Summary: Nichelle Ladonna has the privilege of interviewing her idol, Leshawna Edwards! The two discuss the latter's participation in TDI and black representation. Priya and Bowie are featured in this episode, but who cares when we have Nichelle?
Priya: Hi! My name is Priya.
Bowie: And mine is Bowie.
Priya: We were the finalists of the new season of Total Drama Island, available worldwide on HBO. The producers asked us to promote the rebooted series in some exciting way, so we decided to do a podcast with some of the former contestants!
Bowie: In each episode, we will interview a contestant who has left their mark on the show. Can you imagine how much backstage gossip there is? Me neither.
Priya: And that's not to mention that we will have our friends from the new season as special guests! Isn't that right, Nichelle?
Nichelle: I'm ready for this, Priya!
Nichelle spoke confidently while tossing her dreadlocks.
Priya: Many of you may know her from her talk show or her viral videos on TikTok. But I'm not kidding when I say she was once a Total Drama contestant.
Bowie: And one of the biggest!
Priya: I want to roll out The Drama Podcast's rug for her, the only Leshawna Edwards!
Leshawna: Sup girls? Leshawna's on the house!
The former participant now had a small afro and wore a purple t-shirt with black pants. Her countenance has stayed the same since when she competed.
Opening
A screen is filled with photos of Lewshawna's iconic moments on the show, such as her conflict with Heather, her kiss with Harold, and her shocking elimination from Total Drama Island.
The camera zooms out, showing that the thousands of photos make the words The Drama Podcast.
Leshawna stood up, hugging and kissing the three of them on the cheeks.
Leshawna: I can't believe it's been fifteen years! I remember when I was your age.
Bowie: I'm glad to know you enjoyed being invited. Your schedule is quite tight.
Leshawna: I wouldn't miss anything being here. I saw that Owen had already participated, and I wanted to record my memories here, too.
Nichelle had a smile on her face, not bothering to mask her excitement. Priya was a little disconcerted.
Priya: Hum...Nichelle? Something happened?
Nichelle: Ah! N-Nothing! It's just...look, I grew up seeing her as a model person. I've been a fanboy of hers since I was a kid! This feels like a dream!
Leshawna couldn't help but giggle.
Leshawna: It's okay, honey. To be honest, I'd love to interview you later, too! You're a rising star, despite the Jerry incident.
Nichelle pouted at the mention of her stunt double.
Bowie: I think we better start our program, right? Leshawna Edwards. A black icon who is not afraid to speak his mind. Where are you from? How did you become The Sister with 'Tude?
Leshawna: My parents are from Louisiana. My father, Elias, grew up in Shreveport, and my mother, Regina, is from Lake Charles. Some say my accent is strong because they haven't heard them speak. My mom still speaks Cajun. When she gets angry, not even my father understands her.
Nichelle: And how are you here in Canada?
Leshawna: My mother got a job at a company in Lévis because she speaks French. When I was about three years old, we migrated to Canada, so I consider myself Canadian first and foremost. The only one who was most upset was my father, the old man loved Shreveport...He ended up having to work as a lathe operator in Quebec City.
The black diva drank some water before continuing.
Leshawna: You may know, but there is a difference between living in other regions of Canada and living in Quebec. In Canada, if you are black, you suffer racism because of your skin; in Quebec, you suffer racism for not speaking French.
Nichelle: Sad but true.
Priya: My parents said something like that, but changing the French for being not Christian.
Leshawna: It didn't help that my parents were also from AME. Anyway, that's how I got to Canada. My childhood was as peaceful as the only black kid on the block could have been.
Bowie: And what was your relationship like at school? This reminds me of Chris Rock.
Leshawna: I'm not kidding you, sweetie; it was the worst experience I've had in my entire life so far. My parents couldn't put me in a better school, so it was the cheapest and closest to home. It was highly segregated there. They wouldn't even look at your face if you didn't belong to a social group!
Leshawna: There was a girl who got on my nerves. Like me, her parents also migrated from another country. I never forgot her name: Aiko. That was the nastiest girl in the school; she bullied everyone and threatened teachers... she just wasn't expelled because her father was the main principal. You can say that my anger at Heather came about because of that scumbag Chinese girl.
