For sure one of the most polarising contestants from RuPaul’s Drag Race, Phi Phi O’Hara became one of the most loved queens and especially at this year’s DragworldUK convention, we all could see why she’s loved by so many. We wanted to find out how this rising star has turned it around so spectacularly and decided to make her the second queen to star in our 5 Reasons Why – series.
- Lots of hugs, laughs and love – genuine dedication to her fans
Whenever you were looking for Phi Phi during DragWorldUK weekend, chances were you could find her meeting her fans – not only the ones who had managed to get a scheduled M&G, but also every single one who queued up at her booth, even after the convention was closing on Sunday. Watching Phi Phi interacting with her fans was a joy, – lots of hugs, laughs and love included – also, it wasn’t rushed at all and her team made sure that everyone got the best experience possible. Furthermore, Phi Phi is the undisputed queen of M&G poses (read on to find out why).
We’ve never seen a queen be at her booth constantly throughout the day (apart from when there were scheduled meet and greets) and then still be meeting people at her booth (for free!) after the closing time of the weekend. That’s dedication to her fans and also definitely proving herself as a hard working, loyal and caring queen!
India (@damnedelano) says: I love Phi Phi because she has so much love and so much time for her fans and she appreciates each and every one of us. Aside from that, she’s the sweetest to everyone and she cares about all of us!
2. Like a diamond – multiple facets of talent!
But, of course Phi Phi O’Hara is not only one of the nicest queens you’ll ever meet, she is also a dynamic and talented performer. This NYC performer showcases her talents singing live and dancing, but also through her incredible makeup and outfit skills. From live-performing her own music all the way to lip syncs – if you saw her high-energy performance of i.e. Nicki Minaj’s “Chun-Li” during the Drag Ball, you know what we’re talking about!
Our contributor Nathan about Phi Phi’s music: “Phi Phi’s musical career has really taken off from her introduction on season 4. She has a very distinctive and beautiful voice and she’s had quite the musical evolution from the beginnings of Bitchy and Queen of Clubs to Take control and the incredible 2016 album Fever Heart (both under her boy name Jaremi Carey) which gave us the amazing singles “Play” and “All Mine”. She has also featured on three of the “Christmas Queens” albums with the festive songs “Naughty or Nice”, “Fireside” and “Oh Come All Ye Faithful”, which are all signature Phi Phi sound.”
Remember how we said that this queen’s talents go far beyond music? In 2016, she embarked on the incredible journey of “365 days of drag”. This project, where she set herself the task of a different drag look every day of the year, drawing inspiration from cosplay and cartoon characters as well as her own drag aesthetic not only showcases attention to detail and execution, but also an extreme dedication to set goals, something which is a character trait we admire. Speaking of following through, let’s talk about the third reason we are Phi Phi O’Hara fans – although often accused of being selfish and horrible, especially by people still hung up on her portrayal on season 4, this queen accomplished a major feat showing she’s anything but self-centered.
3. Not all heroes wear capes – giving back and helping others
In 2017, Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, leaving the island devastated with its residents struggling for access to basic amenities as government help was nowhere in sight. Many called for action like donating to support the people of Puerto Rico, but Phi Phi O’Hara went one step further and used her platform to gather a whole host of RPDR alumni. With “Reinas Unidas” taking place on 6th November in Minneapolis, this queen put together a never before seen show to raise a whopping $80,000 for the people affected by this disaster, showing the world what you can achieve once you really put your mind to it. Furthermore, Phi Phi O’Hara is a huge supporter and promoter of LGBTQ rights and will use her platform to stand up for her beliefs.
4. Rising above and beyond – Turning a negative into a positive
Phi Phi O’Hara is for sure a stunning example of how to overcome anything if you just work hard and set your mind to it.
Our contributor Nathan says: “One of the things I face when I say that Phi Phi is my favourite ever queen is ‘but she was horrible on season 4’. That may be the case but digging a bit deeper, you find out that actually, it isn’t at all. It would be easy to blame editing. By her own admission, phi phi lost a lot of work after season 4 aired, but rather than wallow in it and admit defeat, she worked hard to change the public’s perception of her. A lot of people petitioned for her to be at DragWorldUK and the convention organizers listened and booked her. I’m sure there were people sceptical of her addition to the lineup, but I defy anyone to say they didn’t change their opinion of her by the end of the weekend.”
5. Always down for a laugh – Doesn’t take herself too seriously.
Remember how we said that there’s more to a Phi Phi Meet and Greet than her genuinely connecting with you? Well, last but not least, we would like to emphasize the fact that Phi Phi O’Hara is one of the queens who will always put a huge smile on your face and make you laugh out loud. This one just knows not to herself too seriously (and will, for example, be the first person to make a joke of how she was on RPDR and laugh at herself – there really is no point in being bitter. It happened, she owned it and hats off for that). You can feel that this one is always 100% herself and that makes people gravitate towards the energy she puts out, because it’s so genuine. And of course, there’s also the famous group meet and greet pictures where she very often pulls faces or uses her shoe as a phone, which just makes her even more endearing and we love this side of her that her fans get to see.
And that’s only five of the many Reasons why the whole of Team DragAdventures and so many of our readers love Phi Phi O’Hara and hope we get to see her back at next year’s edition of DragWorldUK!
For more photos of Phi Phi, make sure to check out our Photo Gallery! Also watch the video we made for Phi Phi after this year’s DragworldUK convention here.
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