After winning five maxi challenges on Drag Race Philippines: Slaysian Royale and being named the champion of this global season, Brigiding couldn’t help herself but give fans — and even other fellow queens — yet another moment to remember her for: A brilliant crowning hack fit for a drag artist who wears long hair during a live event.
Upon being named the winner of Slaysian Royale, Brigiding was captured on video by fans who clocked the process of putting that crown on top of her head. This consisted of separating Brigiding’s two-piece wig system, putting the crown in between those separate pieces, and re-attaching them with a crown now sitting beautifully and securely on Brigiding’s head.
This process was shared on X/Twitter by @arlenewaysted in a video (included below) that’s gotten more than 3.5 million views as of this writing, as well as 52,400 likes thus far.
One of the funniest parts of the video is Paolo Ballesteros — a.k.a. Mama Pao, the host of Drag Race Philippines — standing behind Brigiding looking gagged, gooped, and gathered by this wig wizardry unfolding right in front of her eyes.
In case you didn’t know, it’s become a tradition on Drag Race for the crowned queens to do their victory walk at the grand finale carrying a scepter — rather than having the actual crown on their heads — due to how difficult it can be for queens and producers to attach a heavy crown to what is already a heavy wig.
Generally, on Drag Race, the main goals of a finale wig are to look great, or perhaps hide a “reveal” for a lip sync for the crown, neither of which consider the crowning moment that may or may not happen next.
Most queens who have taken the Elphaba route and tried to defy gravity have generally fallen victims to one of these consequences: The bejeweled crown falling off of the wig, or the crown and the wig falling off of a queen’s head, or the queen being forced to stand still and barely move to avoid any of the other outcomes.
Perhaps the legacy of Brigiding’s crowned reign has already begun. Condragulations to the Slaysian Royale champion!
