Australian comedian and Drag Race Down Under judge Rhys Nicholson has revealed his candid thoughts on Harry Styles' fashion choices, the art of Australian drag, and his unconventional funeral wishes, in a new interview promoting his latest TV projects.
Australian Drag: Art Over Illusion
Nicholson, who returns as a judge on Drag Race Down Under vs The World, explained what sets Australian queens apart from their international counterparts. "Our drag tends not to focus as much on female impersonation. It's about building a character," he said. Citing Lazy Susan, a fellow judge this season, Nicholson praised the creativity: "There's no illusion about this being a man in women's clothing, but there's creativity to it. Australian drag is about creating art, as opposed to creating a woman."
The comedian also reflected on his experience as a contestant on The Traitors Australia, admitting it changed his perspective on reality TV. "Doing Traitors actually taught me that I don't think I want to be a contestant again, because I'm used to knowing what's going on," he said. "In Drag Race, I know what's going on all the time, but being on Traitors was like, 'Oh my god! What would I do?'"
Suits, Style, and Harry Styles
Nicholson, known for his sharp suits, revealed he owns about 40 of them, with a new one for every episode of Drag Race. "Some I'm lent, and my stylist and I put them together," he explained. He described donating 10 to 15 suits to a local op-shop in Melbourne last year: "I dropped them at the door, and a few days later I walked past and the windows had become all the suits. It looked like a memorial for me."
On men's shorts, Nicholson had a clear opinion: "What Harry Styles is doing is fine by me. There are very few people I'm comfortable with queerbaiting, but Harry Styles, I'm fine for you to keep queerbaiting." He added, "If you're gonna go above the knee, it needs to be short shorts. And you can be any size or shape to wear short shorts – it's a confidence thing. I don't really have the legs for them. But, as a hard rule, never three-quarters."
Funeral Plans and Lip-Sync Favorites
Nicholson shared his detailed funeral plans, which involve a natural burial. "My husband told me to keep telling people this so they don't think he's a monster," he said. "I want a natural burial, where they put you in a cotton shroud and plant a tree on top of you. But I want to go in with a thud. That's important to me. It's like the last time someone will go 'Jesus, Rhys.' Maybe they could put a bit of water in the bottom so it squelches – I want that splat noise." He suggested Dolly Parton's Baby I'm Burnin' as the song to follow.
If forced to lip-sync for his life, Nicholson would choose a classic: "It would probably be something like Barbra Streisand's Don't Rain on My Parade, or something from the 60s, because if I was a drag queen it would be that era of drag that's 50s and 60s-inspired. I wanna look like Joan from Mad Men." His drag name? "Dina Hunger." He joked about his weight: "I want to get very fat so I go in with that good thud."
Beauty, Sleep, and Controversial Takes
Nicholson's biggest beauty tip is simple: "Sleep! The amount of time and energy and substances I used in my 20s to not sleep and now all I want to do is sleep," he said. "I think sleep is the most expensive beauty product I own." He admits to using cannabis to help with insomnia: "It's legal; I have a prescription for it. I don't like sleeping pills. I don't even like the feeling of being stoned that much, but I have a little vape pen and it helps because I used to have really bad insomnia. For years I slept like three or four hours a night and was going insane."
On his most controversial pop culture take, Nicholson offered a pointed critique of media personalities: "You can leave a major news organisation without having to activate a hard-right base. It's possible. To all these men, it's totally possible to start a podcast about your interests. Cooking? Maybe do one about cooking. You don't need to go full hard-right. Get a hobby; don't become a full-blown racist."
Famous Contacts and Upcoming Shows
Nicholson revealed that Michelle Visage is the most famous person in his phone contacts, noting, "Don't have RuPaul's number – never got that." He also mentioned Ronny Chieng and James Acaster, who produced his recent special: "Ronny Chieng is the most famous person I know. What's funny to me is, because we all started around the same time and they've obviously skyrocketed, people freak out about them and it's like, I showed Ronny how to use the curtain at the Sydney Comedy Store. Now he's in The Devil Wears Prada 2!"
Drag Race Down Under vs The World is now streaming on Stan, with new episodes weekly. The Traitors Australia season 3 premieres on 4 August on Network 10.
