need to make a big deal about it. I want to have a light on it and lasers to protect it. Very Mission: Impossible.

6. How much baloney can $200,000 buy? It can buy a million pounds of baloney. I was in 17 countries last year and I had to find baloney in 17 places in the world. I like to do a baloney test where I toss a slice to check the thickness, and I find a volunteer to do a face slap to make sure it’s the right consistency. 

7. Do you have any goals for your reign? My goal is to keep making more art and telling stories on bigger and bigger platforms. I have a show coming up on WOWPresentsPlus called My Special Show, I have a tour coming up and I have a cruise in the new year with Kandy, Heidi [N Closet] and Jessica [Wild]. My plan is to work as much as possible. 

8. Do you have any personal highlights from All Stars 8? I love making RuPaul laugh so basically any moment you’re connecting with Ru. The highlight of the season for me was all of those opportunities where I had to think on my feet and make Ru laugh.

9. Do you have an overall favourite runway look from your time on Drag Race? Maybe the ‘Net Gala’ dark influencer look where I had all of those cell phones on me flashing. And I love my Snow Bunny look where I’m covered in all those feathers.

10. A lot of Drag Race winners have gone on to work with designers and walk runways. Is that something you’d be interested in? 100 per cent. I’ve worked in fashion since my early twenties so it’s a logical next step for me to go more into the world of fashion. 

11. Which designers would you like to work with? Jean Paul Gaultier is someone I’ve been a long-time fan of. I love Jeremy Scott, what he does is very cool. I’d love to work with Schiaparelli, I find their surrealism very inspiring.

12. You expressed frustration earlier in the season over not winning any lip syncs, but you just won your second lip sync in the finale. How do you feel looking back at your lip sync journey? My entrance to drag wasn’t through lip-syncing. I’m a clown, I came up in vaudeville theatre. I wasn’t in a bar lip-syncing and performing to tracks so that’s a skill I had to learn over time.

13. How do you feel about lip-syncing being seen as integral to drag? It’s crucial to American drag but less so in other countries like the UK. Exactly. It’s a skill you have to learn and it’s not always the way people do drag. That’s probably why I love UK drag so much and have such a huge fan base over there, they can connect to my drag that way. 

14. With that in mind, would you consider coming back as a lip-sync assassin to win more? I would do anything RuPaul wants me to do. If she wants me to come over and clean out her basement, I’d do it.

15. Are there any Jimbo-ish artists you like performing to? I definitely love performing to Kim Petras. She has this sense of humour and sexy take I find a lot of fun to perform. I love performing Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ I Put A Spell on You – it has a fun cadence and energy to it.

“Even if I don’t win, after you lose so many times it takes the edge off. It’s not so bad anymore” – Jimbo

16. Which performers and characters were formative for your drag? Elvira. I used to watch scary movies growing up and I was mesmerised by Elvira. I loved her beauty and sense of humour and her dark, twisted vibe. I love Pee-wee Herman, there’s this sense of curiosity and adventure and joy in Pee-wee. 

17. Now that you’re a drag superstar and Drag Race winner, how do you feel looking back on your first time doing drag? It’s a reminder to keep bringing that back to the front of what I do. Part of growing as an artist is pushing boundaries for myself and always being curious about new ways I can express myself. 

18. You’ve received both praise and criticism for your ... huge breasts. Why is a generous bust so important for Jimbo’s aesthetic? I’m a clown and clowns are all about more and more, and bigger and bigger. That carries into my life. I don’t think the fact I like things big should stop me from having anything big, let alone big breasts.

19. After guest judging, could you see yourself returning to Canada’s Drag Race as a permanent panellist? I would love that. I loved being up there on the panel with Brooke Lynn [Hytes] and the other judges. It’s a great opportunity to take things I’ve learned along the way and share it with people who are up and coming.

20. Have you heard from the Joan Rivers estate about your impersonation? I’ve not heard from her estate but I’d love to. I sent an Instagram message to Melissa when I did Joan on Canada’s Drag Race but maybe I was too small potatoes at that point. I should try again now.

21. Well, she might not appreciate you saying she has a horse face but on the other hand, she could potentially find it really funny? Oh, God, I forgot that I said that! Maybe I shouldn’t contact her.

22. If you were hosting a dinner party consisting of only Drag Race girls, who would you invite? Heidi N Closet, Alyssa Edwards, Sasha Colby, Kylie Sonique Love, my twin, and Latrice Royale.

23. On Canada’s Drag Race and UK vs the World, you were known for your incredible reads – did you feel like you were a little more restrained on All Stars 8? It’s hard to say. That energy comes when there’s a clash and that’s usually competition-based. This time around I wanted to show my true self and my energy which is about love and good vibes. Those times when I snapped at Rita [Baga] and Pangina [Heals] were moments where I was absolutely exhausted and not necessarily my best moments. But this time I wanted to try my best to be sisterly to my sisters and try my best to win with kindness.

