Suchismita Ghosh
Crave’s second season of ‘Canada’s Drag Race,’ in continuation of its hit first season, premiered in October 2021. Like season 1, this time too, 12 stunning divas participated in the quest to be the best. While Brooke Lynn Hytes returned to the judge’s chair, the second season saw three new faces on the judge’s seat with Brad Goreski, Amanda Brugel, and Traci Melchor taking on the reigns. As the 12 gorgeous Drag Queens fought it out for the coveted top prize, Icesis Couture took home the honors, with Kendall Gender and Pythia being crowned runners-up. As it has been quite a while since the 2021 season wrapped up, ardent fans of the show can’t help but wonder what their favorite Drag Queens are currently up to.
Steven Granados-Portelance is Thriving in Her Career as a Model
The winner of season 2, Steven Granados-Portelance, AKA Icesis Couture, had previously already participated in and won Ottawa’s Miss Capital Pride pageant in 2020. After her grand win, she went on to partake in the spin-off series of ‘CDR,’ which is ‘Canada’s Drag Race: Canada vs. the World,’ in 2022. While she was having a good run and fans believed she was on her way to another stellar victory, Icesis decided to withdraw her name in the fourth episode, thus placing sixth in the end. She later went on to clarify the reason behind her sudden exit, stating that her decision was taken to focus on both her physical and mental health.
She further elaborated about a freak accident, wherein she had ended up breaking her leg before entering the show, but had persisted with her plans to appear in the series till things became a little too much for her to handle, eventually leading her to quit. In 2023, Icesis and her fellow ‘CDR,’ castmates Kimora Amour and Suki Doll participated in ‘Courage Across Canada,’ on a speaking tour, where they interacted with high schoolers about homophobia and bullying. She also started a new series in 2022 called ‘Tea Time With Nana,’ with Kimora Amour as her co-host. As of now, Icesis has been keeping busy working as a model and has been posting snippets of the same on her social media profile.
Kenneth Wyse is Also an Actor Today
The runners-up of the season, Kenneth Wyse, who goes by her stage name Kendall Gender, in reference to Kendall Jenner, has been performing drag for a decade now. In 2021, after her season ended, she went on to appear in ‘Canada’s Drag Race: Canada vs. the World’ where she placed ninth. However, Kendall’s popularity knew no bounds as she soon found her name in Vancouver Magazine’s annual ‘Power 50 list of influential Vancouverites,’ thus becoming the first drag artist in history to find her name on it.
She is also a part of the popular BratPack drag troupe along with her fellow castmates Synthia Kiss and Gia Metric, and the trio often performs in Vancouver together. In 2023, Kendall made her acting debut in the short film, ‘Stay,’ where she essayed the lead role of Kaleb/Ivy Diamonds. In the same year, she started ‘KENAISSANCE,’ a Beyonce-inspired one-woman drag show, wherein she has been performing extensively all across Canada.
Christos Darlasis is Utilizing Her Love For Make-Up and Theatre in Her Performances
The second runners-up of the season, Christos Darlasis AKA Pythia, has an extensive theatre background to her name. A Greek by birth, she also happens to be the first Drag Queen of Greek heritage to appear in the series. Pythia also enjoys photography, pop culture, storytelling, and fashion, all of which she adds to her drag to create memorable experiences in her performances for her viewers. In 2020, the Greek national applied for Canadian citizenship, and it was finally approved in 2022, making her an official Canadian citizen.
Her love for theatre has seen Pythia, who is currently based in Montreal, opt for looks that showcase her fondness for theatrics and the mystical, even as she shares glimpses of the same on her social media profile. She also has a collection of exclusive merchandise available on her website for her fans looking to own a piece symbolic of their favorite Drag Queen.
Giorgio Triberio is Immersed in Creating New Music and the BratPack
Gia Metric AKA Giorgio Triberio, reached the top 4 of the season. Before arriving on the show, she had already been good friends with fellow castmates Synthia Kiss and Kendall Gender, with the trio performing at The Junction’s weekly drag showcase. After the season wrapped up, Gia decided to focus on her fitness a little and has been working hard to ensure she maintains top-notch fitness levels. She has also been working on her music with the drag girl group BratPack. In 2022, Gia appeared in ‘RuPaul’s DragCon,’ in LA. She has also been experimenting with her look quite a bit and has recently been collaborating with a few big brands like L’Oréal Paris Féria and Fitness World Canada.
Daniel Albornoz is Focusing on Her Stage Performances
Daniel Albornoz, who goes by the stage name Adriana The Bombshell, is a Colombia-born Canadian drag queen who has been making waves over the years. Despite finishing fifth, the star from Québec City has continued to create fervor as a fierce conceptual queen. Having previously headlined several fetish events, she has been producing shows both as a drag and as the Artistic Director of Le Drague. In 2022, she brought out a new production based on the movie ‘Encanto,’ called, ‘Encantadx.’ Adriana has been focusing on stage shows off-late after having completed a series of tours in December 2023.