Priya: So your rivalry with Heather was because you projected your anger at Aiko onto her?
Leshawna: Sorta. Aiko was a demon, but Heather was a bitch in other ways. I had to take private lessons because she called me racist words for my Cajun accent. Today, I proudly know how to swear in English and French with the greatest perfection in the world. Nobody messes with me and gets away with it!
Nichelle: That's the way, girl! Next question: Where did the idea of signing up for the show come from? Did someone suggest it to you?
Leshawna: Anyone who watched TDA knows my cousin, Leshaniqua. She saw the advertisement on television and told me to sign up. We came up with a little script, and I recorded it. Was it in 2006? Probably at the end of 2006. I remember receiving the production confirmation letter in March 2007.
Priya: And what was the preparation for going to the show like? Did you have any expectations?
Leshawna: Well, I thought we would stay at a luxury resort. You would need to have experienced that to know the shock. A limousine came to pick me up at my house; then they took me by helicopter to Muskoka. And then, when I arrived, I realized two things: firstly, there was no resort at all, and secondly, this show would be white as hell.
Priya: Wait, what?
Leshawna: The first thing I heard when I stepped onto that pier was Harold calling me "big" and "loud." I would have beaten him up if it weren't for Brickhouse and Brid. Many talk about how the franchise was progressive for its time, but not that much. Apart from DJ and me, there were no black people left.
Bowie: What about Katie, Noah, Justin and Courtney?
Leshawna: In my opinion, they are not black. Of course, they're not white, either. Justin is a native Hawaiian; if I remember correctly, Courtney and Katie are Latinas, and Noah's family is Indian. You can say that having 40% of the cast non-white is progressive for 2007, but it's still a bit shameful that there were only two blacks. Take your season, for example, two black women and three black men! The world has changed a lot since then.
Priya: In fact, our season was the most diverse, including the LGBT issue.
Leshawna: That's my point. We always have to start somewhere but never become comfortable with the representation level delegated to us. Nichelle knows this very well, she is an inspiration to the little girls of today in the same way I was to the teenagers of my time.
At that moment, Nichelle covered her face, blushing furiously.
Nichelle: I don't even know what to say about it!
Bowie: But I know! You were placed on the Screaming Gophers along with your future arch-rival, Heather. In your first conversation, she called you, and I quote, "ghetto-glamor, too-tight-pants-wearing, rap-star wannabe." You call her "mall-shopping, ponytail-wearing, teen-girl reading, peaking-in-high-school-prom queen." She called you unpopular, and you threw her off a cliff into a shark-infested lake. Bold move, I must say!
Leshawna smiled at that memory.
Leshawna: If it were today, I'm sure she wouldn't call me "ghetto-glamour". That part was lost on me at the time because, like I said, she reminded me of Aiko. Interestingly, we had to commit to speaking only English during the recordings. Probably, the producers didn't want to have to subtitle if I spoke French or the DJ said something in Creole. Without this rule, I would have cursed her in French with harsher words than when I used it with her.
Priya: That worked, as Heather jumping gave you the advantage against the Killer Basses.
Leshawna: And the party in that hot tub was awesome! Chris let us use it until the end of the season. When I felt like I was really tired or irritated, I would put on my swimsuit and stay there until I felt better.
Bowie: Something tells me we'll talk a lot about Heather today...
The girls nodded in agreement.
Bowie: Switching now to The Big Sleep. You had an absent role in this episode, huh? The show didn't even show when you fell asleep.
Leshawna: I fell around thirty-six hours; there came a time when I said to myself, "screw this, I'm going to bed." Thank God we win; otherwise, I could be toasted. In the dodgeball challenge, I wasn't so bad either, we were on track for our third victory in a row if it weren't for Harold.
Priya: That was impressive. Handling a ball thrown by Owen is not something for everyone.
Leshawna: I Know! We were so confident that we underestimated him. And I can say that Noah's elimination was unanimous. Everyone tried to participate except him. There is nothing more fair than him being eliminated. The tiny guy was a prick.
Nichelle: It's a miracle that he managed to improve his image in the public eye.
Bowie: Now, let's move on to the talent show challenge. You didn't participate directly, but you witnessed one of Heather's first moments of public mischief. Any thoughts?
