“I’m The Shannon Noll Of Drag”: Art Simone On Her Drag Race Return, Remembering Maxi Shield And What Comes Next

“I am a professional runner-up. I am the Shannon Noll of the drag scene,” she tells The Star Observer. “And I think that’s beautiful. I’m going to grow a goatee very soon.”

After making it to the final lip sync alongside eventual winner Michael Marouli, our Melbourne drag darling is walking away with plenty to celebrate.

There were challenge wins, spectacular looks and a Snatch Game victory five years after her first attempt sent her packing. There was also a beautiful tribute to Maxi Shield, an unexpected sisterhood and a difficult battle with online abuse.

Speaking with The Star Observer after the finale, Art is proud of what she achieved and very clear about whether she would do it all again.

Art Simone finds her Drag Race redemption

Art returned to the competition with something to show, and she certainly delivered.

She entered the final episode with four challenge wins, including three consecutive victories earlier in the season.

For a queen whose first season included an early elimination, a surprise return and an eventual place in the finale, this was a chance to give audiences a much fuller picture of Art Simone.

“To walk away and win Snatch Game alone would have made me the happiest person in the world,” she says.

“So while I would have loved to have won, I’m so happy and proud of myself. And I guess I did get my redemption.”

The crown mattered, but so did being able to show what she loves about her work.

“I finally got to show the world what I love to do, what I’m proud of, what my skill set is and can be. And also just get to show the world how good Down Under drag is.”

That mission will be familiar to anyone who has followed Art beyond the werkroom. From Highway to Heel and Kick Ons to her book Drag Queens Down Under, celebrating the history and diversity of Australian drag, she has consistently made room for other performers and their stories.

“And that’s always been a mission of mine and to be able to do that again was really, really special.”

“I got to hang out with my sisters”

Watching Art move through the competition, it was easy to imagine an elaborate strategy behind every challenge, conversation, and decision. Art appeared sharply aware of the competition, poised and making all of the right decisions, whilst remaining humble, grounded an authentic throughout.

Art is considerably less convinced.

“I think you’re giving me a lot more credit than I deserve,” she says.

Of course, there was preparation for her looks and Snatch Game. But she insists there was no grand plan controlling everything that happened once she arrived.

“I just went in there and had a good time and I got to hang out with my sisters.”

That sisterhood became one of the biggest surprises of the season. Art had expected her fellow competitors to see her as someone to get rid of at the first opportunity.

“I was convinced the minute I walked in that all the other girls would be ready to eliminate me the minute I stepped foot onto that set. That I was enemy number one. And that wasn’t the case at all.”

Instead, she found a cast ready to celebrate each other, despite a format that gave them ample opportunity to send one another home.

“I think we all came in with a mission and that was to show the world how good Down Under drag is.”

Art also credits the way the season presented those relationships to viewers.

“All the cattiness was still there, but I think they just left us in laughing this time.”

“They just got to show us thrive and celebrate and be funny and be silly and be camp, but also deliver great bloody drag.”

Watching Coco Jumbo shine

Asked which of her fellow queens’ achievements meant the most to her, Art immediately turns to Coco Jumbo.

Having shared the experience of season one, watching Coco return and discover new confidence in her abilities was particularly special.

“I just have the biggest and utmost respect for her,” Art says.

“And to see her shine was just such a gift, such a gift.”

Art speaks warmly about seeing Coco push through difficulties in her personal life and surprise herself with what she could achieve in the competition.

They had been through that first season together, with all the uncertainty of being the original Down Under cast. Getting to share this second experience meant an enormous amount.

“So to see my fellow sister go through all that and come out the other side with me by her side was so wonderful.”

The microphone tribute to Maxi Shield

One of Art’s most meaningful moments on the main stage involved a microphone and a friend she had hoped would be watching.

During her episode two lip sync Art whipped out a bedazzled microphone as a prop for her routine, a beautiful and touching nod to the late Maxi Shield.

The move mirrored that of Maxi’s unforgettable microphone reveal while performing Absolutely Everybody against Etcetera Etcetera in season one.

And Art has another detail to add.

“The insider scoop for you too is that microphone was Coco Jumbo’s.”

Art and Maxi had been going through the casting process together while performing in Edinburgh. Staying in neighbouring rooms, they would receive emails and rush to compare notes.

“We scuttled to each other and go, ‘Did you just get an email? Did you just get that?’”

Maxi’s illness meant she could not join them for the season, but Art found a way to carry her friend onto the stage.

“I snuck that in there because I wanted it to be a gift for her to see when we got to watch the show together.”

Tragically, Maxi passed away before she could see it.

“And unfortunately she never got to see it, but I’m glad that I got to pay tribute to her and it became another opportunity to invite people to speak about her again.”

For Art, keeping those conversations going is an important part of remembering someone who gave so much to the community.

“I never want people to forget who she is or who she was and how special and important she was to so many people.”

“So I think if we can just keep her legacy alive by doing little things like that, then that is a really important thing.”

Speaking out gave Art her freedom back

While the season brought plenty of joy, the online response became a painful part of Art’s experience.

