Silky Nutmeg Ganache on taking a ‘Slaycation’ with Alyssa Edwards

Slaycation is back! The winter drag vacation series, streaming on Crave in Canada and WOW Presents Plus in the U.S., has assembled six Drag Race alumni for a trip up north: Canada’s Drag Race TV villains Miss Fiercealicious and Xana, Drag Race Germany and Global All Stars breakout star Tessa Testicle, Drag Race France hostess with the mostest Nicky Doll and two American drag icons: Global All Stars champion Alyssa Edwards and noted Lip Sync Guru Silky Nutmeg Ganache.

For Silky, the series marks her second trip to Canada for a stint of drag programming, having previously competed on the first season of Canada’s Drag Race: Canada vs. The World. She finished as the runner-up to her Season 11 sister and Drag Race soulmate, Ra’Jah O’Hara, while being judged by their fellow castmate-turned-Canada’s Drag Race host Brooke Lynn Hytes. But this time around, the competition is taking a back seat as Silky and her sisters bond over just-for-fun physical challenges, shared meals and more.

Ahead of the Slaycation Season 2 premiere, Xtra spoke to Silky about what to expect on the season, getting to know some new Drag Race sisters and which Wicked character Miss Fiercealicious wants to be.

Coming into Slaycation Season 2, what were you hoping to get most out of the experience?

Baby, I hoped to get some relaxation, some peace, some excitement, a little kiki in with my sisters. I just hoped to have fun.

Speaking of your sisters, how familiar were you with the rest of the cast going into the season?

I knew Nicky, Fierce and Alyssa; I hadn’t met Xana or Tessa. And leaving this experience, I got to know them on deeper personal levels, and I’m just so excited that you all get to witness that with us.

How were Xana and Fierce as Canadian tour guides?

Fierce—her goal was not to be the tour guide, but to be the villain of everyone’s story. But we found out that Fierce is actually one of the nicest, sweetest girls ever. As long as you play into her villain essence. But she wants to be Galinda so badly. And we allow her to be Galinda. With Xana, it was wonderful to see her and experience her, and to get to know her deeper side.

I know Xana from watching Canada’s Drag Race, obviously, so it’s exciting to get to know a different side of her in that way. But speaking of CDR, you very memorably were on the first season of Canada vs. The World—how did this experience compare to that trip up north?

Oh, there is no comparison. Slaycation Season 2 is in a league of its own.… It just really shows the person that we really are outside of the competition setting of a drag competition. It was so great, and I think the most rewarding part for me would be the camaraderie that we had with each other. We would do these elaborate challenges during the day, and at night we would sit around a table and have dinner together and discuss it. And argue, fight, have fun. It’s just the making of a great dysfunctional family, and I love that.

I want to get a bit more into that—obviously, a lot of the drag programming on television is Drag Race, or another competition like Dragula. It’s a lot of competition. With programming like Slaycation, or the now cancelled We’re Here, what do you think the value is in getting to see drag artists and drag performers in a setting other than just a competition?

You get to see what people are like when not under pressure. Competing on Drag Race, the multiple seasons that I’ve done, you got to see and witness Silky under pressure. We’re on those shows, and sometimes a garment may not come in. Sometimes a judge may give us a critique, even when it’s meant to make us a better queen. On Slaycation, the difference is there’s no pressure. We’re just having fun, being sisters. There’s not a [cash] prize at the end. It’s just us sisters getting to know each other and letting the world see who we are—without the makeup, without the pressures. And it’s great. 

You get to see that while we’re all very, very, very passionate about drag, we’re all very, very passionate about living and existing in life too … especially in a time where this world has to become so divisive toward one another, you get to see us—even though we have arguments and we fight—you see us come to a resolution and actually talk those things out.

You’ve obviously come back for Drag Race a few times now, and I assume you would come back again.

I filmed Season 11 nine years ago. So for me, it’s an honour just to be called back. Because right now, there are nearly 500 queens internationally—[over] 200 in the United States. So for me to be at the top of someone’s list is honestly a blessing.

Going back to your last Drag Race experience on Canada vs. The World—I personally have a lot of affection for Canada’s Drag Race. But as someone who’s actually competed on it, what do you think Canada gets right about Drag Race?

Casting, because they brought me on to the show. They do casting very well. They said we need to get some seasons renewed. Let’s call Silky Nutmeg Ganache and Ra’Jah O’Hara and they will get the job done. And after we did our season, they were renewed for three more seasons. So I will say they do casting very well. They brought me on to that show, and I was a very gracious first-runner up. I’m glad to have that experience and to support my sister Ra’Jah O’Hara, and all the girls of Canada. And to give my sister Brooke Lynn Hytes a job!

Speaking of some of your previous season sisters: if Slaycation were to get a Season 3, which of your sisters from your seasons of Drag Race do you think would enjoy a little trip up north the most?

You know what? I think if there was going to be a Season 3, I think that we should bring back this cast … because this cast is phenomenal, and we have a way of gelling together that I didn’t expect. Me and Alyssa are good friends. We both live in Texas. She’s come to my home. I visited her home. We talked nearly every day. Nicky Doll, a great friend of mine. Fiercealicious, baby, great entertainment. I think they should bring this cast back because there’s a magic that this particular cast has that wasn’t on Season 1.

What’s one thing about Slaycation Season 2 that you think will surprise viewers?

I think you’ll be surprised about the joy that we all had. We had joy fighting with one another. We had joy eating dinner with one another. We had joy doing all the challenges because half of those things I’ve never experienced in my lifetime. They were very physical, but I am one that never gave up. I did everything, and I finished all the challenges, and that gave me great joy within itself. So the joy that I’ve experienced with my sisters, y’all are gonna obviously feel.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.