Leshawna frowned.
Leshawna: I won't deny that her dancing ballet is great, but reading Gwen's diary to humiliate her was a low blow. Not just because I read the diary but because they are both on the same team! It was stupid! The son of a bitch would have been eliminated if she hadn't manipulated the votes so Justin could go in her place.
Priya: Speaking of which, how do you think Justin was eliminated?
The sister crossed her arms, annoyed.
Leshawna: We had made an agreement that we would vote for Heather. Gwen, Trent and I indeed voted for her. We found out later that Heather, Lindsay and Beth voted for the handsome guy. That leaves us with Casanova and Crazy Girl. I suspect it wasn't Cody who voted for him but Izzy. 5-3-1, that's my take.
Priya: Any suggestions for who Cody's vote was for?
Leshawna: Pfff...that's easy. Trent. Taking your romantic rival out of the picture? A classic. At least we saw it covered in ants that night, hehe...
She smiled mischievously at that scene.
Bowie: Sorry for the pun, but you sucked at The Sucky Outdoors. The redhead almost killed your heart.
The black boy giggled while Leshawna rolled her eyes.
Leshawna: You don't know what it was like to live with her. The girl was insane! You all find Scary Girl difficult to deal with because you couldn't handle Izzy for three seasons. The bizarre thing is that she did it for fun and not to piss off me.
Priya: Funny how you two paired up for the canoeing and the bike challenge. Fate must have brought you together.
Leshawna: More like karma than a blessing...
She muttered the last phase.
Nichelle: So, have you conquered your fear of spiders after Phobia Factor? It escapes me from memory whether you managed to complete the challenge.
Leshawna: Unfortunately, no. Those critters are from satan, hun. I don't know how Duncan had one of those as a pet. And I felt bad that Tyler was expelled. He at least tried to conquer his fear, unlike Courtney, who chickened out.
Bowie presses his ear to hear something better through the ear plug.
Bowie: Hoho, you might like the next one, Leshawna. How do you feel like shooting at deer Heather? Sure, it was a friendly fire, but it was hilarious.
Leshawna: I'm so proud of having done that! I confess that I had no intention of doing so. The first shot was a mistake. But the others were on purpose. The girl knew what was coming to her. Also, Beth ruled!
Priya: Once again, she got away with it because another camper had a bad day. Poor Cody.
Leshawna: Poor Cody, indeed. The kid was all bandaged up. I remember seeing him applying some creams at Playa des Losers to help the wounds heal. He might still have some bear scars on his back.
Nichelle: Your revenge continues in the next episode, in the cooking challenge. You two were arguing the entire time.
Leshewna: How would you feel if a bitch started bossing you around because she thinks she knows more about cooking than you? This is the core of that day. She irritated me and even told me to touch something I was allergic to! I had allergic rashes for two days. Locking her in that freezer was the least I could do.
Bowie: I'm not going to lie; it was hilarious to see Heather blowing out her eyebrows and being locked in that freezer. Of course, this contributed to your defeat, but it was one of the season's best scenes!
The aforementioned scene appeared on the studio television.
Leshawna: She looked like a yeti hahaha.
Priya: Do you think she had intentional plot armour? I mean, Beth's cursed amulet...
Leshawna: Until the merger, I honestly don't think so. She was lucky, but nothing that screamed "Chris chose me" like later. Cody's injury was serious and so was Beth's curse. Even so, I voted for the queen bee, it's better to vote with your heart than with your brain sometimes.
Bowie: At the end of the episode, you appear with the other girls watching the prank the boys played on Harold.
The Canadian Oprah immediately blushed when she remembered.
Leshawna: Oh, that!? I almost forgot already! The camera didn't catch it, but he had a morning wood. We were all silly to laugh at that, but the other girls can confirm that he wasn't that bad. Stopping to think, maybe my guilty pleasure with him started right there.
Priya: See, this is what I liked back in TDI. You behaved like normal teenagers. The interactions between you were more raw than in the following seasons. As if everyone was at summer camp...
Leshawna's expression softened. She also missed those times.
Leshawna: Me too, honey. Back then, there was no script, no roles...just a bunch of teens goofing around trying to win a million bucks. None of us knew the show would be so famous, so we acted like it was an on-camera excursion. I was happy because it was better than my school, Gwen and Bridgette were nice, as were Owen, DJ, Geoff and Trent.