Earlier this season Art posted a public video calling on the fans to stop heaping hate and death threats at her online, prompting Joel Creasey and Ms Lazy Susan condemning the abuse directed at her. Before speaking publicly, Art says she followed the familiar advice given to performers.

“I was blocking, ignoring, deleting.”

But dealing with the messages became a job in itself, and keeping the situation hidden was taking its toll.

“It was getting out of hand and I refused to have my Drag Race experience tarnished by that.”

Eventually, she knew she needed to say something. Speaking out did not stop the abuse, but it changed how she had to carry it.

“What it did was give me my freedom back because now I didn’t have to hide it.”

Simply logging off was also far more complicated than people suggested. Each new episode represented work she had spent months preparing and wanted to celebrate.

“I’ve got all this hard work I want to champion and celebrate and show to the world.”

“I’m not shutting down my life. It’s like telling someone not to go to work.”

Her fellow queens rallied around her, including Vybe, who was more than ready to intervene.

“She was like, ‘Send it to me, I’ll go, I’ll go, I’ll get him, I’ll get him.’”

“And I loved that. I loved her for that.”

Ultimately, Art hopes being open about the experience makes somebody reconsider what they send to a performer.

“I’m glad I spoke out because you have to break the cycle. You have to point these things out.”

The work doesn’t stop when filming ends

Behind every episode came another round of photographs, videos, appearances and promotion.

For Art, that meant juggling the season’s release with Kick Ons, music and her Fountain Lakes touring commitments.

She photographed all her runway looks in the two weeks after returning from filming, knowing she was about to leave on tour for several months.

“And I was petrified that they’d announce the show while I’m on the road and I haven’t shot any of my content or done any of my looks or have anything ready.”

Once she was travelling, the rest of the work continued behind the scenes.

Even with that schedule, Art has particular admiration for Vybe, who balanced drag and the show with a full-time job.

“She is a machine.”

“I could barely handle it and I’m just a cross dresser!”

Why it was time to farewell Kick Ons

Art’s beloved recap series Kick Ons also entered a new chapter this season, moving into a live format before the team decided to bring it to a close.

“We wanted to end on a high,” she explains.

With both Art and Lazy Susan involved in the show, bringing the audience together felt like the right way to celebrate everything the show had achieved.

“We’re so proud of what we’ve done, but we’ve grown. It’s been four or five years of this and we can’t keep operating outside of Lazy Susan’s garage.”

“It’s just not possible. She has a life too” she laughs.

For Art, the farewell was also an opportunity to recognise the Australian drag voices the series had helped introduce to viewers.

But anyone mourning the end should know she hasn’t entirely ruled out a comeback.

“Who knows? We might pull her back from the dead one day, but at the moment we’re happy to send her off and celebrate her.”

 

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Bingo, Beks and another trip to the werkroom?

There is already another project ready to go, with Art’s new single Bingo arriving on Friday, September 18.

She describes the song as a gift to drag performers around the world, something they can use for show introductions, promotions and performances of their own.

“You can perform it as well. I don’t care. It’s mine. I’m giving it to you. Enjoy it. Love it.”

The accompanying music video features Granny Bingo’s Edith Vale and Maureen McGillicuddy, with the clip made by drag artist Fembot XYZ.

The song also reunites Art with Beks, who previously worked on Encore with Art and Etcetera Etcetera and appeared as a judge on episode one of Drag Race Down Under Vs The World. 

“So it just felt natural to bring her back and to work with me on this song. I can’t wait for everyone to hear it.”

But it’s Beks’ enthusiasm for her own Drag Race appearance that really gets Art going.

After guest judging just one episode, Beks turned the experience into an ongoing celebration on TikTok and Instagram, posting video after video about her time on the show. When we suggest few people have ever been quite so excited about a guest appearance, Art agrees.

“I think she’s been more excited than most of the contestants as well” she laughs.

“I think they need to cut her a check. She has done more advertising for that show than anyone in the history of the show.”

It’s an affectionate assessment, and Art has a proposal for the producers: give Beks a spot on every franchise and let her handle the publicity.

“I think every single franchise should be lip syncing to a Beks song, bring her in and then she’s gonna do promo for the next 18 months.”

“There’s gonna be 3,000 TikToks and everyone’s gonna know about it.”

Behind the tongue-in-cheek humour, Art’s love for her collaborator is clear.

“I bloody love her. She’s the best girl boss I’ve ever met in my life, and I hope that she gets to be on every single other franchise that’s ever existed.”

Between new music and more touring, Art has plenty to keep her occupied. But after reaching two finales, she is hardly ready to close the door on Drag Race.

If another invitation arrives, she already knows her answer.

“Oh, I’m going back. I’m ready to go right now.”

“That’s the best thing about losing is you get more opportunities, you know?”

For our self appointed Shannon Noll of drag, there is still another chapter to write.

“My chapter would be ended if I’d won a crown but no, I still am in the running. I can’t wait.”

Art Simone’s new single Bingo is out Friday, September 18.