EXCUSE ME.

I HAVE TO DO THIS.

MY NEXT GUEST IS A POP CULTURE ICON AND THE MOST FAMOUS DRAG

QUEEN IN THE WORLD.

PLEASE WELCOME BACK TO "A LATE SHOW," RUPAUL!

HELLO, RuPAUL, NICE TO SEE YOU.

>> NICE TO SEE YOU, TOO.

>> Stephen: HAPPY NEW YEAR, OBVIOUSLY.

HAPPY RU YEAR.

( LAUGHTER ) >> I'M JUST HAPPY TO BE

ANYWHERE, HONESTLY.

>> Stephen: I KNOW THE FEELING.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING -- OR WHAT IS THE THING THAT YOU

ARE MOST GLAD TO BE LEAVING BEHIND IN 2020?

>> YOU KNOW, IT'S FUNNY, I ALWAYS TAKE EVERYTHING DAY BY

DAY.

I TAKE ONE DAY AT A TIME.

IN FACT, I WOKE UP THIS MORNING A LITTLE BIT WEIRD LIKE THE

PLANETS ARE ALIGNED IN A WEIRD PLACE, SO I DIPPED INTO MY -- I

REBOOTED MY EMOTIONAL SYSTEM, AND I TAKE SONGS THAT MAKE ME

CRY, AND I'LL CRY MY EYES OUT, AND IT ALWAYS MAKES ME FEEL

BETTER.

YOU KNOW, YOU LEARN THESE LIFE HACKS.

>> Stephen: I LIKE THAT.

I LIKE THAT.

CAN YOU OFFER -- WHAT'S A GOOD SONG FOR A GOOD CRY?

>> YOU KNOW WHAT MAKES ME CRY?

IS BETTE MIDLER'S VERSION OF "IN MY LIFE," THE BEATLES SONG,

CARLY SIMON'S SONG "THE CARTER FAMILY" FROM THE "NO SECRETS

ALBUM," AND THERE'S A SONG BY KENNY CHESNEY -- I GET TEARED UP

EVEN SAYING THE TITLE -- "I'D DO A LOT OF THINGS DIFFERENT ," BY

KENNY CHESNEY.

ALWAYS TEARS, TEARS, TEARS.

>> Stephen: ALL RIGHT.

CONGRATULATIONS.

YOU'VE GOT SO MANY MILESTONES IN YOUR CAREER BUT YOU JUST HIT A

BIG ONE.

YOU ARE NOW IN THE "GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS" FOR

HAVING THE MOST -- LET ME GET THIS RIGHT -- THE MOST

CONSECUTIVE EMMY WINS FOR A REALITY SHOW HOST.

CONGRATULATIONS.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>> Stephen: IS THERE ANY OTHER RECORD YOU WANT TO BREAK?

>> YOU KNOW, I WOULD LOVE TO BREAK THE RECORD FOR THE WORLD'S

RICHEST TELEVISION HOST.

( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: THAT'S JUDGE JUDY.

THAT IS ABSOLUTELY JUDGE JUDY.

>> Stephen: AND I KNOW YOU'RE A FAN OF JUDGE JUDY.

YOU'RE A BIG FAN OF JUDGE JUDY.

>> THE BIGGEST.

>> Stephen: HOW ARE YOU GOING TO TAKE IT, AFTER 25 YEARS,

SHE'S RETIRING, SHE'S GOING OFF THE BENCH?

>> WELL, THAT SHOW IS RETIRING, BUT SHE'S GOING TO DO A NEW SHOW

JUDGE JUDY -- SHE'S DOING A SHOW FOR AMAZON.

>> Stephen: WE CAN DROP JUDGE JUDY, I WANT TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR

EMOTIONAL REACTION.

AMAZON, YOU SAY?

I'LL CHECK IT OUT, EVERYBODY.

WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.

THAT'S ALL THE TIME WE'VE HAD, RU, CROTCH FOR PLUGGING JUDY.

( LAUGHTER ) LET'S GET BACK TO YOU, SHALL WE?

13 SEASONS OF "DRAG RACE."

WHAT'S THE BIGGEST LESSON YOU'VE LEARNED?

>> IS TO KEEP AN OPEN MIND.

I WALKED INTO THIS THING OF AN IDEA OF WHAT DRAG IS, AND THE

KIDS HAVE A DIFFERENT IDEA, THEY KEEP CHANGING IT.

YOU KNOW, THIS SEASON, WE HAVE A TRANS MAN WHO IS ON OUR SHOW WHO

IS COMPETING WITH THE OTHER DRAG QUEENS.

AND THIS MAN IS FANTASTIC!

FANTASTIC!

SO, YOU KNOW, I KEEP MOVING WITH WHAT THE KIDS ARE DOING, YOU

KNOW.

>> Stephen: ONE OF THE THINGS I LIKE ABOUT DRAG IS THE

ASSUMPTION OF PERSONA, YOU KNOW, THE LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE THAT

GOES INTO IT AND THE COMMITMENT, AND PART OF THAT IS A GREAT

NAME.