Bowie: And what was your relationship like with the DJ that season? You said he was the other black person participating.
The interviewee decided to drink water before answering; the interviewers took the opportunity to take a break too.
Leshawna: We have always been confidants. I believe Chris didn't show much of our interactions because they didn't have as much Drama as mine with Heather or Duncan but we are close in TDI despite being in opposite teams. Black solidarity and all that. He was the only one I told what I was going through in Lévis. He himself felt it when he migrated from Jamaica with his family.
Bowie: I think it's a good idea to ask him if we can contact him.
Priya nodded, writing down notes in a notebook.
Leshawna: DJ was one of the few I talked to about Aiko. He even offered to put Heather in her place, but I didn't accept it. He was (and still is) too good a guy for revenge.
Nichelle: I will skip a few episodes until we get to X-Treme Torture. You know what this means, right?
The black woman sighed.
Leshawna: Someday, I would have to talk about this. Let's go then.
Nichelle: The main plot revolved around a secret admirer and love letters that were supposedly sent to Bridgette and Gwen. Turns out that Harold, the ginger nerd, wrote haikus about you. How did you react?
Leshawna: Harold and I...we had ups and downs. And I blame myself for that. When I received those letters, especially those spicy ones, it excited me! I had dated before but never had someone describe me that way. So I searched for possible suitors: Duncan had a crush on another girl, just like Trent and Geoff. I excluded Harold and Owen, thinking they couldn't write something so intimate.
Bowie: Lemme guess, Did you try to flirt with the DJ?
She blushed and gave a sheepish smile.
Leshawna: It was more than a flirtation. Do you know when you start walking in a different way so someone notices you? I was always proud of my butt and started purposely bending down on his side. He melted instantly, I loved it!
The three of them widened their eyes at the revelation, smiling in surprise.
Bowie: Harold's confession must have come as a shock to you then.
Leshawna: I kissed him in the heat of the moment, who wouldn't kiss someone who writes how hot you are? After I chased Heather through the woods, I showed some of his erotic haikus to the girls. I've never seen Gwen as red as she was that night.
Priya: Was it that spicy?
Leshawna: I'm thirty-three years old, and even at this age, I jiggle when I read some of them. What boldness! If he hadn't become a music producer, he would have had a great career in literature.
Nichelle: Time to get another cat out of the bag: why were you always afraid of having something with Harold? He always seemed to love you and was never disloyal on the show.
This time, the atmosphere became heavy in the studio. Priya and Bowie were worried when they saw Leshawna's sad face.
Leshawna: I...
She hesitated before continuing.
Leshawna: I had my prejudices too. How could I date a skinny white guy? I kept thinking something was wrong with me for a while. "Why couldn't I be the DJ?" crossed my mind at least once daily. What would my only friends at home think if I had a white fever? And my parents?
She took another sip of water.
Leshawna: It took me four years to accept that I really loved him. If he recovers, he can come here to discuss further, but in addition to what I said, he got an autism diagnosis in the meantime. I did not know what to do.
Priya: What do you mean "if he recovers"?
Leshawna: He is hospitalized after crashing his car into a tree. When he arrived at the hospital, he had already lost 1 litre of blood, they had to take him straight to the ICU. Since then, he has been under observation.
Priya tried to force the topic but stopped when she realized that her big sister was holding herself back from crying.
Nichelle: He have autism?
Leshawna: The doctors said it was Asperger's. They recently changed the terminology to say that it is within the autism spectrum and is not a separate syndrome. I know this because I interviewed a doctor two weeks ago on my show. Great professional, I received several emails from parents thanking me for covering the topic.
Leshawna: As I was saying, I was struggling with trying to understand how I felt about him and it almost made me cut everything off. It was also one of the most difficult moments of my career. Everything snowballed.
Bowie: And how did it end?
Leshawna: Therapy does wonders for you. I told him how I felt, and he accepted me. I feel honoured to have such a good husband.
She smiled as she showed off her engagement ring.
Nichelle: How sweet! I hope he gets better soon!
Priya: And to think he was the last pre-merger. Any longer, and he would have to eat disgusting foods.
