Extended interview: Sapphira Cristál on RuPaul's Drag Race season 16 finale, love for Philadelphia 

Why is that crazy? Every queen who made it to the finale auditioned some number of times

​@@dualnon6643some queens like Aquaria and Violet only auditioned once and won. I think what they're saying is, it's crazy that it took her so long to get on the show but finally she got in and made it to the finale

There have been several queens that have been strung along by the producers for years without being cast (Eva Destruction was a queen scouted by _Drag Race_ and was in every single one of those "cast prediction" videos every season. She sent in tapes at the show's request several years in a row, but it's tough to be rejected that many times and she ended up taking her talents to _Dragula_ instead), but RuPaul and the casting agents have commented on how each season's casting is almost down to an art. They take so much into consideration and they've most often said that if a queen's not quite ready yet, it's a good idea for the queen to contiunue the audition process each year. Sapphira's proof of that. I don't know that I've heard of a queen having auditioned _that_ many times before because the process can be really long and taxing. The audition tape alone had become so long and detailed....and _it has to be a different tape every year._ Sapphira seems like a very centered, grounded queen and patience is not a virtue generally possessed or even understood by a majority of drag queens. While Season 16 has had an especially talented cast, I don't know that I can see them giving the crown to anyone but Sapphira tonight. She held on and it might just pay off. She's definitely worked for it. And in the end, Mama Ru and the casting agency knew precisely when she was ready for it.

​​@@velky_reeds (An interesting fact: Violet Chachki was an _alternate contestant._ She was added to the cast when one of the initial choices dropped out. I'd have loved to have seen the faces on the casting crew when she went on to win the damn thing).

@@giggles7179 baby if this video doesn’t prove she deserves that win I don’t know what does!

She’s going to lose to Nymphia. Great effort though. Second place isn’t bad. She should be proud.

@@girlDBZfan101I guess we will know tonight won’t we. ;)

@@ramongodoy4555 great effort adn "she should be proud" is crazy She's. the msot deserving of winning, Nymphia is a great queen but you wouldn't be saying what you're saying if she wasnt thee fan fav of the season.... and also winning doesnt alwqays meaning the right winner

So how are we doing girls :) 😅

​@@ramongodoy4555 happy Nymphia won, of course Sapphira is fierce but honestly eh meh to me

Amen

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She was

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@@erickscherzy1903 IKR!! Although Nymphia being choosen is not a complete surprise.

Never noticed her the entire season tbh, all I saw was Nymphia.

The same country that supports and funds a genocide?

Obviously

SHE WILL !

Nymphia for the win ♥️♥️♥️♥️

@@ramongodoy4555 no one who doubted themselves at every turn during this competition deserves that much fkin money idc how fierce her runways were

Saphira is BORING. YAWN 🥱 Nymohia literally carried the entire show. She’s the only one with star qualities.

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What does a Taiwanese queen have to do with China? I'm sure drag and queerness is very much disliked and suppressed by the CCP in any case. You seem to talk about a lot when you don't have much knowledge or experience on the matter.

@@Justbemyselff I lived in China for 6 years and I have seen many drag shows in mainland China and in Hong Kong. Even though the LGBTQ community experiences micro aggressions from the government, the community is strong with gay clubs in every city and many Chinese love Drag Race. I know because I served on a committee that planned and organized Pride in a major Chinese city. You must not be aware that even though Taiwan claims independence, China claims that Taiwan belongs to them. This is strategic for Ru. And you don’t know me to declare I have no experience.

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