And just like that, Canada's Drag Race Season 5 is suddenly the only season in the global franchise left on-air as we close out 2024. It feels correct, that a season as instantly iconic as this one would get the year-end spotlight and carry us into 2025 (and, very soon, RuPaul's Drag Race Season 17). But for right now, there's only one Drag Race season airing in the entire world, and it is still giving.
Canada's Drag Race Season 5 turned into its home stretch last week with a high-concept '90s throwback episode, complete with bodacious graphics and a pair of total FM radio bops. And as with previous weeks, we had to say goodbye to yet another legendary queen — the one, the only Jaylene Tyme.
When Drag Race herstorians look back at 2024, I think Jaylene Tyme will be remembered as the queen of this moment. Not only did mother mother, but mother slayed and mother gave. Jaylene gave viewers great fashion, great drag, great moments, and great representation. She gave her whole heart to the queens in the cast, and moved the entire audience to tears. Thus is the power, the magic, of drag. We all needed Jaylene Tyme in our lives at the end of 2024. And now, as with the eliminated queens before her, it's time to look back at Jaylene's time on Drag Race — and also look ahead to the impact her presence will surely have.
Brett White: This has been such an amazing season. What has the response been like for you from the fans?
Jaylene Tyme: It's been amazing. Brooke Lynn Hytes says every week, "We need the magic of drag more than ever," and one of the things coming into the Werk Room for me, I was going to be myself. I was going to share my story. That's what my intent was. I didn't know how people would react, but I have so many messages from young Indigenous people, young trans people, people that are like, "Oh, it's so good to see somebody like me on Drag Race, and the stories that you're talking about are so important." It's allowing a bunch of people to realize that as we learn who we are, it's important to see the different stories, the diverse identities in that journey. So I feel like it's been such an amazing response.
What was it like for you when Canada's Drag Race was first announced? This is over five years ago at this point. Have you been auditioning every single season?
Yes, I have. I've been doing drag for over 32 years, so I've been doing a long time. So actually, I didn't think that [Drag Race] was for somebody like me. I thought it was going to be just the younger girls that were doing it right now. But I was like, I still have a weekly show. I'm still doing my thing, and you never know unless you try. Nobody to blame but yourself. If you didn't give it a go, you wouldn't know. So I did put my quarter in the machine every year, click, click, and pulled the little thing. I came close in Season 3, and then Season 5 was my time.
It really does feel like it was your time — your Jaylene time. Walking into the workroom and seeing both Sanjina Dabish Queen and Makayla Couture — they're not even of the same generation as each other.
Yeah, I'm 31 years older than Makayla.
What was it like seeing so much trans representation this season?
When I walked in the Werk Room and saw them, I knew right away that there was a shift happening, and we experienced that with production. They really took care of our stories and everyone saw. We created a space that was brave. That doesn't happen unless you trust each other. So we, our whole cast — oh my goodness, it's probably one of the best experiences of my life, to be able to be there and just know that we're making a show that's celebrating the art. But also, let's remember that we have a lot of people out there that don't feel free to be themselves. They need stories like this so that they can see themselves being represented and that they can achieve anything that they want.
Honestly one of the most powerful moments I have ever seen on any Drag Race, when you were talking about Indigenous representation, and Xana felt comfortable enough to talk about her own heritage and her own journey and to have you then go to your own closet and give her a piece of her heritage — I assume everyone was crying in the Werk Room.
Jaylene Tyme Yeah they were, and I can only define it as Spirit. We were just talking, and the Spirit just kind of came over. It was myself, Xana and Virgo, and that whole moment was something. It went viral, like 6 million views. When you think about it, a lot of people didn't know about the Sixties Scoop worldwide. And so when we talk about truth and reconciliation, it's about education. It's about having accurate history that people know how we navigate as queer people, but also as Two-Spirit people, and the complexities of being displaced, of what that truly looks like.
