RuPaul’s Drag Race: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Judge Carson Kressley
Fans will be surprised to know that there’s more to Carson Kressley than being an OG Fab Fiver and a Drag Race Judge.
While the fates of the queens competing in RuPaul’s Drag Race are solely up to the show's namesake judge, Mama Ru wouldn’t be able to make a sound decision without the advice of his co-judges. Over the years, many talented individuals have graced the show’s judges panel. One of them includes Carson Kressley, a well-known queer personality who’s appeared on television as a mentor, producer, and competitor.
Aside from his stint as a main judge on Drag Race, many also recognize Carson Kressley as a part of the original Fab Five from the Emmy-winning reality TV show, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. But despite appearing on various hit television shows, there’s still a lot that viewers don’t know about this iconic TV personality.
Kressley was raised in a family that loves horses. In fact, his grandparents own a huge Hackney and Shetland pony farm beside his childhood home in Devon, Pennsylvania. In an interview with Sidelines Magazine,Kressley notes that he feels grateful to be raised in a horsey family and that he enjoyed growing up with almost a hundred ponies outside his window.
Kressley's love of horses has pushed him to ride the saddle and become an equestrian. Through his hard work and deep connection with horses, he has made a name for himself in the world of horse riding, with him becoming a nationally-ranked equestrian and achieving the title of World Champion Amateur Rider in 2009.
Being a queer television icon who’s an expert in fashion and design, Kressley has rightfully earned his place as a main judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race. During his recent stint on Celebrity Big Brother, Kressley told fellow housemates Mirai Nagasu and Chris Kattan the story of how he became one of Drag Race’s main judges.
According to Kressley, his appearance on the award-winning reality series began during his time with another reality TV show, Skin Wars. Despite being skeptical of being a guest judge on a body painting competition, he still said yes because he’s always wanted to meet RuPaul, who at the time was a main judge on the show. On the set, RuPaul asked him why he wasn’t judging Drag Race and Kressley replied that he would love to if they asked. Soon after, he received a phone call from RuPaul, asking him to become a part of one of the most legendary reality shows on television.
Everybody knows that being strategic is key to winning Celebrity Big Brother. One slip-up can cause players to lose the game — and even potential friendships. In an article by US Magazine, Kressley owns up and admits that he’s made one of the biggest mistakes in Celebrity Big Brother history.
His trusting friendship with regular Drag Race guest Todrick Hall has clouded his ability to make a sound decision, with him being an accessory to the elimination of Shanna Moakler, who used the Veto to save Kressley. Thankfully, Kressley has reached out to Shanna following their exits from the show and the latter has accepted his apology.
Being the “fashion savant” responsible for some of the best makeovers on Queer Eye, Kressley surely knows a thing or two about good clothes. His developed eye for fashion and style is due in part to his years working as a stylist for Ralph Lauren. Aside from styling, he has also launched his own clothing line called Perfect in 2006, which caters to both men and women.
His first fashion line was followed by his second brand Love, Carson, which according to CarsonKressley.com, focuses on glamorous pieces for women. With such a sophisticated sense of style, it’d be a shame if he kept his sartorial taste all to himself.
Just like some of the guest judges for the 14th season of Drag Race like Loni Love and Nicole Byer, Kressley has authored a handful of books. This includes books he’s written by himself such as "Off The Cuff" and "Does This Book Make My Butt Look Big?," as well as the New York Tmes Bestselling book "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy," which he has co-authored with his Queer Eye castmates.
Kressley has also released an empowering children’s book entitled "You're Different and That's Super,: which is about a pony who learns the importance of embracing one’s differences.
It has been almost 20 years since the original Queer Eye and Fab Five have graced television screens across America. Despite that, Kressley and the cast still remain good friends up to this day.
For one, he has hosted a design reality TV show with fellow Queer Eye alum Thom Filicia on BravoTV, aptly called Get a Room with Carson & Thom. In addition, an article on Bustle highlights how the original cast still reunites from time to time, based on the posts they have on social media. And of course, it’ll be hard to not be friends with Carson, considering he’s one of the most likable housemates from Celebrity Big Brother.
Despite being a public persona and spending most of his time in front of the camera, the Drag Race judge is notorious for keeping his love life under wraps. However, the romantically elusive Fab Fiver has revealed in 2016 that he dated former NFL player Esera Tavai Tuaolo, who after retiring from sports, decided to come out publicly in 2002 (according to Distractify).
Besides that, the only other instance where the public had any knowledge of Kressley's love life was his appearance on The Celebrity Dating Game, where he ultimately chose Chuck Stanley. Although, not much is known about the current status of their relationship other than them still keeping "in touch" after the show aired.
Coming out is one of the most challenging things that queer folks have to do in their lives. That’s why it’s not exactly surprising that one of the OG Fab Fivers came out to his parents at a later age than what fans might presume.
In his design series Get a Room with Carson & Thom with former Queer Eye castmate Thom Filicia, Kressley revealed that his parents were the last ones to know about his sexuality. Kressley recalls, "We were doing Queer Eye and I had to call my mom and dad and be like, 'Oh yeah, the show is coming out on Tuesday.' 'Cause I didn’t tell them what the name was."
Being the stylish and fabulous person that he is, Kressley gravitates toward luxurious destinations. In a feature by Authority Magazine, he admits that he enjoys activities in luxury destinations — whether it’s having lunch at Neiman Marcus or lounging at a dazzling hotel in Majorca.
However, his affinity for luxury destinations doesn’t automatically mean that he won’t brave the rustic and rural areas around North America — as proven by his appearances in reality travel and lifestyle shows such as Queer Eye and Carson Nation.
Kressley's initial reaction to the Queer Eye reboot was cold at first. During the TV Academy’s performer peer group celebration in 2018, he threw shade at the reboot’s Emmy nomination, saying that, “I’m thrilled that they’re nominated, but it was a little more groundbreaking back when we won an Emmy in 2004” (according to Variety).
But in 2019, he divulged that he’s open to mingling with the new Fab Five. In an interview with US Weekly, the fabulous host proposes that Netflix holds a crossover for the old and new Fab Five by having a makeover-off. While this sounds like a terrific idea, fans are still yet to see all Queer Eye stars get together in one video.