One of the biggest known secrets in the “Drag Race” world was that Pittsburgh drag queen Lydia B. Kollins did double duty last year. Not only did she make her global debut on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” season 17, but she also did something only one queen has ever done. Just a few weeks after returning home, Kollins agreed to participate in “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars” season 10, with just five days to prep. An achievement pulled off by only one other queen in the history of the franchise, Chad Michaels. That Southern California icon went from “Drag Race” season 5 to winning the inaugural “All Stars” season only a few months later.

READ MORE: “Drag Race”: Kori King, Lucky Starzz, Hormona Lisa, and Arrietty Revisit A Dramatic Season 17

When The Playlist spoke to Kollins just a few weeks ago, she had returned to Los Angeles to appear in the second-to-last and finale episode of “Drag Race” season 17. What many of the recruited audience in the finale were unaware of is that after her season 17 sisters went home, Kollins would be sticking around to film for more “All Stars” commitments. Her “journey” was not yet over. Knowing our conversation would be embargoed until after the “All Stars” cast ruveal, Kollins spoke candidly about her decision to say “yes” to the quick turnaround.

“I feel like one of the luckiest girls in the cast,” Kollins admits. “I feel very lucky to be stressed with doing double time. It’s a whirlwind. I feel like I’m in two different timelines at the same time. So it’s been a lot. It’s been very hectic, and it’s been a lot for my brain to sort of process. I haven’t had time to even emotionally or physically process any of this. So, late-night breakdowns do be happening, but I think I’m handling it pretty well. I’m keeping my head above water.”

Fans should also expect an elevated, new package from Kollins on “All Stars.” Kollins reveals, “For all of the finalized steps of season 17, I guess I wanted to show exactly what I was doing [that] entire season. I wanted to show Lydia. I made my looks. I made the Lalaparuza look. I wanted to just do Lydia to the fullest extent and sort of send her off on her season 17 journey, where she is at that point now. For the next part, for part two, the Rumix, I went balls to the wall, and it was something that I am doing things that I would’ve never previously thought of doing. So, I’m very excited to let that out.”

Throughout our conversation, Collins reflects on her relationship with season 17 co-star Kori King, how she thought she was going home every episode, her reaction to becoming a fan favorite, that “automatic yes” to “All Stars,” and much more.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

____

The Playlist: So first of all, how has this whole experience been for you overall, for season 17 of Drag Race?

Lydia B. Kollins: It has been, I mean, bas**t is a word to describe it. Completely off the wall. Everything that I thought it would be, it was, but also wasn’t. I’ve just been having a blast.

Was it harder than what you expected?

I guess it was harder than I thought, but I thought it was going to be harder than I thought. So I think it was what I expected. If you’re following me.

No, I’m totally following you.

O.K., good, good. Yeah, I think it was just about what I thought. I think your mindset is the biggest thing about the show. It’s your biggest asset because if you feel like you’re going to do well, you have a more probable chance of doing well. But I went into it horrified. So I feel like I was setting myself up in a sense.

The week you went home, you’d won the episode before. You seemed like you were finally on a rhythm. You seemed more comfortable in the show. Were you shocked to go home so soon after?

No, I thought I was going home every week. I thought the week that I was in the bottom with Arietty, week five. I was like, “Wow, what a great last day on ‘Drag Race.’ That was a fun run.” I was convinced I was going home every episode. I thought that everyone had it out for me. And I mean, I guess it was kind of right in the end, but not really. I made it kind of far.

One of the big revelations about this season is your romantic relationship with another competitor, Kori King, and both of you have embraced it publicly. On “Watcha Packin’,” you even had the respective “I Heart” the other t-shirts. Do you remember when you were on set, realizing, “Oh wait, we’re not just flirting?”

I don’t know. I feel like it, it happened quicker than we thought it did. I definitely saw Kori first, and my neck snapped. I was like, “Oh, the divas are here. O.K., Kori is here.” But yeah, I think that it sort of developed into something more than just flirting after the show, more than anything, because we actually had an opportunity to hang out and get to know each other as human beings instead of as drag queens in a competition. So, it was sort of after we developed it a lot more.

