Ever since her rise to international stardom via winning the much-coveted crown on RuPaul’s Drag Race in the pre-Trump days of March 2016, Bob the Drag Queen has made sure to keep herself booked and busy. From comedy shows, acting gigs, making music, running a podcast with fellow Drag Race alumni Monét X Change, venturing into the world of reality TV, winning heaps of accolades and awards (including a Peabody, might we add) and most recently joining freaking Madonna herself on The Celebration tour, it’s obvious that Bob is not someone to shy away from the spotlight.

With a comedy tour soon arriving on the shores of Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, we were lucky enough to share a quick chinwag with the drag superstar before the show kicks off – including what we can expect from This is Wild.

Earlier this year you worked on stage with Madonna for The Celebration tour. How did you first react when you were asked to join her? It was really exciting. When she told me that she wanted me to come on the tour with her I was like, “Are you sure!?” I was the co-host of the show with her and she really gifted me a lot of responsibility in one of her most important tours – her biggest show of all time – and the largest concert ever performed by a solo act, so it was a big honour.

What was the most memorable part of working on this tour? I would say I really enjoyed performing “Vogue” every night, rounding out to about 81 times out on the road. You know, being up there, walking side by side with Madonna, being only a few stones throws away from her performing this song that I remember dancing to in the club, in high school and at middle school dances.

I also want to thank you for bringing your show, This is Wild, to Australia because we are more often than not forgotten on world tours. Beyoncé, for instance, didn’t come here for her Renaissance tour… I will say, we don’t not come here because we don’t want to see you guys, it’s just almost impossible bringing a production show to Australia. It’s just, it’s so tough getting a show over there, but we love you guys! We promise! It’s just so hard.

We are about halfway across the world from everyone, so I get it, but it still stings. How does performing in Australia compare to anywhere else in the world? It’s not all that different, to be honest! I mean, it’s not like Australia’s a different planet or anything, but it is hard for us Americans because you really are upside down to us. The jet lag from America to Australia is no joke and it doesn’t feel good, but that’s got nothing to do with Australians – that’s just geography.

What can we expect from This is Wild? You know, it’s a lot different from just seeing me perform lip-syncs on Drag Race. I’ve done stand-up comedy for like, 15 years now, starting at the New York Comedy Club, Carolines on Broadway and other big comedy clubs in New York City, and I’m just excited to remind everyone that I am truly a real-life stand-up comedian. Like, I’ve got three comedy specials like Suspiciously Large Woman, Bob The Drag Queen Live at Carolines and Woke Man in a Dress that you can watch on my YouTube page for free.

You mentioned before the gruelling ordeal of jet lag, so what are your best methods of getting through it all? I’m just forcing it. I’m tired, you may see me smiling but it’s not real. I hate to break the illusion, but I am dead inside, I am so tired I cannot even communicate how destroyed and dishevelled I am.

You know, I appreciate your honesty on that. Listen, I love performing, but I do not like travelling. I do not like being on the road. I wish I could just teleport to these places, or I wish that I was famous enough to make everyone come to me!

Travelling woes aside, is there anything you’re looking forward to see or do while down under? Yeah, I’ll be here for a while but I don’t really do a lot – I don’t really enjoy ‘tourism’, per se. It’s so funny, I don’t like going out, I don’t like doing things, I don’t like going to restaurants, I don’t really like being in the world. My favourite place to me is being at home. I cannot express how much I love being in my own apartment – it means so much to me just being in my own home, but it’s so rare for me!

Being able to perform, doing shows for my fans and making people laugh truly is my passion. My favourite place to be is at home and my favourite thing to do is make people laugh. Truly.

Now, you’re a podcaster, musician, actor, comedian and you have so many other titles under your belt. What do you get up to on your time off? As I said before, I just love being at home. I play Fortnite, I watch TikTok’s, I talk to my friends, I go on hikes and I go to my friends’ houses. You know, I’m almost 40 and I don’t drink, I don’t do drugs or anything crazy. I don’t like going to the club or parties, I just don’t like it.

I’m seriously such a fuddy-duddy. I think people think that I love going out because I’m such a fun, wacky, kooky person, but I really love peace and calmness so much – it means so much to me.

Do you resonate with that RuPaul quote about being an introvert masquerading as an extrovert? The thing is I’m not really an introvert, I really do love people and love being around people, but just in my own home. I don’t wanna be at a club or at an amusement park, I just want to be inside the home of someone who I know and love and trust. 

I don’t want drama or drunk people or high people – that was my entire 20s! I cut my teeth in the New York City club scene, you know what I mean? So I feel like I’ve done my time.

Thank you so much for chatting with me! I truly hope you enjoy your time in Australia. Thank you! Be well, my dear.

Bob’s new show, This is Wild, will run in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth from the 18th of July to the 24th. Nab some tickets by hopping over here.