EDGE Interview: On 'Canada's Drag Race,' Brad Goreski Always Passes Judgement

Brad Goreski knows reality. In fact, he wrote an entire memoir about his own in 2012 titled "Born to be Brad: My Life and Style" when he was about 35. Apparently a handsome, motivated and determined young gay man from Ontario, Canada can live a lot over three decades and now in his 40s he can add to that introspection. But those new anecdotes will have to wait for now because he is currently making more memories.

Goreski, along with host Brooke Lynn Hytes and Traci Melchor, is a judge on Season 4 of "Canada's Drag Race." It's his third time behind on the table on the show, having joined in 2021. He also lent his evaluation skills to the all-star spin-off show "Canada vs. The World" in 2022. Furthermore, earlier this year, he was part of one of the most provocative reality shows (both on and off air) in modern streaming history: "The Real Friends of WeHo." But more on that later.

Fans got their first look at Goreski on season 4 when host Brooke Lynn Hytes asked what the stylist thought of her "premiere eleganza" to which Goreski retorted, "Nothing makes me gag more than your big opening." Start your engines indeed.

This acerbic friendly exchange is expected among the panel, but that formality sometimes isn't extended to the contestants. When punk-glam presenting queen Sisi Superstar got her critique, Goreski said while he understood who she was looks-wise, he wasn't getting her persona. That kind of constructive feedback is what can get a queen into the bottom. But that is all part of the game and evidently there are no hard feelings afterward.

"I mean, once the show has aired in its entirety, I see the girls out and about," Goreski told EDGE. "You know, I go see them perform sometimes and I see them at pride events and drag race events. We love all the contestants, and the girls give so much on the show. Always nice after the show has wrapped to follow them all on Instagram – all the judges do – we stay in contact."

For every unfavorable critique there are dozens of good ones. Every season spawns something "iconic" whether it be a catchphrase, an acrobatic stunt or a spectacular gown. When asked if there was something on this year's stage that people will talk about, Goreski was very diplomatic in his answer.

"No spoilers," he says. "But there are a lot of really good looks in the premiere episode of this season; plenty of good looks for the audience to feast their eyes on which I think everybody will enjoy."

As much work as the queens put into creating great costumes, they often don't do the same for their backstage relationships. Conflict is just one aspect of "Drag Race" that keeps viewers coming back for more. In fact, throwing great shade has become a staple challenge. But Canadians have a reputation for being nice, so maybe there won't be as much fussing on this series than others like it.

"There is. There always is," Goreski admits about the werkroom drama this year. "There's a lot of twists and turns and a lot of new things that I think the Drag Race audience will kind of gag over. So I hope everybody is ready for a really interesting, fun, funny, and dramatic season."

As a stylist, Goreski goes on to applaud the contestants on this year's "Canada's Drag Race" calling them "top notch." He says he's impressed by their knowledge of fashion history and incorporating that into their creativity. The Great White North isn't exactly someone's first thought when it comes to fashion but Goreski isn't convinced of that. He said he had a client send him a Canada Goose jacket recently and he found it interesting.

"I think in L.A., we do, you know, laid back, casual fashion really well," he says. "And I think in Canada there's definitely a hub of really talented designers and creative artists out there."

In the 2012 docu-series "It's a Brad Brad World," Bravo cameras followed him around in real-time for two seasons. He says it was a demanding job. Being a regular judge on "Canada's Drag Race" takes away some of that pressure, but he still gets to do what he loves most.

"I mean, I can't speak for the queens, I know it's very stressful for them to be in the competition," he says. "But, you know, to be on the judging panel and to get to show up and relay some of my expertise in the fashion world to the contestants, and also living in L.A. and being a part of the entertainment industry, I'm always happy to share any experience that I have."

"And I think what people will see on the show is obviously like an edited version of our critiques because we spend a lot of time with the girls, trying to help them improve their drag, improve their performance," he continues. "It's been really nice to give back in that way. So the two are kind of different. I love starring in my own show. But I also really like getting to go back to Canada. Brooke Lynn and Traci and myself are really close on and off camera."

Hopefully, that close-knit friendship helped him through filming his more recent non-competitive reality show "The Real Friends of WeHo." That show was a publicity firm's nightmare or windfall depending on how you look at it. First it shaved 30 minutes off of America's "RuPaul's Drag Race" because of its time slot, then faced criticism over its uniformity, then even more disapproval when one of its cast members, Dorion Renaud, admitted to not even living in West Hollywood. There is still no word if it will be renewed and if Goreski will return.

"I haven't gotten the offer yet for Season 2," he admits. "So, we'll deal with that when it comes up. Right now, I'm just like, super excited for everybody to finally get to see this season [of 'Canada's Drag Race']. The girls work so hard this season. I'm excited for the world to get to know them and fall in love."

When asked if he would return for Season 5 if the show was picked up, his answer was sardonic at first, "Imagine that; imagine if the breaking news here was I said, 'no,'" he chuckled.

He quickly became serious as the interview ended, "I mean, we're like a little family," he contends.

"Brooke Lynn and I talk every single day. Traci, myself and Brooke Lynn are on a group chat. We love each other. I feel so grateful that I get to go back to Canada. I get to spend some time with my Canadian folks. I get to see my family and I get to celebrate all of the wonderful drag artists that we get to see from across the country."

"It's a dream job. I've traveled and had people from all over the world come up to me and tell me how much they love the show and that means a lot because, I think right now, it's really important to have positive LGBTQ+ representation on TV," he continued. "And I'm so proud of being a part of the franchise that celebrates all the colors and all of the letters of our community. It's really nice to be a part of that and to keep my community growing and growing. I'm very grateful to be a part of the show and I'm excited for everybody to see this season."