Bowie: Don't even remind me of that... I don't know if it was worse for them to eat beef testicles or for Julia to eat a tapeworm...
Leshawna: Tough choice, son. But drinking cockroach juice is worse. I can still feel the paws crushed in my...
At that point, everyone covered their mouths, trying not to puke.
Leshawna: You got the picture. Can we talk about something else?
Bowie: Well, with Bridgette being the only female bass, you and Heather fought to get her into a female alliance.
Leshawna: Damn right! The surfer doesn't know how cruel that bitch was. She was too good to realize there was no way to redeem the other. When we lost and locked Heather and Lindsay out of the cabin she accused us of being as bad as that girl. Did you realize the audacity? We had a big fight that day.
Nichelle: Did your relationship with Bridgette become more tumultuous after that?
Leshawna: I say yes. We didn't yell at each other but gave each other the cold shoulder for a week. Wait, I remember a story!
Bowie: Really?
A smirk appeared on Bowie's face.
Leshawna: Yeah. Before the boys returned, we decided to have a little get-together with things stolen from the Chef's fridge. The girls agreed, except Bridgette. She started saying it was wrong and that we would all be punished for it. It was one of the few moments that season that Heather and I were on the same side. We insisted that we deserved some kind of rest and she was grumbling when we told her to be in charge of the drinks.
Nichelle: Did you drink while you were underage?
Leshawna: See, after eating inedible things and missing out on a luxury yacht, you certainly want something to deal with it. It wasn't anything too strong, when the surfer came back, she had only managed to get two cases of beer and some bottles of vodka and wine in the backpack.
Priya: Did you guys get drunk?
Leshawna: Just a little tipsy. We were halfway through when Chris and Chef entered the cabin and lectured us. They said that it was against the rules and said they would punish us for that later. The funny thing is that the blonde started shouting "Fuck Chris" in his face. Everyone started doing the same, hahaha. His face was priceless.
Bowie: I will take a long-range shot, but that probably has something to do with Eva's return, right?
The black woman nodded.
Leshawna: He brought two girls to punish us. One was Izzy, who was crazy, and the other was Eva, who hated Bridgette for voting for her in the second challenge. We're like "we fucked up hard". We all knew that Eva was a competitor who could easily win if she didn't leave immediately.
Bowie: You and her had a tense moment in the cabin, too. Do you think she would try to attack you?
Leshawna: As if! She might have defined muscles, but no one messes with their sister here and gets away with it. At school, I was an expert at attacking but not leaving visible marks. CIA torture style. But I was determined to make Eva go away. Not just me, everyone made an informal pact not to give Eva immunity. Playing a balancing game on a log with a bear surrounded by piranhas was less dangerous than leaving the brute in the game.
Priya: The gambit paid off, as you win the immunity and a new trailer!
Leshawna: Honey, that trailer was divine. Too bad Chris did the favour of blowing up in the next episode! How I hate that episode!
Nichelle: Come to think, you said you didn't feel like Heather was being helped until the merger. This episode seems to be one of the most obvious that she had help from someone.
Leshawna's face darkned again.
Leshawna: And It was. What are the odds of her getting the key that opens the chest with the invincibility card? I call bullshit. And worse: she manipulated everyone by kissing Trent, and I fell for hook, line and sinker. After that day, I promised myself I would eliminate that snake one way or another.
Priya: You really started playing seriously in Hide and Be Sneaky. That strategy of hiding underwater was bold.
Leshawna: I'm very proud of that challenge, I crushed it! Unfortunately, Heather also won immunity, so I tried eliminating one of the boys. We chose Duncan because he was the brains of the men's team. Without him, the rest would fall like flies.
Nichelle: I was watching Owen's interview, and he said that Izzy had betrayed the women's alliance. Do you believe that?
The woman scoffed.
Leshawna: She was a wild card. I wouldn't be surprised if she actually voted for Bridgette for shit and giggles only. The girl wouldn't have much of a future smelling like that.
The television was now showing images of That's Off the Chain!
Leshawna: Oh yeah, the bullshit episode. I know Chris can make and unmake rules, but that challenge was ridiculous. They say I was robbed, but Lindsay was equal to or even more than me. At least the bombshell chews out Heather! When I rewatched the scene, I understood why they had to censor everything.
