In the final few moments of Drag Race Down Under, Mandy Moobs stood alongside her sisters Lazy Susan and Vybe in what has been dubbed the franchise’s best season yet. And though she wasn’t the one to snatch the crown, Mandy made her city (and her community) proud with her stellar challenge performances, and lavish runway package.
In conversation with Not Safe For Queers, Mandy Moobs explains just how much work she put into preparing for the competition and how much fun she had during filming—and reveals which challenge she thought she should’ve won.
Mandy Moobs is one of the few drag queens across Australia and New Zealand whose reputation precedes them. So, going into Drag Race Down Under, we knew that her looks would not only be (a) entirely self-made, but also (b) in-f*cking-credible.
What we didn’t know, however, is that she’d be helping a fellow contestant with her looks, too. “I couldn’t not say yes to Freya,” Mandy shares with Not Safe For Queers. “So, I made her cape runway (which she then went off and embellished and roughed up), and I made her promo.”
And while this decision proved to be a massive help for her Brisbane sister, it’s a decision which, ultimately, cost Mandy very valuable time and energy that she could’ve otherwise put into her own package.
“My only regret about the season was not asking for enough help. Like, I really just overworked myself, and I feel like a few of my own designs were a bit too simple—because I just didn’t have time to make anything else,” she shares.
“It was really stressful. I should’ve asked for more help.”
Regardless, all of those late nights stuck behind her sewing machine paid off, because as soon as she entered the workroom, Mandy was ready to have fun doing what she does best.
“It was a really, really good season. I loved it. Like, I know it’s a competition, but there wasn’t one moment where I thought it was. Like, it was just so much fun and so joyful. It was just like hanging out with the girls in the dressing room and then having a fun activity to do during the day,” she says.
One such foundational activity of Drag Race is the Snatch Game, which Mandy expresses her shock at not winning. “I did think they were setting us up for the double win for Snatch Game…but the edit didn’t really reflect that,” she reveals. “I’m, like, that’s fine, but I thought I was gonna win that one.”
Moving forward, Mandy is excited to—unsurprisingly—get right back into the world of sewing.
“I’ve got stacks and stacks of sewing to do. I really just want to get back into tailoring and costuming and elevating the costumes that I make for myself and others. Now that I have the time. Now that Drag Race is over.”
Stream all eight Episodes of Drag Race Down Under Season 4 now—only on Stan.