Back in the Werk Room: Onya Nurve Turns the Tables in Hello Hello Hello

Jason Sargent Wednesday, January 28, 2026

- - Back in the Werk Room: Onya Nurve Turns the Tables in Hello Hello Hello

Christine FitzgeraldJanuary 28, 2026 at 6:00 AM

Fresh off her crowning as America’s Next Drag Superstar, Onya Nurve is stepping back into the Werk Room, this time with a knock, a smile, and a whole lot of heart. In Hello Hello Hello, her new exit interview series for WOW Presents Plus and the WOW Presents YouTube channel, the reigning RuPaul’s Drag Race winner flips the traditional post-elimination moment on its head by surprising each of Season 18’s eliminated queens during production.

From revisiting raw audition tapes to unpacking first impressions, heartbreaks, triumphs, and everything in between, the series offers a rare, intimate look at the artists behind the lashes. With her own Drag Race journey still fresh, Onya brings empathy, humor, and hard-earned perspective to conversations that celebrate drag beyond competition, highlighting reflection, resilience, and the power of being seen. We caught up with Onya to talk legacy, vulnerability, and why Hello Hello Hello is about honoring every queen’s story, crown or not.

What excited you most about being the one surprising the queens this time?

I think it’s because I am the queen who just won the crown, so I feel like they’re going to be really excited to talk to me because it’s like they might also have that chance to win the crown, and also I really enjoyed doing my interview with Kyran Thrax and so to have the honor to do what Kyran did it was really exciting, because it’s really fun to talk about your audition tape because regardless of how good or bad you feel it was, it still got you on the show. So, I was excited to just dive into that because it was fun.

Revisiting those audition tapes, how did that change the tone or the depth of your conversations with the eliminated queens?

It allowed me to understand, I guess, more about them and it helps me because every audition tape was filmed in a certain way and everybody had their particular angle that they wanted to go about filming the tape. So, watching each tape just allowed me to understand each individual person more,

How did being so fresh off your own season shape, the advice or empathy you brought into the interviews?

Ooh, it was hard for me because I don’t think I had much advice for them because at the point of when they met me, it’s like over and done with at that point. So, I just was treating it as an opportunity for them to celebrate everything that they’ve already done.

Did returning to the workroom trigger any unexpected emotions for you?

Yes, it did. Walking into Untucked, it made me think about all of the crazy drama moments that I had in that room with my sisters and all of the wonderful TV that we created together.

Onya Nurve at the Emmy For Your Consideration Event for MTV reality show ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ at the Mondrian Hotel in Los Angeles, CA on June 6, 2025. Photo Credit: Carla Van Wagoner/Future Image/Cover Images

Now, as America’s Next Drag Superstar, how has your perspective on the show changed now that you’re on the other side of it?

That is a really good question. I think I understand that Drag Race is a platform for someone to do all of the things that they dreamed of, but it is not like the end all be all. You can still be a superstar with or without Drag Race, but if you have the opportunity to get on the show, it is a jumping board to stardom, and it’s really cool to have experienced that.

But now being on the other side, I think I can just finally do drag the way I’ve always wanted to do drag because I now have won the crown, so I ain’t got nothing to prove to nobody. I can just have fun and relax now.

How do you think that your reign prepared you to step into a mentor role like this for the series?

I think, because I have a complete perspective of highs and lows of the show, I think with my perspective, I can give good advice on how it feels to be at the bottom and how it feels to be at the top of your game too.

What does the word legacy mean to you at this stage in your drag race journey?

Ooh. I think at this point I want to give entertainers who look just like me a spark of hope and motivation that they too could possibly win RuPaul’s Drag Race and the idea of anything is possible is what I hope my win puts in other people.

Watching season 18 unfold, how often did you see your past self reflected in the queens that you interviewed?

Oh, none. They could never do what I do. (Laughs) No. I saw some of [one queen’s] humor and I like the way that [another queen] is able to command a room, so I really relate to them in that way.

Onya Nurve at RuPaul’s Drag Race The Werq The World Tour at The Broward Center For The Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale, FL on September 13, 2025. Photo Credit: Robert Bell/INSTARimages

The series feels especially candid and emotionally open. What made the queens comfortable enough to really go there with you, do you think?

I think I had really good questions and it allowed them to really think about why they did certain things in their tape. And honestly, the questions that I had were very juicy, so it was hard to beat around the bush,

The show celebrates drag beyond competition. Why is it important to you to show those quieter, more reflective moments?

I think because the world sees drag entertainers in a certain light that’s always like loud and crazy and rambunctious. So, when we have moments like this, I think it allows the greater world to see that we are also intelligent. We have emotions and a lot of what we do has a lot of thought process behind it.

How do you hope the series reshapes the way fans view eliminations on Drag Race?

I think it will help the fans understand that at the end of the day, it’s a TV show. You can’t really control the outcome, but you as a fan can do your part by lifting up these entertainers by listening to their stories.

Ultimately, what do you hope fans will feel after watching Hello Hello Hello?

I hope they just feel excited to keep watching the beautiful show of RuPaul’s Drag Race. I love these little after show segments or before show segments because it keeps everyone excited because at the end of the day, without drag the world, it’s a little bit less colorful. So, I hope that all these little segments keep people excited about watching the show.

I’m very happy to see you on my screen again after your victory. And what is next for you? Can you share what’s next after? Hello for you.

I have a few things, a few secrets in the works. Hopefully you can find me in a Broadway show soon or maybe my one-woman show. But I will be doing Drag Race Live in Vegas starting in April, so I hope to see you there!

Catch new episodes of Hello Hello Hello on WOW Presents Plus and the WOW Presents YouTube channel. Keep up with Onya Nurve on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and her website.

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