Last Words With Chad Michaels, RuPaul's All Star

Chad Michaels, winner of RuPaul's All Stars Drag Race, talks to The Advocate about his victory and reveals juicy behind-the-scenes details.

BY Daniel Reynolds

November 27 2012 8:00 PM ET

Last night, Chad Michaels was crowned the champion of RuPaul's All Stars and inducted into RuPaul's Hall of Fame. It was a fierce final episode, and the top four contestants performed admirably as they wrangled with the press, a PR campaign at Hamburger Mary's, and a stand-up comedy routine. However, Chad — by virtue of her flawless presentation and poise under duress — had the last laugh. Still reeling from her victory, the All Star spoke to The Advocate about her victory, politics, and behind-the-scene secrets from the season.

Congratulations, Chad! Tell us — how does it feel to have a hamburger named after you?

[Laughs] Meaty and juicy, that’s how it feels.

So you’d recommend it?

Absolutely. Anything with my name on it is going to be a good deal. I promise you.

How does it feel to be the champion of RuPaul’s All Stars?

It’s quite surreal. I feel like I’m sitting outside myself right now. But it’s very gratifying. I feel like I won it fair and square. And it feels good to know that Shannel and I really went in there and grabbed it by the balls and shook really, really, hard. I’m happy. I’m happy that Raven and Juju were both [there] for the final challenge. It was great to complete that journey together, and I’m thankful for that.

What a journey! How long have you been in that studio?

All year. But what a year! It was more than I ever could have expected — going from season 4, into Drag U, into All Stars… Wow, I sure wouldn’t change a thing.

How long have you sat on the secret of your win?

We didn’t know until the episode aired! They took steps to prevent [the name of] the winner from leaking, so we were all kept in the dark until the final episode aired. I just found out last night. And it’s been hard to sit on all of the events that have gone down. You want to share, and it’s so exciting. But you have to have some self-discipline and self-control. And sit on it, Potsi.

Did you celebrate last night?

Last night, we were at Micky’s for the finale party in West Hollywood. I was crowned there. We had a little show afterwards. So I didn’t have too much time. I had to get back to work after I was crowned… I’m kind of running on fumes right now.

What’s next for you?

I’m going to continue what I’ve been doing — the tour, which I love. As long as there is a demand for me to visit other cities — and hopefully, other countries — that’s what I want to do. I love to get out and meet people that have supported me and want to see me. That’s my number one priority, and always has been. I’ve learned in this business that it’s so hard to make a plan. You never know what’s going to come up. Maybe there will be a movie audition, or a guest spot in another reality show, or maybe a celebrity impersonation revue at a casino. Anything could happen. My options are open. I want to do a single, but I’m being very cautious about that. I want to do it right. I want to do something that represents me, but is also fun and worthwhile... I started some merchandising, which I’ve stood against for a really long time. But I’ve had a lot of fans that are requesting things like t-shirts, so... check out my website, chadmichaels.com. But I’m just taking it day-by-day right now, and really enjoying it. I’m having a great time right now.