When Rhys Nicholson was asked to return to the judging panel for the new season of Drag Race Down Under, their reply was immediate.
It was a resounding and enthusiastic yes.
The sartorial Newcastle-born comedian, author and actor's sharp wit and cutting humour has made them a fan favourite on the reality-television franchise created by American drag entertainer RuPaul.
They have been part of the show since 2021. Nicholson is as much a fan of drag and the "queens" as the viewers who tune in religiously.
In Drag Race Down Under vs The World, which premieres on Stan on July 24, Nicholson is joined on the judging panel by Michelle Visage and four-time Drag Race winner Lazy Susan.
Nicholson describes it, simply, as a "joy".
"Judging Drag Race is, genuinely, my favourite thing to do every year. Drag is my favourite thing, I'm going to be consuming it anyway, so I may as well get to do it sitting next to Michelle Visage and RuPaul," Nicholson says.
"But what keeps me coming back, apart from my mortgage, is getting to see the incredible drag queens in our country. And with this series in particular, where we are up against world-class international queens, it makes you realise how we really are punching above our weight, talent-wise, in our part of the world."
In this series of Drag Race Down Under, Australasian drag queens will compete against six drag artists from around the world, competing in a variety of challenges to test their charisma, uniqueness and talent.
The overall winner will be crowned "Queen of the Mother Tucking World".
Nicholson is a delight to talk to. Intelligent, articulate, fun, and generous with their time and thoughts.
No topic is taboo.
When I complain about having to get dressed and put make-up on for our early morning Zoom call, they laugh.
"You see, I could have done that, but I've just bumped my filter right up and tried to create some lighting that's gentle and soft. I never know if it's the type of interview where I should have full face, because if I was Michelle Visage, I would have been up since 4am and would have a full face on right now and look, somehow, still natural."
They also admit they stare at themselves on the screen while talking on Zoom.
"I'm a budgie. I'm like that with shop windows, cars .. anything."
They recall watching The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert at age six, describing it as an "entry level" introduction to drag. They were fascinated by the dazzling costumes and make-up and the fact that in one scene the characters were men, and the next scene they weren't.
Nicholson came out as non-binary in 2022 and now uses he/they pronouns. They married longtime partner Kyran Wheatley in 2023.
"I had the classic '90s queer child experience of seeing that movie probably a little too early. Rocky Horror too," they laugh.
"I was watching it with my mum, and I probably didn't even really understand gender yet - and who does?
"I asked my mum what was happening and she was like, 'Oh, they're drag queens' and vaguely explained it. And so, in my head, I was thinking 'Oh, you can be anything, you can just be whatever you want'. To me, drag queens were like shapeshifters, and from the age of seven I was telling people I wanted to be a drag queen. And I still do.
"Do you remember the part in Priscilla when a horrible message was written on the side of their bus, and their reaction was to paint over it with pink? I think that is a pretty incredible metaphor that was probably lost on me at the time, but I'm now like, "Oh, yeah. Just paint over it with pink'. That's a great way to think about your life, I reckon."
There has been debate about the actual colour of the cover-up. Pink? Lavender? Purple? Regardless, the symbolism stands and a point was made.
Nicholson has referred to their own look (on Drag Race and on stage) as "drag adjacent" and part of their "onstage armour". The dyed and coiffed red hair, the crisp suit and tie, and the full face of makeup means it's showtime.
And, as they told the ABC in 2022: "We're all born naked, and the rest is drag".
Nicholson believes the worldwide popularity of Drag Race is also breaking down barriers in its own way.
"It's a very fun show, and it's very silly, but there are similarities to Priscilla as well. They both tell human stories and showcase the human spirit," they say.
"Drag Race is a show that shouldn't be as popular as it is. This is a community that is genuinely still maligned by groups of people, and yet they are the stars of one of the biggest TV shows that has ever existed.
"Look, we're all just specks of dust floating around RuPaul at this point.
"Some of the rhetoric going on in culture at the moment is bullshit because at the end of the day, you do just want to see a guy dressed as a lady do a backflip. It doesn't matter how they're living their life."
The former Hunter School of the Performing Arts student who grew up in Waratah used to sneak in to The Oriental Hotel in Cooks Hill as a teen to perform at open-mic comedy nights.
While competing in Raw Comedy for the third time, Nicholson captured the attention of the owner of Sydney's The Comedy Store who told them to get in touch should they ever relocate.
Nicholson worked double shifts at burger joint Grill'd in The Junction and eventually saved enough money to move to Sydney in 2009 at the age of 18. They quickly became a regular at The Comedy Store, and in 2012 won the Time Out Award for Best Newcomer at the Sydney Comedy Festival.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Barry Award, ARIA, AACTA and Helpmann Award nominations. A Best International Show Award at the 2018 New Zealand International Comedy Festival for their show Seminal.
Opening for Conan O'Brien on his 2019 Australian tour and being a guest on his US television show that is watched by millions.
A Melbourne International Comedy Festival Award for Most Outstanding Show in 2022 for their live hour, Rhys! Rhys! Rhys! and a show released on Netflix and shared worldwide (Nice People Nice Things Nice Situations).
The release of their 2023 book Dish: Spiels, Scoops, Emotional Outbursts and the Occasional Recipe, more comedy festival awards, hosting gigs, and a win at the Australian Writers' Guild AWGIE Awards earlier this year for their work on The Weekly.
Nicholson is also a familiar face on Australian television and is starring in Channel 10's The Traitors, which premieres on August 4.
And later this month they are returning to their home town to host the second Newcastle Comedy Festival Gala at the Civic Theatre. It's on July 25 and the line-up includes Andrew Hamilton, Bec Charlwood, Dan Rath, John Cruckshank, Stephanie Broadbridge, Mel Buttle, Takashi Wakasugi, Paige Hally, Lizzy Hoo and Dave Thornton.
The first Gala event sold out in record time.
Newcastle Comedy Festival runs from July 16 to August 16 at various venues across the city.
It's a full-circle moment for Nicholson.
"It's never not exciting to perform at places like the Civic because it's where I went when I was a kid to see shows. And it's never not strange to be standing backstage thinking 'I was here when I was 12'," they say.
"It's a really good Gala line-up. Newcastle has such a strong comedy festival and great comedy club. They're doing really incredible things."
Nicholson returns home to Newcastle to visit family when time permits. It's not as easy these days, now that they live in Melbourne.
They have a renewed appreciation for their home city, too.
"What is always frustrating to me, and I feel like every generation of Novocastrians has this, is that it's so good there now. When I was a teenager, it wasn't this way, it was a skate park and a beach, and we had Darby Street and Goldbergs.
"People say to me, "I can't believe like you grew up in Newcastle. It's incredible there'. And it is. I think it's punching above its weight in a lot of ways.
"Although I will say, and maybe it's because I've talked so much shit about Newcastle in the past, we never quite fill a venue up there. And so that is my challenge to you, Newcastle. I'm doing a big tour next year. Let's fill up the Civic, please."
