They're probably over here just trying to get you know, a little 15 minutes or whatever', you know, normal things that people think when going on a TV show. I kind of went into it open-minded because at first I was like, 'Child, they're not going to come over here trying to find a real love. I wasn't looking for anyone in particular. So what would you consider your ideal man, and who were you looking for when you went into this show? Sometimes when I hear those numbers, I'm like, 'Bitch, I might get an OnlyFans too!' Everybody at one point definitely during the pandemic, had an OnlyFans! I feel like any representation and all representation is good because it is out there, honey, and it is a normal damn job. It's up to the person to question what they won't tolerate and what they do. And it is something that it is what it is.Īlso for the person that is not comfortable with it, they are able to speak their mind and say it's okay that they're not comfortable, and for the person that does it, they need to be able to speak their mind and say, 'Yes, I do it and I don't care'. I feel like the conversation needs to be had because it makes it more normal, makes more understanding and it makes it so bizarre. I'm not surprised that out of the 18 guys, some of them do work, you know, that's part of their field of expertise. I feel like I knew what was going to happen because it is, you know, something that's a normal thing for us. Were you surprised that such serious topics became involved in the show, which is generally quite light-hearted? During the show there is some quite deep chats about sex work, and the taboo of having an OnlyFans. Just do it! Because I feel like it would be a great show for everyone. Somebody needs to just grow some panties or grow some balls or whatever the phrase is. Help them come up with ideas for other people to make one that's all LGBTQ, for the queer people, and we can all find somebody. I don't know no more because I got my own! I feel like these are things that hopefully this show will help. World of Wonder Would you ever do a gay Love Is Blind? I was excited but it was a little bit scary, especially the 24 hours part and then 24 guys – it ended up being 18 because of some other stuff happened. What you think of it?' I kind of slept on it and then was like, 'Fine, I'll do it'. We want to make this something different.' Finally at one point, it was like a phone call saying, 'This is what we're gonna do. They were like, 'Oh, well so many dating shows have been done before. They kind of were tossing back and forth some ideas on what I should do for me. I feel like I've been excited since season 10! Non-stop excited, honestly. What made you decide to put your love life in the hands of a reality series? Hey Vanjie! It seems like you've been on quite the rollercoaster with everything going on. Speaking to Digital Spy while on holiday in Egypt, José talks us through why queer love needs to be better represented on reality TV, what the future of Vanjie holds, and why you should never mess with their mother. Will the ultimate game of speed dating find the unlucky in love star a match? Now Vanjie – aka José Cancel – is going it alone, and fronting their own reality dating series, Vanjie: 24 Hours Of Love. Miss Vanjie is now a cemented favourite among all the Drag Race queens, returning as a lip-sync assassin in Drag Race: All Stars, a mentor on RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race, and a mainstay on the RuPaul's Drag Race Vegas residency. It earned her the opportunity for a comeback, and in season 11 Vanjie came back fighting, placing fifth. No-one has managed to make quite that impact on the ultimate Supermodel of the World so quickly before, or since. A simple repeat of "Vaaaaaaanjie" tickled RuPaul so much it became a running gag for the entire season, meaning her absence was continually felt throughout every episode, long after her elimination.
Suddenly everyone was strutting backwards, chanting their name the same way she did in her final moments on stage.
However, with a little sass, a lot of ass, and a personality so addictive, instead she took her moment and went viral.
Stomping onto the runway of season 10 all the way back in 2018, Miss Vanessa 'Vanjie' Mateo was the first to sashay away, by all rights a little destined to be a face in the crowd of the juggernaut series that has made superstars out of their winners. There are few Drag Race queens that have managed to create such a legacy in such a short amount of time.