Justin Baird Now Runs Her Own Successful YouTube Channel
Following her participation in ‘Canada’s Drag Race,’ Justin Baird AKA Kimora Amour, went on to expand her horizons quite a bit. In 2022, she was a part of the judges panel on the web series, ‘CBX: Canadian Ballroom Extravaganza.’ In the same year, she also raised allegations of racially insensitive behavior that was seen amongst several Drag Race queens. One of the most publicized of these allegations was against the first season of ‘Canada’s Drag Race,’ competitor Rita Baga, and about her having once done a blackface, impersonating the actress and singer Amber Riley.
In the year 2023, Kimora and fellow ‘CDR,’ castmates Icesis Couture and Suki Doll participated in the ‘Courage Across Canada,’ speaking tour and talked about homophobia and bullying with high school students. She also has her own YouTube channel, ‘ SingleBlackGayDad TV,’ where she talks about the struggles of IVF and being a single father. In the ninth season of ‘The Amazing Race Canada,’ which premiered in 2023, she participated along with her friend Jermaine Aranha AKA Anastarzia Anaquway, and the two were the sixth team to get eliminated.
Daniel Finlan is the Host of a Podcast with Juice Boxx Today
Synthia Kiss, whose real name is Daniel Finlan, was amongst the top seven participants of the season. After her exit from the show, she has been running a website filled with her merchandise. Synthia has also been hosting a podcast with season 1 ‘Canadian Drag Race,’ alumna Juice Boxx called ‘Semi-Qualified Queens,’ and the duo has been preparing for several live shows in 2024. In the same year, she is slated to appear in the first season of ‘Ghosting with Luke Hutchie and Matthew Finlan.’ Synthia is also one of the performers of BratPack, along with her ‘CDR’ castmates Kendall Gender and Gia Metric.
Rina Adams Has Started Several Podcasts and Channels
Rina Adams, who goes by her stage name Eve 6000, was the eighth contestant to exit the show. Having experience as an illustrator and drag performer, she was previously named ‘Miss Angel City Continental Plus 2021.’ The openly non-binary artist came out as a trans woman in 2022, and in the same year, she and fellow season 1 contestant BOA started their podcast, ‘Death Becomes She/Her.’ The two talk all about RuPaul’s Drag Race, their lives as drag queens, life, death, and all else in between. She has another podcast called ‘Not Well Bitch!’ where she and Etcetera Etcetera talk about all things related to Real Housewives. That’s not all, as Eve has also been running a YouTube page called ‘Slap or Scrap,’ although the page has been dormant for a while.
André Pham is Thriving As a Creative Contributor
Crowned Miss Congeniality in season 2 of ‘Canada’s Drag Race,’ André Pham, whose stage name is Suki Kiss, has been keeping busy with loads of modeling assignments. After the show wrapped up, she and several fellow castmates participated in the ‘Courage Across Canada’ tour. Suki has also collaborated with big brands like Jack Daniels. In December 2023, she shared a creative collaboration titled ‘Qualm of the Conscience’ with fellow ‘CDR’ castmate Icesis Couture. Along with that, Suki has also started The Loved One collection of clothing, which has been designed to inspire and feel inclusive. What makes the clothing line an even bigger hit is the fact that part of the proceedings goes to a non-profit organization of her choice.
Stephen Pasay is Preparing to Resume Her Career on Stage
Stephen Pasay, AKA Stephanie Prince, is an Alberta-based drag queen of Filipino-Canadian descent. Despite having a short stay on the show, she went on to appear in ‘Canada’s Drag Race: Canada vs. the World,’ but was eliminated in the eighth position by fellow ‘CDR’ contestant Icesis Couture. However, Stephanie hasn’t taken either of the losses to heart and has since then been focussing on her stage career and is set to appear with ‘Canada’s Drag Race’ Season 4 contestants Kiki Coe and Melinda Verga in Calgary for their show ‘PINAY PIE XXXL.’ Like several of her fellow castmates, Stephanie has also created an exclusive line of merchandise that is available on her website.
Thierry Boily-Simard is Focused on Her One-Woman Drag Show
Océane Aqua-Black, the stage name for Thierry Boily-Simard, was the second drag queen to get eliminated in the season. Even though she didn’t have a long run on the show, Océane has been focusing on her solo performances and living it up as a glam diva. Other than the several hot spots that she gives her one-woman drag shows in, Océane utilizes her 20-plus years of experience as a comedy queen to keep her viewers hooked to her skits, providing a laughter riot right till the very end. She also performs songs in her drag shows and promises a complete package during each gathering.
Rolland Bissonette Keeps Herself Busy With Photoshoots Nowadays
Rolland Bissonette AKA Beth was the first contestant to get eliminated from the season. Despite her short stay, she managed to leave a lasting impression on her fellow castmates. Beth is a Canadian Métis and two-spirit drag performer and has been advocating for the representation of indigenous people in the drag arena. While she keeps herself busy with photoshoots, Beth also has three shows lined up, including a two-day weekly show with Eva Lasting called ‘An Intimate Evening of Drag.’
Read More: Where is Canada’s Drag Race Filmed?
