Jimbo | |
---|---|
Born | James Insell November 10, 1982 [1][ non-primary source needed]
London, Ontario, Canada |
Education | University of Western Ontario ( BS) |
Occupation(s) | Drag queen, designer |
Years active | 2000s–present |
Known for |
Canada's Drag Race (
season 1) RuPaul's Drag Race: UK vs. the World ( series 1) RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars ( season 8) |
Predecessor | Jinkx Monsoon |
Website |
houseofjimbo |
James Insell (born November 10, 1982), better known by the stage name Jimbo, is a Canadian designer and drag queen who competed in the first season of Canada's Drag Race (2020), [2] was in the first series of RuPaul's Drag Race: UK vs. the World (2022), [3] and won the eighth season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars (2023). [4]
From London, Ontario, Insell, his brother Jeff, as well as sisters Samantha and Jennifer, [5] were born to Mary Insell [6] and James Peter Insell (1947–2018), [5] both boys being interested in creative pursuits from childhood, including early drag play. [7] His father received his PhD in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Western Ontario in 1983. [8] Respecting his father's wishes that he pursue a career-oriented education, he studied biology at the University of Western Ontario; following graduation, however, he opted not to pursue employment in the field and instead moved to Victoria, British Columbia, where he began working as a costume and production designer. [7] He is married to Brady Taylor. [9]
Insell has worked predominantly in local theatre, including productions of James and the Giant Peach [10] The Rocky Horror Show, [11] and Ride the Cyclone but has also had credits on a number of television films produced by Front Street Pictures for the Hallmark Channel, [7] and on the children's television series Pup Academy. He appeared in the music video for Victoria musician Adrian Chalifour's single "Open Heart". [12] He also appeared as the drag mother to British Columbian rapper bbno$ for the music video for his song "imma". [13]
He appeared on the first season of Canada's Drag Race in 2020, emerging as a popular fan favourite [14] and winning the key Snatch Game challenge for his performance as Joan Rivers, [15] but was eliminated from the competition in fourth place behind finalists Priyanka, Scarlett BoBo and Rita Baga. [16] For Fierté Montréal's special online edition of its annual Drag Superstars show, which featured all of the Canada's Drag Race queens in prerecorded video performances, Jimbo performed a drag recreation of The Buggles' 1979 hit " Video Killed the Radio Star".[ citation needed]
Following Canada's Drag Race he toured the United Kingdom as part of the Klub Kids show with Rock M Sakura and Erika Klash, [17] and was the only queen from the season not to appear at any dates on the Canada's Drag Race Live at the Drive-In tour; [18] however, he did participate alongside Priyanka, Scarlett Bobo and Rita Baga in an online panel discussion as part of the Just for Laughs festival. [19]
During the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, he also created a line of face masks through his design studio, with every purchase matched by a donation of a free mask to a homeless or low-income person, [2] and launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund the production of House of Jimbo, a comedy and variety series he hopes to launch in the future. [20] Insell has described House of Jimbo as "the framework of a kids show, but really made for adults", comparable to Pee-wee's Playhouse or The Hilarious House of Frightenstein, [21] and the show reached its Kickstarter goal by the end of October 2020. At the same time the Chemainus-based Riot Brewing Company introduced Jimbo, a boysenberry-flavoured craft beer whose profits will go in part to funding House of Jimbo. [20]
In 2021, he made a return appearance in the second season of Canada's Drag Race, appearing in the third episode as the killer in the slasher film-themed acting challenge "Screech". [22] He returned in the third season of Canada's Drag Race in 2022, appearing as a guest judge in the episode "Bitch Stole My Look". [23]
In January 2022, he was announced as one of the nine contestants on the first series of RuPaul's Drag Race: UK vs. the World. [24] After winning the first two episodes of the season, [3] Jimbo landed in the bottom in the third episode and was eliminated by Pangina Heals, after Pangina Heals won a lipsync against Dutch contestant Janey Jacké to " We Like to Party! (The Vengabus)" by Vengaboys. [25] Jimbo's early elimination was dubbed one of the most "controversial" in the history of the franchise. [26]
Jimbo returned to the Drag Race franchise to compete on the eighth season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars (2023). After winning a record-tying 4 challenges over the course of the season, Jimbo was crowned the winner of the season and earned a cash prize of $200,000 plus $20,000 for the 4 challenges he won, totalling $220,000. [4] After the airing of the season, Jimbo was announced to host her own WOW Presents Plus series, It's my Special Show!, which premiered on August 7, 2023. [27] In November 2023, Jimbo signed with talent agencies WME and Producer Entertainment Group. [28]
In February 2024 Jimbo competed on Family Feud Canada, with a team consisting of his siblings Jeff and Rebecca, and Jimbo's and Jeff's husbands.
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2020 | Canada's Drag Race ( season 1) | Herself | Contestant (4th place) |
2021 | Canada's Drag Race ( season 2) | Guest; Episode 3 | |
2022 | RuPaul's Drag Race: UK vs. the World ( series 1) | Contestant (7th place) | |
Canada's Drag Race ( season 3) | Guest judge | ||
2023 | RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars ( season 8) [4] | Contestant (Winner) | |
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars: Untucked | |||
GMA3: What You Need to Know [29] | Guest | ||
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen [30] | Guest | ||
Good Morning America [31] | Guest | ||
RuPaul's Drag Race UK ( series 5) | Special guest |
Year | Title | Artist | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
2019 | "Open Heart" | Adrian Chalifour | [12] |
2020 | "imma" | bbno$ | [13] |
2021 | "Bitch I'm Busy" | Priyanka | [32] |
2022 | "Don't Call Me" | Joseph Shepherd | [33] |
2023 | "True Colors" | Kylie Sonique Love | [34] |
Year | Title | Role | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | Jimbo vs. Peas | Herself | [35] |
2022 | Bring Back My Girls | Herself / Guest | [36] |
2023 | Meet the Queens | Herself / Stand-alone special | [37] |
EW News Flash | Herself / Guest | [38] | |
BuzzFeed Celeb | Herself / Guest | [39] | |
React to TikTok Trends by Allure | Herself / Guest | [40] | |
It's My Special Show! | Herself / Host | [27] | |
The Awardist | Herself / Guest | [41] |
Title | Year | Album |
---|---|---|
"Free & Horny" | 2020 | Non-album singles |
"Angel" | ||
"Pumpkin Tits" |
Title | Year | Album |
---|---|---|
"Not Sorry Aboot It" (with the cast of Canada's Drag Race, season 1) |
2020 | Non-album singles |
"Money, Success, Fame, Glamour" (Disco version) (with the cast of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, season 8) |
2023 | |
"
Joan! The Unauthorized Rusical" (with the cast of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, season 8) |
2023 | Joan! The Unauthorized Rusical Album [42] |
"Trinity Ruins Christmas" ( Trinity the Tuck featuring Jimbo) |
Trinity Ruins Christmas: The Musical | |
"Good Enough" (Trinity the Tuck featuring Jimbo) |