How hard is it not to overthink it? Not to be like, “Wait, we’re on TV in a couple months.”? How do you embrace your feelings and ignore that you’re going to be on a global platform months later?

Right. I mean, I think you have to ignore it. You have to ignore all of the fears and all of the horrible things that could happen. Don’t feed into that…

Negativity?

Yeah, don’t fit into the negativity. I would say just have fun. We’re just having fun. We’re enjoying each other’s company, and people seem to enjoy that as well. So, it’s a win-win. But it is a lot of pressure. I stress out more than all of these girls on the cast. I feel like I have the most anxiety in the universe. So, I am struggling with having the keys to the kingdom, but I’m having a great time, too.

Wait, nothing in the edit of the show would ever give away that you were that stressed. You often appear to be the most calm and cool member of the cast.

No, no, no, no. I’m so pent up, I’m so anxious, and that is no exception. When it comes to Kori, I’m like a maniac. If anyone looks at Kori, I’m like, “Oh, what’s that about? Interesting.” But, yeah, I’m a maniac.

What was your favorite challenge? What was the part of season 17 that you enjoyed the most?

So, I actually enjoyed the lip syncs the most. After they were done, I was like, “O.K., that was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed that.” Even though I did not enjoy being in the bottom. The challenge win? That was the icing on top. That was the cherry on top. Getting to lip sync in front of RuPaul is an honor every time. So that was definitely my favorite part.

Many “Drag Race” viewers have seen that you’re going to be on “All Stars” season 10. How hard has it been to prep for both the new season 17 episodes and the remaining “All Stars” ones?

Yeah. I mean, it is. It’s a lot. But I feel like one of the luckiest girls in the cast. I feel very lucky to be stressed with doing double time. It’s a whirlwind. I feel like I’m in two different timelines at the same time. So it’s been a lot. It’s been very hectic, and it’s been a lot for my brain to sort of process. I haven’t had time to even emotionally or physically process any of this. So, late-night breakdowns do be happening, but I think I’m handling it pretty well. I’m keeping my head above water.

Is your thought process, “Should save this for ‘All Stars’? Should I use it for this promo or a Season 17 event?

So, yes. So, for all of the finalized steps of season 17, I guess I wanted to show exactly what I was doing the entire season. I wanted to show Lydia. I made my looks. I made the Lalaparuza look. I wanted to just do Lydia to the fullest extent and sort of send her off on her season 17 journey, where she is at that point now. For the next part, for part two, the Rumix, I went balls to the wall, and it was something that I am doing things that I would’ve never previously thought of doing. So, I’m very excited to let that out.

How much time do you actually have in between?

I mean, [RuPaul] did ask me on stage, too. O.K.. I had gotten back from season 17 filming, and it was like three weeks later they called, and I had about five days to a week to sort of get it all prepared and already, but it was chill. I think that if there’s anyone who could do it, it is LBK. So, I don’t know.

Did you hesitate at all to say yes, or was it automatic?

It was an automatic yes. To go back, I feel like you can’t pass up an opportunity to A, be on TV, and also B, get to share your art in front of RuPaul. So yeah, automatically I was like, “F**k yeah, why not? What do I have to lose?”

It’s one thing to agree to do that. But you didn’t know what the fan reaction was going to be. How relieved were you to become a fan favorite?

I dunno. I think everything happens for a reason. So, regardless of what the outcome was, yeah. Oh, I’m absolutely happy about the support of the fans and how well received I am on the show and in general. So I could not be more grateful and happier, but I think it wouldn’t have changed my decision regardless.

Now that you’ve had all this exposure and have more upcoming, are you going to stay in Pittsburgh? Do you want to move to New York, Boston, or LA? Where do you want to be a year from now?

I don’t know exactly where I want to move. I don’t know what the move is there. I’m thinking of just staying in Pittsburgh for a minute, but I don’t know, continuing on, I just want to do drag forever. I want to be in horror movies. I want to do, I dunno, I want to make clothes for people. I have so many ideas, and I’m excited that I now have the opportunity to carry those ideas out into the world.

“RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars” season 10 debuts on Paramount+ on Friday, May 9, at midnight ET and Thursday, May 8, at 9 PM PT.

Follow Gregory Ellwood on BlueSky
Follow Gregory Ellwood on Threads