She is “already a star” as her song says. Keiona, the big winner from the second season of “Drag Race France” is the cover story of the new issue of Elle magazine this Thursday, a first in the history of the French weekly. The cover was unveiled exclusively Tuesday evening at the Théâtre Fémina, in Bordeaux (Gironde) during a stage of the program tour.
Alongside Nicky Doll, presenter of the show, Keiona discovered her magazine cover for the first time, as shared by the weekly on its social networks. She had won the second season of the program on August 25, against her competitor Sara Forever.
“A dream that I never imagined possible”
“I’m super happy. I’m pleasantly surprised, it’s everything I wanted. I’m so happy, I really don’t have the words,” Keiona reacted in a video posted on Instagram where we see her surrounded other participants of the season. “It was a very distant dream that I never imagined was possible. I’m really grateful,” she added.
At 31 years old, this drag queen from Essonne therefore poses for the cover of the women’s weekly, which devotes several pages to her through a long interview. The one whose name is Kevin in civilian life looks back on his career, his Ivorian origins, his years in a military college in Abidjan, his discovery of the world of drag and the birth of Keiona, his drag double who has been with him for around ten years. years, same name as that of his niece.
She’s the queen! On August 25, she won hands down the Drag Race France competition broadcast on France TV and France 2 and, as promised, she won her cover, or rather her covers, since your new issue of ELLE sees double for Keiona. pic.twitter.com/6QQfUBaN85
— ELLE (@ELLEfrance) September 27, 2023
This headline was expected, since it was one of the prizes awarded to the winner of the drag queen competition, alongside a crown and a scepter, as well as a year of makeup. There winner of the first seasonPaloma, had benefited from a photo shoot organized by the magazine, without making the front page.
A first in France, but not abroad
However, this is not the first edition of Elle magazine to feature the winner of a franchise on the show. Priyanka, who won “Canada’s Drag Race” in 2019, appeared on the cover of an issue ofElle Canada in 2021.
Abroad, several drag queens have already made the cover of magazines, such as in the United States where RuPaul, the most famous drag queen, has already appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair or Vogue. It was she who created in 2009 the show “Drag Race”from which the French version was adapted.
Former participants like Violet Chachki or Gottmik also appeared on the cover of Vogue and Glamor UK. In Brazil, Pabllo Vittar and Gloria Groove were the pioneers in 2020 on the cover of the local edition of Vogue.