Bowie: Can you repeat what she said?
Leshawna: Hell no! I have a career now, It's like saying the seven dirty words on TV, I can't do that. You'll have to ask someone else for this.
The sister smiled superbly while Bowie frowned, defeated.
Nichelle: Everyone was saddened by DJ's abrupt elimination in the horror challenge, did you do anything considering you still had feelings for him?
Leshawna: I give him a little peck at the pier. I think they cut that out so it didn't appear out of nowhere. In the magic of television, everything needs to have some kind of consistent logic. I learned this the hard way in TDA...
She said bitterly, gritting her teeth.
Nichelle: We can talk about it if you want!
Bowie: Yes...in another podcast! We have a lot to cover yet. You teamed up with Duncan in the triathlon challenge, preventing anyone from getting immunity. Has your relationship with him improved after that?
Leshawna: I wouldn't say we became best buds, but we created a certain respect for each other. I still thought he was a brute, but he was cunning. He thought I was scandalous but unstoppable. If I wanted to send Heather out, I needed strong allies; unfortunately, Geoff wasn't one of them. I still voted for her regardless.
Priya: And now let's address the secret challenge that occurred and that the public only learned about because of The Drama Podcast! Haute Camp-ture!
Nichelle seemed angrier than Leshawna, who had a poker face.
Nichelle: You are SO robbed! I can't believe they kicked you out like that.
Leshawna: I gonna tell y'all things that Owen doesn't know either. After Geoff's elimination, I confronted Chris for favouring Heather in the challenges. He said he wasn't doing anything, but I knew something was happening because of his eyes. They were the eyes of someone plotting in the shadows. When I think about that moment, I find the audacity I had insane.
Priya: What did you do?
Leshawna: I grabbed him by the collar and told him that if he helped that bitch again, I would rip his dick off in front of the cameras. The production was pretty strict about threats and assaults on the host, but I was so fed up that I just...went off.
She took a comb out of her purse and began adjusting her afro.
Leshawna: The next day, we decided to have a barbecue party and divided the tasks between everyone: I would be in charge of the food, Duncan would be in charge of the drinks, Gwen would be in charge of the venue, and Heather would be in charge of covering the cameras to give us a little privacy. I didn't want Chris to catch us again and eliminate one of us.
Leshawna: I was getting impatient because Owen had offered to get the grill and charcoal, and was taking a while. I was about to order the party to be aborted when he arrived with the fluid, the charcoal and the grill.
Priya: Did you see something on fire? Owen reported this to us.
Leshawna: Hun, I was so drunk that all I remember is turning off the grill and falling into bed. My last memory was Heather downing a bottle of vodka by herself. And then I woke up to the smell of burning and firefighters everywhere. I was still recovering from my hangover when he accused us of setting fire to private property, and I told him to fuck himself and get burned in the fire too.
The teens gasped.
Nichelle: Wow!
Leshawna: At the time, I didn't even care, but then it came to bite me in the ass. Anyway, Chris had that crying face he made when something he liked went wrong when he talked about the day's challenge.
Bowie: Owen told us that was a sewing challenge.
Leshawna: Exactly. Using sewing thread and string, Chris told us to make a clothing accessory with something natural from the island. Owen thought making a jacket out of meat would be a good idea, while Duncan took cobwebs to use as a shoe mould. I suggested to Gwen that she repair her pants with something while I planned what to do. We had six hours to complete the garment.
Leshawna: I went to the beach and looked at the trees there. That's when I had a brilliant idea: why not a natural bikini? I quickly climbed the trees and started removing the big and small leaves. I decided to do the Hawaiian stereotype with two coconuts for the bra. There was only supposed to be one, but let's just say my babies wouldn't be able to get in.
She emphasized by lightly groping her breasts.
Leshawna: Everything was going well when I went to the main hall until I saw Heather having the same idea as me. That's when I started thinking about revenge for everything.
Priya pressed the earphones to her ear, listening to instructions.
Priya: Sorry for interrupting you, Leshawna, but we have another footage of this challenge! Can we roll, please?
