Tiny Deluxe is exactly the kind of queen we tune into Drag Race Philippines to see perform and to follow along with her journey. On the runway she serves, in the Werk Room she engages, and in her confessionals, she isn’t afraid to throw all the shade. In other words, she’s a star.
Despite delivering plenty of drama and sass, Tiny was placed in the bottom two for her “fiesta” dress in a holiday-themed design challenge, not because it wasn’t chic but because the judges felt it didn’t have enough color to fit the theme. That’s how she found herself facing off with Arizona Brandy to RuPaul’s “Kitty Girl.” While Tiny brought the emotion to the lipsync, Arizona left the judges gagged with her glitter-tossing, smoke-blowing, stage-licking performance, and Tiny was asked to sashay away.
But like Tiny herself will tell you: baby, this is just the beginning. PRIDE caught up with Tiny to talk about her time on the show (life-changing), her regrets (none), what she really thought of that lip sync, and so much more.
PRIDE: Congratulations on Drag Race Philippines season two! Now that you’ve had some time and space from the competition, how are you feeling about your time on the show?
TINY DELUXE:Drag Race Philippines season two was a platform that threw challenges at me from all directions, pushing me beyond my comfort zone and testing the limits of my creativity. I was just basically starting to be polished when I entered, so I was really scared. But when I got there, I just really enjoyed it. I was living my dream and I feel like that in itself is already a win. Although my time in the show was cut short, I was really fulfilled. I wanna do it again!
I loved your holiday runway look. The color and silhouette were so chic! Do you feel like the right two people were in the bottom two? If not, who do you think belonged there and why?
I definitely do not think that I should’ve been in the bottom for that look! I loved it and most of my fellow contestants love it as well, but unfortunately, the judges thought otherwise. Frankly, I don’t agree with the winner of the challenge [Veruschka Levels] as well, and I actually thought she should’ve been in the bottom. It lacked taste and basically was just a hodgepodge of random things.
Courtesy of World of Wonder
Your lip sync was definitely a memorable one! You served emotion and Arizona pulled out the stunts. What were you thinking when she started pulling out the tricks?
When Arizona started to pull out her tricks, I actually looked at the judges and no one was looking at me. All eyes were on her and what she was gonna do. So I just continued to lip sync, but even I watched her do the stunts and all that shenanigans. She really deserved that lip-sync win, although watching it, I noticed that she wasn’t lip-syncing on some of the parts of the songs anymore haha! Anyways, next!
When you’re filming you only get to see the parts you film and your confessionals. So what surprised you most when you watched the episodes back?
It surprised me how shady I was! I’m not blaming the edit for anything, I said those things and so I surprised myself! I don’t remember so many things that I said and yeah, I served shade and they ate it!
Courtesy of World of Wonder
What are you most proud of from your time on Drag Race?
I’m most proud of being there! But really, the things I am most proud of are the things that I have learned! As the competition unfolded, I was confronted with the need to understand myself on a deeper level. Drag is not just about fabulous makeup and extravagant costumes; it’s about self-expression and storytelling. Through each runway presentation and performance, I learned more about my personal narrative, the messages I wanted to convey, and the impact I aimed to make. This process of self-discovery allowed me to connect with my artistry on a profound level, enabling me to present my most authentic self to the world. And I am so proud that I have shown that, myself!
Is there anything you would change?
Elimination might have been a possibility, but defeat was not an option. The experience of leaving the competition ignited a fire within me to prove that my journey was far from over. The resilience cultivated on Drag Race Philippines season two is a gift that I carry forward, reminding me that setbacks are merely stepping stones towards even greater achievements. And so I wouldn’t change a thing. That was the way my destiny was written, and I’m happy with the way my story was told.
Was there a moment from your time that we didn’t get to see that you wish we would have?
The way I helped the PAK GIRLS with their lyrics and musicality to record our girl group song, I wish they would’ve shown that.
What’s next for you?
My Drag Race Philippines season two journey was filled with challenges that pushed me to evolve, lessons that deepened my self-awareness, friendships that will last a lifetime, and a newfound resilience that propels me forward. The spotlight may have shifted, but the legacy of creativity, authenticity, and unapologetic self-expression lives on. What’s next for me? I definitely want my own music, my own songs to be released. I will continue being the live singing diva drag artist that I am and ya’ll are gonna see and hear more of me. I’m finally here, and I’m not going anywhere.