24. Does Jimbo have a cocktail of choice? I’m now three years sober so my cocktail of choice these days is soda water. Oh, and I’ve been drinking a lot of Red Bull. 

25. Who would play you in a movie of your life? Henry Cavill out of drag. In drag … who’s really beautiful … um, Dua Lipa!

26. Do you have any favourite local drag performers working today? Back in Victoria, Eddi Licious is a really cool drag king, and I have a friend, Justin Time, in Dublin … or maybe it’s Glasgow, I have a terrible memory.

27. Are there any drag trends that you’re not a fan of? Flat human hair wigs ... that’s not giving. And dirty clothes! Wash your fucking drag, that’s a drag trend I don’t like.

28. What do you think Shirley Temple would make of your portrayal of her? She’d be like, ‘Run me my cheque, bitch.’

29. Do you have any lines you won’t cross when it comes to your humour? You definitely don’t want to make anyone feel really, really upset. I try to listen to people and there are definitely boundaries I wouldn’t cross.

30. Is there anything you can’t go on tour without? Baloney and a dream.

31. How do you relax after a show? I smoke a joint and chill with my partner. My mum says that each tip I get represents love from a person. They’ve been working and they’ve taken their money and given it to me to express their love. Ever since my mum told me that, that’s been really special to me.

32. If pushed, what’s the fastest you could get into drag? And look horrible and busted? 20 minutes. If I wanted to look minorly OK, two hours, and if I wanted to look proper then three and a half to four hours.

33. Do you have any rituals when you’re getting in drag? I like to drink coffee and smoke a little joint and take my time and enjoy the process. It’s like painting, so the more you can enjoy it and get into it, the better you’re going to feel.

34. What’s the one thing you could never do drag without? Make-up. Even then, I think you just need eyelashes. As long as I’ve got lipstick and eyelashes I can do it.

35. What was the last film to make you cry? The Whale.

“Flat human hair wigs ... that’s not giving. And dirty clothes! Wash your fucking drag, that’s a drag trend I don’t like” – Jimbo

36. What does Jimbo do on a day off? I like to check out wherever I am. When I have a day off I like to check out the local sights and meet up with a friend if I know anyone.

37. Where’s your happy place? My home studio in Victoria with my cats and all of my belongings. I have a whole first floor of a heritage building that has all my collections and my things. 

38. What’s your most treasured possession? My brand new beautiful crown. 

39. Does Jimbo have a comfort food? Candy. I love candy.

40. Who hasn’t been played on Snatch Game that you think should be? I would love to see Bette Midler.

41. What have you found to be the biggest difference between American and Canadian drag? I would say the tips at the end. Doing drag in America is amazing because you have this incredible audience with all these dollars waving at you. We do get tips in Canada but it’s not quite the same because all of our bills are much bigger.

42. Which city has been your favourite to perform in? I played the Apollo when I was in London and it was massive. I love being in London, it has an amazing international feeling to it.

43. What’s your biggest vice? Sugar and coffee. 

44. What’s your biggest virtue? My curiosity. I’m curious about people and hearing their stories and asking questions and moving forward. 

45. I know it’s early, but would you compete on an All Winners season of All Stars? I would go tomorrow in a heartbeat. You ask me to do anything and I’ll do it. I love saying ‘yes’, I love competing and I love drag. Of course, I want to relish in the moment of my win and everything it took to get to this place but I also love making TV so I would go back.

46. In the final Ru praised you as the type of queen she grew up with. How did that type of comment feel? That felt incredible for her to see my point of view and for her to understand where I come from. I’m honoured that Ru and I share that.

47. She also said she loved that your drag style wasn’t about looking “real”. How does it feel to embody that type of ‘middle finger to society’ drag at a time when the anti-drag movement has never been more vocal? I think it’s important as an artist to push boundaries and fight for change so I’m grateful that drag is still a political act. It is saying ‘fuck you’ to norms and expectations. I’m so proud to have this platform to inspire other people to feel like maybe there’s a place for them.

48. Is Not A Soul Can Clock by Monica Beverly Hillz the song of the summer? I’m obsessed with it! I loved that performance when I saw it for the first time … this ease and this coolness to the whole thing. I’m obsessed with Monica Beverly Hillz.

49. Aside from $200,000, what is the greatest gift Drag Race has given you? The ability to connect with so many people around the way. About ten years ago I made a wish that I could be friends with people around the world. I thought, how can I be friends with everybody? I didn’t really understand how that would happen and now I have friends in cities and countries and places I don’t even know about yet. It’s the greatest gift of my life. 

50. Finally, does Jimbo have a motto in life? I think what my mum taught me which is to have the best time and others will join you. I choose joy and I choose to spread it.