Exclusive Scene: Haute Camp-ture
Leshawna carried a bag of leaves and coconuts into the main lobby. There, she started putting things on the floor, imagining how to turn everything into a bikini.
Leshawna: Mama will take this prize home, you bet!
The state of happiness ended when she heard the door open violently. It was Heather. The two looked at each other harshly.
Heather: What are you doing here?
Leshawna: Trying to win this challenge and send you home.
Heather: Very funny, but you must have as much sense of fashion and sewing as you have of refinement.
Leshawna: You little!
Heather: Now, if you don't mind, I have another immunity to win.
The queen bee throws the contents of a bag she was carrying onto the ground, revealing the same contents as Leshawna's. Now, the black girl was furious.
Leshawna: WHAT?
Heather: What what? Chris never said that everyone should do something different from each other. His idea of using leaves was great, sister.
Leshawna: You have the nerve to steal my idea and rub it in my face!?
Heather: I praise you for the idea, and you are really ungrateful. Besides, that bikini looks better on a slender person than on a whale.
The other was almost choking Heather when an idea crossed her mind. She gave a dark smirk.
Leshawna: Slender person? You? Have you ever seen yourself in the mirror?
The mean teen immediately frowned.
Heather: What do you mean?
Leshawna: Oh, nothing at all. It's just that there's a difference between being slender and being a stick. Look at me: anyone who looks notices my curves here, here and especially here.
Leshawna showed Heather her ass, legs and breasts respectively.
Leshawna: I know that in the eyes of God, we are all equal, but when he made you, there was certainly a lot of clay missing. If you wear an outfit like that, you'll be so baggy that people might think you're an exhibitionist.
That hit the bitch hard. Someone left her in shock for the second time on the show (Thanks, Lindsay!).
Heather: Oh, yeah? A-And about you? This bikini will be so tight on you that it might explode the first step you take.
Leshawna: How about this? We'll both sew this bikini. If you are right, I'll quit this competition...
Heather smiled at the terms of the agreement, but before she could agree to anything, Leshawna continued to speak.
Leshawna: Let me finish! If you are right, I'll quit this competition...but you will run around the entire island naked if I am right. Deal?
The indecent bet made Heather reconsider for a moment. But the chance to see the only one who could threaten her victory walk away was too good to pass up.
Heather: Deal.
The two shook hands while smiling mischievously at each other.
Leshawna: The rest followed the same, but she cheated by making a tighter bikini to make it look like her chest and ass were bigger. When the leaves burst, she was left naked in front of everyone!
She started to laugh. The laughter continued for a few minutes before she regained her composure.
Leshawna: Gwen and I laughed our asses off while the boys smiled like fools. I think it was the first time they had seen a pair of tits in their lives. I'll never forget that withered ass running towards the cabin.
Nichelle and Priya giggled. Bowie smiled, too.
Bowie: I imagine that day was quite intense for you, from winner of the challenge to being eliminated in a matter of seconds.
Leshawna: That was a bucket of cold water on my head. The worst part was showing the eliminated people saying my name and getting me expelled instead of Heather!
Nichelle: This reminds me of an urban legend saying you left because you were sick.
Leshawna: I could have lost my leg on a challenge and still wouldn't have asked to leave. Not when I was so close to winning. These rumours are unfounded and stupid.
Priya: And how did others react to seeing you on the Playa?
Leshawna: Nobody had the courage to look at me after they eliminated me. I forgave everyone, but I was still hurt for a few days. I tried to talk to Harold, but I couldn't find the nerd anywhere. They told me he hid from Courtney because he had rigged her votes.
Nichelle: How did your parents react to your elimination? My mom would be really mad if she saw me lose like that...
Leshawna: It was ugly. My father was detained for two weeks because he tried to break into the station with a shotgun in his hand. My mother had to bail him out.
The teens gasped.
Priya: Pretty extreme of him.
Bowie: Totally.
Leshawna: Apart from that, the weeks at the spa were good, unlike other seasons when we had to stay confined in cheap hotels in Ottawa. Things only got more exciting when Chris arrived and asked us to come up with dares for the final three. I'm not kidding, he didn't even need to speak for us to think of the worst possible; we did the dares with the aim of fucking Heather. It turned into a betting game to see who could get her eliminated.
