Shock tells Spy that drag in Aotearoa has always been rooted in heart, determination and its own unique style.
"Now we get to show the world and RuPaul what Kiwi queens are made of. We've packed our No 8 wire, filled up on fush and chups and downed a can of L&P. We are ready! It's going to be more tense than an Australia v New Zealand Rugby World Cup Final," she says.
Mean first dressed up in drag for a New Year's Eve party and wowed all her friends. She then found herself centre stage in Auckland's nightlife and fiercely protects her position as resident queen at Family Bar on K Rd.
"It has blown my mind to have been given this amazing opportunity to present my drag in such an epic way," says Mean. "Meeting RuPaul changed my life and the experience I had with her, Michelle [Visage] and Rhys [Nicholson] as judges on the show will stay with me forever. I can't wait to share this experience with the rest of Aotearoa."
Wigl'it has wiggled her way into the hearts of many over the past 10 years. winning both Vancouver's Next Top Drag Superstar and Drag Entertainer of the Year in 2013, before returning to Auckland. She performed at Sydney Mardi Gras 2016 and 2019 and performed at Adele's world tour after-party in 2017.