Choriza May on the ‘heartbreak’ & joy of returning to ‘Drag Race’ & who’s booty she’d like to bite

PRIDE: Congratulations on another amazing season of Drag Race, you are such a light. Do you have a favorite memory from this season?

CHORIZA MAY: It was week one and we were filming the talent show. I was first up and I was shitting myself because I have all these reveals involved, it was wild. I just remember thinking and saying out loud to myself before going on stage, ‘They are not going to know what’s going to hit them. I’m going to shock them. I’m going to have so much fun and they’re finally gonna see what I brought to the talent show.’ What really warmed my heart after I finished doing it was when I went backstage, and I heard Michelle and RuPaul singing the song. And I thought, I’ve made an impact and I am so happy. Hearing them, two icons I admire so much, singing my song, having fun with it, and seeing the smiling faces it’s something that I will keep with me forever.

I love that! You have been a fan favorite since your original season. What made you decide you wanted to give it another shot? Did you have any fears about coming back and doing another season?

I did. I had such a fantastic time filming and watching it back. It was really just amazing. My fear was that I was not going to have as much fun or that maybe coming back was going to ruin the whole Drag Race experience for me. I held that experience so close to my heart. But it didn’t happen. I’d love to do it more. I hadn’t had a better time than I did the previous time. I know you see us crying on telly. It’s a high pressure experience. It’s a high pressure competition. At the end of the day, you’re up against the best of the best of each country. This really was the Olympics of drag. But I enjoyed that.

I could tell! I could see your joy in the Werk Room. In fact one of my very favorite moments was when after you secretly picked Jonbers Blonde as having the most needy fashioned and then did your grand confession I was howling! I’m curious, after that did she calm down or did you have to kind of soothe her and smooth it over?

I had to soothe her a lot. I kid you not, I thought if she’s on the top and I’m in the bottom, she’s gonna send me home. She was pissed off. [Laughs] I was like, ‘We tell jokes and it’s fun. Girl, it’s not that serious.’ I really didn’t want to reveal who it was. Why do I have to share? I remember when we’re doing the costumes, heading back to her was like, ‘Oh, hey, girl, which fabric do you think I should use? Do you think this goes well with this?’ And she was like, ‘Oh, so now you want my fashion advice.’ I’m like, ‘Girl I’m just trying to get closer to you right now, stop being so sensitive!’ She was fine. She got over it eventually.

I feel like you all have a lot of love for one another, who was the hardest to say goodbye to?

Oh my god it was Arantxa [Castilla-La Mancha]. What made it even harder is that I was in the bottom with her. We dreaded this moment. It was like, we hope there’s not some shenanigans happening where we’re both in the bottom — and sure enough, episode two happens. It was devastating watching the episode. We throw the word ‘heartbreaking’ around a lot. But it had been a long time since I felt my heart break. It was really hard for me to recover for the next week and be like, okay, my friend is not here anymore. It was truly devastating to not see her there. Especially because I know how much she has to offer and I know what a kind heart she has. But the world has seen that and the love that she’s been receiving from socials has been incredible. And I couldn’t be prouder of her.

I feel like both times you were in the bottom, it was pretty heartbreaking. Whether it was with your friend, or this time with your dance partner. How do you go into Untucked and defend yourself with your whole chest in a situation like that?

I hate it. I don’t want to be like you should send her home. It’s not what’s natural to me. I think that was the hardest thing for me to do was to plead my case, but not at the same time also be like, yeah, she’s the one that has to go home. So for me, the easiest way to think was to keep it positive like, Hey, I should stay for this, for this, for this, and for this. I spoke from the heart.

I was actually surprised Marina Summers chose you, especially since Scarlet Envy has made it very clear she is going to play a cutthroat game. Why do you think it went the way it did?

I knew Marina had been so fair in terms of considering the track record through the whole competition. And she had saved me the week before when I was against Gothy [Kendoll] and it was her third time in the bottom. So I kind of knew what was coming. We became really close friends through the season and I love her so much, but I can see it coming. Hannah [Conda] also became such close friends and we represent a very similar side of drag with the camp and [being] colorful and fun. I was hoping deep down that maybe she was going to save me so we could keep this representation moving further in the competition.

Well we’ll see if it comes back to bite them, because we Americans are very competitive.

Competitive! I remember that the sewing challenge everyone was so kind to each other, like, ‘Oh, use this fabric for this.’ And Scarlett was like, ‘I didn’t realize it was just gonna be like this. Everyone is so nice to each other. It’s not like this in America!’

OK let’s end on kind of a silly question. When I spoke with Mayhem Miller, I asked her if she was stranded on a desert island, who she would marry and who she would eat first. And her answer for who she would eat first was you, because you would be well seasoned. What do you think of that and who would you choose?

That’s something the Americans care about a lot. So I’m not shocked.

So, who is going in your heart? And who is going on the plate?

In my heart, I think it is going to be Le Grand Dame. He’s a tall, beautiful man, kind hearted, great company, great conversation. It would never end. Obviously, I would starve so much I would become a skinny legend as well without Ozempic so it would be fantastic.

Then who would I eat? It needs to be somewhat meaty so Tia [Kofi] is out of the question. You know what, I am going to bite her ass back. I would eat Mayhem because she has something to grab on. She's delicious and she would also be very well seasoned. I would bite Mayhem's ass anytime.