A crown for a clown: Victoria's Jimbo wins Drag Race All Stars

Image via https://www.instagram.com/jimbothedragclown/

Jimbo the Drag Clown has won the latest series of the highest-profile competition for drag stars. In Friday’s season climax, Jimbo defeated a season rival and ally, New York-based Kandy Muse, to secure a spot in the Drag Race Hall of Fame and $200K USD.

Following the win, Jimbo announced a 56-city “ Jimbo’s Drag Circus” solo tour of North America for next year.

Jimbo has been a front-runner of Season 8 of the All Stars spinoff of the Drag Race franchise—the reality TV show that has contributed to drag’s mainstream popularity. In 11 episodes, Jimbo won a season-best four challenges (twice as many as Kandy) and one lip sync.

The Victorian’s success and unique approach to drag, with clown makeup and a witty sense of humour, amassed a growing fanbase among viewers worldwide and a significant edge in popularity heading into the finale.

Jimbo & Silky Nutmeg Ganache’s “Freak-A-Zoid” Lip Sync | RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 8 - YouTube

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Jimbo & Silky Nutmeg Ganache’s “Freak-A-Zoid” Lip Sync | RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 8 RuPaul's Drag Race

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Jimbo is the first international winner and first Canadian to compete in Rupaul’s Drag Race All Stars, whichfeatures fan favourites from previous seasons. Jimbo finished 7th on Drag Race UK vs. the World after coming in 4th on Canada’s Drag Race— with many fans often at the judges’ throats over perceptions they were underappreciating Jimbo’s more out-there approach.

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The drag clown's wacky looks and oddball persona are more related to stand-up and vaudeville (which Jimbo has performed in and worked on locally) than the pageant side of drag.

But the local queen has fleshed out that fashion aspect in this summer’s star turn in the US, often donning works from Victoria designer Sarah Runnalls and mixing in her signature irreverence to turn looks that have earned a recent Vogue profile.

Before the competition, Jimbo worked in Victoria as a costume and production designer whose work (and costume-filled Chinatown loft) have been well-known for years in the local arts scene. The popular drag clown is the stage persona of James Insell, originally from London, Ont., dubbed by his father with the nicknames Jimbo and Jimbalina.

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Building off the Canada’s Drag Race appearance, Jimbo successfully gathered funding for a TV variety series hosted from the “House of Jimbo”—a costume-filled Chinatown loft well known in the local arts scene—though the show ended up in production limbo. But the profile (and prize money) brought by the show's win will open up plenty of possibilities for the drag clown, starting with next year's big tour.