Since the cast of Canada's Drag Race was announced, there has been a huge buzz surrounding contestant Tynomi Banks, who was already considered a legendary drag entertainer before she even stepped into the workroom on the first-ever Canadian edition of RuPaul's Drag Race. Unlike most of the other Canada's Drag Race contestants, Tynomi Banks already had a high-profile career in Canada and had some recognition from drag enthusiasts from around the world. In a way, Tynomi's role in the season resembles contestants like Chad Michaels (season 4), Detox (season 5), and Courtney Act (season 6) - all of whom were well-known before competing in the franchise. On RuPaul's Drag Race UK season 1, Divina De Campo was also already considered a seasoned vet in the world of drag.
Bringing in a drag veteran to compete on Drag Race is certainly a trope that has been very successful over the years, and casting Tynomi Banks on the first season of Canada's Drag will certainly add to the pressure felt by the other contestants. However, it is fair to say that many viewers will likely not know who Tynomi is, given that this franchise attracts many viewers who aren't necessarily that in tune with the drag industry, as well as those who aren't familiar with the Canadian drag scene in particular.
The legendary status that Tynomi Banks earned before her time on Canada's Drag Race can be traced back as far as World Pride 2014, when Tynomi became the first-ever drag entertainer to perform in Toronto's Dundas Square. During Pride Toronto 2018, Tynomi Banks landed a marketing campaign with Crest and was selected by Spotify to curate the streaming service's official playlist for the event. That same year, Tynomi appeared in an LGBTQ+ Pride campaign from IKEA and was featured on the Netflix web series Queens of Netflix, where the queen transformed into Chewing Gum's Tracey Gordon (played by Michaela Coel). In 2019, Tynomi was featured on season 2 of the Canada's a Drag docu-series, which won a Canadian Screen Award for "Best Web Program or Series, Non-Fiction" in 2020.
It is also of note that Tynomi Banks was the only Canada's Drag Race contestant to be verified on Instagram prior to the cast announcement. As a drag entertainer, Tynomi draws inspiration from Tyra Banks, Naomi Campbell, and Grace Jones, and is known for impersonating Beyonce and Whitney Houston. At the 7th Canadian Screen Awards, the queen was featured as the trophy bearer. Currently, Tynomi is also the face of the luxury jewelry brand Carrera y Carrera.
Being considered a legend before competing on RuPaul's Drag Race is not a guarantee that a contestant will make it far. However, given that she has so much experience, it will certainly be interesting to see how Tynomi Banks will do on this first season of Canada's Drag Race.
Canada's Drag Race airs Thursdays at 9pm EST on the WOW Presents Plus streaming service.
Sources: Netflix