It was having a place, like you said, where Xana felt safe, like she could be brave, and she knew. I try to make it clear with everybody that I'm with that you can say whatever you need to with me. I'm that person, and I try to do that myself, and then when I do that myself, it gives other people permission to to go there. The fact that we show our strength and our fashion and artistry, but we also share our strength in the importance of vulnerability — that is something that I'm very proud of.
There is a version of the show where you would only play the mother role, but you came in with that entrance look immediately were like, "No, I'm also here as a competitor." What it was like getting seen for that entrance look, having it judged, and having it come out on top?
I came in here just wanting to be on the show and just walking in the Werk Room. My bucket list was being in the promo. I love when the promo comes out and the Meet the Queens. For me, I was like, I want to be part of that. But now, after I've done it, whoa, it's unlocked a confidence journey for me that I didn't even expect.
I walked in and I just knew I needed to do my best and show up. That dress was made by another trans woman of color. I had an important story to tell. I am a great drag queen, so I've been doing it a long time. So all that kind of came together. It was, again, Spirit. You just show up, do your best, and everything will fall into place if you allow it.
Also placing high on challenges that — I mean, did you expect to place high on the design challenge?
No! But you know what? Before I came, I took a sewing lesson. I respond to people making it very clear that they're there to help. They're not annoyed by you. They want to help. Sometimes people don't have time to help and it can feel a little bit like, "Oh, I don't really want to ask questions." But I had somebody that was really helpful for me, that helped me create a dress for the first time, and then we created a pattern. I know what I like to wear, and I also knew not to overcomplicate it.
So I'm like, okay, so I got to do something that I can realistically do, do it in four-way stretch, so if I make it too small, I can still get it on. Also do something that meets the brief that is something quick. I like separates. Back in the day, when I was little, I loved watching business women with the wraps and all that, Dynasty. So I just, like I said, I just showed up, did my best, was thinking realistically, and when I put it all together, I didn't even realize it was going to look like that. And I'm very proud of it.
With your Time and Place runway look — when you got that prompt, how did you arrive on moment?
I recently have been registered with my reservation, my native land, so I have my status card. I had been to a powwow on my land, and I previously have felt like a bird flying with nowhere to land. So when I went there, I was so impacted by being there and realizing that the blood that flows through me is my ancestors. And in Time and Place for me, I wanted to honor the Matriarch, so I went out and bought a big piece of hide and connected with some other people from my nation, and we created that in under six weeks. And it was, once again, Spirit. It's so beautiful, and it is actual regalia, and just to walk that stage — it was like, it lifted so many people. I can't even put words to it. It was really magical.
Well, and then to also have Sarain Fox be the guest judge that week.
I know. It's Spirit. I say it a lot, but when it's right it's right.
We've seen a lot more Indigenous representation in Drag Race this year: Mirage in Season 16 of U.S., and then — honestly, Canada's had a lot of Two-Spirit representation from the very beginning. But, what do you see as the future of that representation in the franchise moving forward?
To talk about the the viral video that so many people saw, we're educating so many people. It's going to give them an opportunity to really show up in their own communities and create access points of empowerment for other Two-Spirit, Indigenous people and to let them know that the only limit is their imagination.
And I feel that myself being on [Drag Race] — and I have to say, the production really took care of our stories. I feel really honored that they chose me to be part of that amazing cast. But going forward now in their casting, there'll be other people that maybe didn't think that they could be part of this, but then they see maybe a little bit of them in myself, and they're like, "You know what? I can. I'm going to do this. I'm going to be me. And I think that that's the wheel that we need to change, is those people that have felt repressed and haven't felt included. I mean, I'm Indigenous, I'm a trans person, I'm an older queen — all these things that you think wouldn't fit in [Drag Race]. I was there. I'd like to see some older queens come in, because those are the ones that inspired me. And there are so many different styles of drag that need to be need to be shown. That's the magic of drag.
Follow Jaylene Tyme on Instagram at @jaylenetyme. New episodes of Canada's Drag Race Season 5 premiere on Thursdays on WOW Presents Plus.
