RuPaul's Drag Race: Dawn reflects on bathroom challenge after elimination

Queen Dawn finished in sixth place on RuPaul's Drag Race season 16 after being eliminated in episode 12, released on Friday, March 22. The maxi-challenge this week commanded the participants to compete in a club-designing contest, where they had to create custom powder rooms.

25-year-old Dawn found herself in the bottom two spots, her first time this season, and was ultimately sent home after a lip-sync face-off with Morphine Love Dion. The New York City native sat down for an interview with RuPaul's Drag Race judge Michelle Visage on the talk show Whatcha Packin’ after the elimination.

Dawn touched upon some of her memorable moments on the Emmy-winning competition series and unpacked her feelings about the bathroom challenge that became her last this season. The eliminated contestant clarified she loved the final task but when asked to comment on being steamrolled by her partner, Nymphia Wind, Dawn noted:

“I love my sister but that was bullsh*t.”

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Dawn recalls her final challenge on RuPaul's Drag Race season 16

Even though the bathroom challenge became her last, Dawn labeled it as her favorite task. She recalled the time spent with her cast members when they indulged in painting the rooms and placing furniture, branding it a fun yet silly experience. The RuPaul's Drag Race season 16 queen stated:

“It was fun, it was silly and all of us being like right next to each other in the rooms and these are some of the stupid, annoying girls on this cast with me. We were just having fun. The actual day of the challenge was less fun for me but I’m not upset to have that be my last.”

Dawn reflected that she was “happy” and content with her journey on RuPaul's Drag Race season 16, even though she did not manage to score any wins. During the talk show, the 25-year-old also revealed she has a degree in Computer Science from the NC State University and it was during her time in college that she leaned toward Drag. She said:

“I was in college and I didn’t come out of the closet until I was 19 in my freshman year. I have this friend and he was like ‘Oh well if you’re gay you need to watch Drag Queen.’”

Dawn vividly remembers watching an episode of season 9 as a first-time viewer which led her to watch all the previous seasons of the reality TV show. Dawn explained,

“I remember watching it in my dorm room and my life changing in front of my eyes,”

After watching RuPaul's Drag Race, she began playing with makeup around sometime in 2018. Flash-forward recalling the time she received the phone call about being selected for the show, Dawn said she bawled her eyes out crying and sobbing. The New York City queen began preparing for RuPaul's Drag Race even before she made it to the selection process. Dawn confessed to Michelle Visage:

“Before I even got the call I had spreadsheets. I had like a notetaking app on my computer and I make like a website essentially of like every single thing that I would need - looks, reads, comedy prep, snatch, whatever.”

Dawn continued:

“I like laid it all out just in case because I was like ‘Listen I’m not really doing anything right now in my life so I’d rather have it if get the call than not have it if I get the call. Some of my friends were like ‘You’re an idiot’ like ‘You’re just wasting all your time.’ Not that they didn’t think I’d get one but they were like you haven’t even gotten the call yet.”

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RuPaul's Drag Race season 16 will air episode 13 on Friday, March 29, 2024, at 8 pm ET on MTV.