Unmatched ‘Snatch Game’ is Unhatched: Fifth Queen Eliminated on CANADA’S DRAG RACE

By BILL HARRIS Special to The Lede Her-story was made on tonight’s episode of CANADA’S DRAG RACE with the first Canadian version of the classic challenge known as “Snatch Game.” The queens impersonated various celebrities – everyone from Liza Minnelli to Miss Cleo – and were asked to match wits with design duo Colin McAllister and Justin Ryan. But the curtain came down for one queen who wasn’t snappy enough to impress resident judges Brooke Lynn Hytes, Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman, and Stacey McKenzie, alongside guest host and Canadian comedy icon Mary Walsh.  

SPOILER ALERT: Details from the fifth episode of CANADA’S DRAG RACE follow.

This week’s mini-challenge had the queens break out their library cards with the first ever reading session on CANADA’S DRAG RACE. A DRAG RACE version of a roast, the queens donned their best reading glasses, and hurled quick-witted insults at each other, with sharp-tongued Lemon earning the victory. Then came the “Snatch Game” maxi-challenge, with Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman offering these guidelines: “It’s about staying in character, thinking like the character, and making us laugh.” “Snatch Game” was followed by a runway challenge, dubbed “Night of a Thousand Celines,” with the queens displaying different versions of Celine Dion. The judges huddled to evaluate the queens on both their “Snatch Game” and Celine Dion performances. JIMBO, whose Joan Rivers during “Snatch Game” was unforgettable, was declared the winner. Kiara and Priyanka had to lip-sync for their lives to Dion’s “I Drove All Night,” and Kiara – knowing full well that her “Snatch Game” take on Mariah Carey had fallen flat – was told to sashay away. With another new episode of CANADA’S DRAG RACE set for Thursday Aug. 6 at 9 p.m. ET on Crave, Kiara shared these thoughts about competing on the show: Q: Looking back now, what’s your general feeling on how things went? KIARA: “I feel really good about my experience on the show, because in every episode I think I had a moment that people will remember. I think I could have gone further if I had found a way to do better in the ‘Snatch Game.’ I’m laughing now, because I feel like it was so ridiculous. I love Mariah Carey so much, and it just didn’t happen.” Q: French is your first language, and I think people forget sometimes how hard it is to be quick and funny in your second language. It’s brave to even try. KIARA: “Thanks, people do forget that sometimes, but Rita Baga is French as well, and she did a great job with Édith Piaf. So maybe I could have made a different choice. I think I can be funny in English, but improv is difficult.” Q: So if you hadn’t gone with Mariah Carey, who would you have picked? KIARA: “Some people said I could have been Naomi Campbell. But also, what came to mind – and I’ve been thinking about it a lot since the show – I should have been Stacey McKenzie.” Q: Wow, that would have been something! KIARA: “I think it would have been funny. It was a missed opportunity.” Q: With you and Priyanka, that had to be of the most physical lip-sync showdowns ever. Were you exhausted at the end of it? KIARA: “Yes and no, because that’s what I do. I included all the tricks that I can do, and even more. So I kind of stuck to my plan, but even while it was happening, I noticed that maybe the judges were pointing at Priyanka just a little bit more.” Q: The COVID-19 pandemic obviously has curtailed a lot of the entertainment business, but what are you hoping is next for you? KIARA: “I really want to get on tour, and travel, and do shows, and perform, and meet some fans, and everyone who supports me around the world. I’m really focusing on the show right now, and the content of the show, so I can use it later when there’s an opportunity. So I’m not sure exactly what I’m going to do when things get back to normal, but I love video as well, I’ve studied film production, so a lot of doors are opening up.” Following each new episode of CANADA’S DRAG RACE, audiences are invited to unpack the events that just transpired with ETALK’s new digital series CAN WETALK ABOUT… presented by MADE | NOUS. Streaming live on Twitter, Thursdays at 10:30 p.m. ET on @EtalkCTV, ETALK Senior Correspondent and Canada’s Squirrel Friend, Traci Melchor, and iHeartRadio’s Meredith Shaw, debrief on the episode and chat with the night’s eliminated queen about her experience and all the gasp-worthy, her-storical moments. The series will also be available the following day as a podcast on iHeartRadio Canada and everywhere podcasts are found. Official brand partners for CANADA’S DRAG RACE include DoorDash Canada, Hilton, Neutrogena, and Roots. billharristv@gmail.com @billharris_tv