The Werk Room was in for a major surprise on the season 15 premiere of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” on MTV. This week’s guest judge strutted into the room wearing Ornacia on her head (the same head Vivacious wore for her debut back in season six), before revealing herself to be none other than Ariana Grande. “Mother has arrived!” she declared as the contestants went wild.
Compared to the original Ornacia, Grande’s faux head was more refined, but still a total showstopper. After her unforgettable entrance, the pop star paused to thank the queens for bringing so much joy to their fans. “I think drag is the most infectious and joyous art form that there is. Thank you guys for bringing so much joy to the lives of the ‘Drag Race’ fans and to everyone,” Grande said.
Grande is something of a “Drag Race” superfan, hence her tribute to Vivacious – who showed up for real later in the episode. The “Thank U Next” singer previously appeared as a guest judge on season seven, but she wasn’t able to fully appreciate the experience at the time. As a result, she used her second appearance to do more than stun the queens with her entrance: she also emphasized how important it is to live in the moment.
“The last time I was here I had just come from shooting the ‘Bang Bang’ video the night before, and I was so drained,” Grande recalled. “It was just such an overwhelming time in my life and I felt like I wasn’t really fully present for it. Remember to take care of yourself and be present, because it’s such an amazing moment and all of your lives are changing for good, forever.”
After the show, the “7 Rings” singer expressed her gratitude for being invited on the show in an Instagram Story featuring a photo of her sipping coffee. “I hope you all loved the premiere! i can not fathom all of the talent i was lucky enough to witness in person, i was floating,” she wrote in part.
Image Source: Instagram user arianagrande