Bowie: You write a dare where someone had to walk across a tight rope holding meat above shark-infested waters. That time, it was Gwen who did it. Have you thought about the possibility of Owen and Gwen being eliminated because of you?
Leshawna: The possibility obviously existed, but I didn't want to consider it. My focus was on Heather and only her.
Priya: Have you written any more challenges?
The interviewee placed her hand on her chin, thinking.
Leshawna: Hmm...oh yes! The "Slap yourself in the face" dare was mine, too! I almost won the bet, but nothing beat Lindsay daring to shave their hair. Something so simple and yet so powerful! Playa looked like the end of a hockey championship when the villain of the season was eliminated and went bald. It was one of the best days of my life in this program.
Leshawna: With the bitch gone, I could rest assured about the final. I sided with Gwen even though most people sold out to Owen because he wanted a big party with that money. I was sad that she lost, but at least the big guy kept his promise.
She crossed her arms, smiling warmly.
Bowie: Aaaaand we good! We managed to complete the first twenty-six episodes you experienced. Now for the golden question: how do you evaluate your performance in TDI?
Leshawna: I only have two regrets: falling into Heather's trap and eliminating Trent and not being honest with my feelings about Harold. I am convinced I could have won that season if I hadn't been unduly punished. I was at my peak, I never had as many chances as I did back then. If you want, I can break down everything I did wrong in TDA and World Tour.
Nichelle: I would love to hear these new stories! Can I?
Nichelle had puppy eyes over Bowie and Priya. They both sighed.
Bowie: Well...you can join us again if you want.
Nichelle: YES!
The teenage diva hugged Bowie and kissed his cheek.
Bowie: Okay, enough! Enough!
She retreated quickly.
Bowie: Any final thoughts, Priya? Leshawna is one of the main stars of this show.
Priya: I just have to thank her for her willingness to participate! It's not every day that we get to interview someone so famous.
Nichelle glared at her for a moment.
Bowie: I loved the details of your relationship with Heather. It is one of the best Total Drama rivalries in history.
Nichelle: Can I talk too?
Bowie and Priya nodded.
Nichelle: Great! Well...hum...what can I say? You are my idol, Leshawna Edwards. I wanted to be an actress because of you! My mother went to work and left me watching some programs on her tablet, she always had a tab open on our official YouTube channel. I asked to participate in the reboot after finding out that you were from the original cast, I wanted to feel a little of what you went through. Of course, it wasn't what I expected, and this show is harder than it looks, but with each challenge I thought "Leshawna could win this with one hand behind her back, so can I". I just have to thank you, Bowie and Priya, for allowing me to fulfill a big life dream.
Leshawna was crying, moved by the statement. Priya and Bowie had tears in their eyes too.
Leshawna: This...this is why representation matters. You are not the first person who has changed their lives because of me; you certainly won't be the last. And I can guarantee, girl, that every little girl who sees you on television or in the movies will think the same thing as you did when you saw me as a child. Never give up, hun!
The two hugged, with Leshawna comforting a crying Nichelle on her shoulder. The scene moved the co-hosts even more.
Bowie and Priya: Awwwwwwwww.
Priya: And with that, we end our first interview with Leshawna Edwards! As usual, this interview will be recorded on The Drama Podcast channel, with cuts shown on The Drama Bits.
Bowie: Don't forget to follow and subscribe to us on social media to avoid missing any episodes. Do you have any suggestions for us? Comment below, and our team will read it!
Nichelle: Sniff...thanks, guys, for real!
Bowie: You're always welcome here, Ladonna. Bye-bye!
Priya, Nichelle and Leshawna: Bye-Bye!
Everyone waved at the camera when the broadcast ended.
Thumbnails from THE DRAMA BITS:
1. LESHAWNA VS. HEATHER PART 1 | THE DRAMA BITS
2. HAUTE CAMP-TURE EXCLUSIVE CLIP | THE DRAMA BITS
3. SPICY HAIKUS AND DJ | THE DRAMA BITS
4. WHY REPRESENTATION MATTERS | THE DRAMA BITS
5. NICHELLE BEING GOOFY TOWARDS LESHAWNA FOR 10 MINUTES | THE DRAMA BITS
6. LOVING HAROLD | THE DRAMA BITS