Victoria-based drag clown Jimbo has won the latest season of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars and its cash prize of $200,000.
Jimbo beat out nine other queens — including runner-up Kandy Muse — on the eighth season of the popular reality series to become the first Canadian to enter the Drag Race Hall of Fame.
In a video released Friday, Jimbo thanked those who have provided support throughout the journey.
“My mama, she’s the best person in the world, my biggest fan,” Jimbo said. “She’s always encouraged me to be weird and follow my dreams.”
Born in London, Ontario and a graduate of the University of Western Ontario, Jimbo has been a Victoria resident for the past 15 years.
A professional design and costume maker working out of a Chinatown studio for myriad film and theatre productions, Jimbo — born James Insell — has built sets for local theatre companies such as Atomic Vaudeville, Theatre SKAM and Blue Bridge.
The drag queen and professional clown placed fourth in the inaugural season of Canada’s Drag Race. Since then, Jimbo has also been on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Vs. The World and has built an international following.
Both Insell and drag persona Jimbo are well-known personalities around Victoria.
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Insell, his partner Brady Taylor and fashion designer Sarah Runnalls sold hundreds of non-medical masks and matched every purchase with a mask donation to someone living on the streets in Victoria.
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