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE DRAG NAME THAT YOU'VE EVER HEARD?

>> LISTEN, I'VE NAMED SO MANY DRAG QUEENS, AND I HAVE --

THERE'S THREE CATEGORIES.

THERE'S THE WORD PLAY DRAG QUEEN NAME, WHICH IS LIKE MIA COPA OR

SIERRA TONEN, OR TERRACOTTA.

>> Stephen: MY FRIEND JACKIE KAUFMAN MADE UP ONE WHICH IS

CONSUELA CANSWALLOW.

( LAUGHTER ) >> I LOVE JACKIE, I WORK WITH

HER ON A NEW ANIMATED SHOW.

>> Stephen: LET'S PLUG JACKIE HOFFMAN FOR A WHILE.

WE'VE DONE JUDGE JUDY.

( LAUGHTER ) NOW, YOU ARE AN ICON OF ELEGANCE

AND GRACE AND GLAMOUR, VIVA GLAM.

>> UH-HUH.

>> Stephen: IT'S DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN THE GLAM DURING COVID,

FOR MANY PEOPLE.

EVIE AND I, OBVIOUSLY, I'M MAINTAINING THE GLAM HERE.

THE TWO OF US, SHE'S WEARING HER DEBRA BURK SCARF TONIGHT.

GIVE ME A LITTLE DR. BIRX OVER HERE.

SHE CAN TIE IT SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS.

( LAUGHTER ) WHAT'S YOUR ADVICE FOR

MAINTAINING A GLAM LIFESTYLE UNDER COVID?

>> WELL, GLAMOUR, IT REALLY HAS TO START WITH YOU, WHETHER IT'S

A PANDEMIC OR NOT, YOU HAVE TO ENJOY IT YOURSELF, AND THE

NUMBER ONE THING, REALLY, IS TO DO WHAT MAKES YOU FEEL HAPPY.

NOW, OF COURSE, IN THESE TIMES, WE ARE ALL VIDEO CONFERENCING,

IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE YOUR LIGHTING RIGHT.

>> Stephen: OKAY.

RIGHT NOW, I'VE GOT MY COMPUTER FACING A WINDOW, IT'S

LIGHT HERE IN CALIFORNIA RIGHT NOW, SO THAT WORKS.

SO ALSO I HAVE ANOTHER RING LIGHT BEYOND THAT SO THAT THE

LIGHT IS COMING THIS WAY.

YOU DON'T WANT AN OVERHEAD LIGHT, YOU DON'T WANT A SIDE

LIGHT.

>> Stephen: WHY NOT AN OVERHEAD LIGHT?

>> BECAUSE IT MAKES YOU LOOK ERGLY.

>> Stephen: ERGLY.

AND THE SIDE LIGHT IS TOO DRAMATIC?

>> THE SIDE LIGHT ACCENTUATES THE FOLDS AND CREASES IN YOUR

FACE.

>> Stephen: DON'T WANT THAT.

YOU WANT IT STRAIGHT ON.

>> Stephen: YOU WANT THE BRIGHT OPRAH FRONT LIGHT.

>> THAT'S RIGHT, BABY.

>> Stephen: "DRAG RACE" ALWAYS HAD GREAT CELEBRITY JUDGES.

BY THE WAY, SEASON 13, CONGRATULATIONS, HIGHEST RATED

SHOW OF ALL TIME IN DRAG RACE HISTORY WAS YOUR SEASON PREMIERE

THIS YEAR.

>> YES.

>> Stephen: YOU'RE ALWAYS ON TAKEOFF.

>> WELL, IT'S VERY EXCITING.

YOU KNOW, THIS WORLD HAS SO MANY GREAT -- THERE ARE SO MANY GREAT

THINGS HAPPENING IN THE WORLD, THERE ARE SO MANY AWFUL THINGS

HAPPENING IN THE WORLD.

SO TAKE THE BITTER WITH THE SWEET, STEPHEN.

>> Stephen: DO YOU HAVE A DREAM CELEBRITY JUDGE THAT YOU

HAVEN'T HAD BEFORE?

>> OH, ABSOLUTELY.

CHER, I MEAN, SHE'S THE ULTIMATE DRAG QUEEN.

>> Stephen: DO YOU WANT ME TO TALK TO CHER?

>> PLEASE.

PLEASE!

>> Stephen: CHER, HOW DO YOU SPELL THAT?

>> WELL, YEAH, SOMEBODY WILL TELL YOU.

>> Stephen: OKAY.

BUT WHEN YOU TALK TO HER, TELL HER THIS, SCHNAP OUT OF IT!

>> Stephen: SCHNAP OUT OF IT!

( LAUGHTER ) OKAY.

WELL, ALWAYS A DELIGHT.

ALWAYS A DELIGHT TO SEE YOU.

>> THANK YOU.

>> Stephen: THANK YOU FOR MAINTAINING YOUR RU-NESS AT ALL

TIMES AS A MODEL FOR ALL OF US JUST TO KEEP IT TOGETHER, TO

KEEP ON KEEPING ON.

CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN ON SEASON 13, "RUPAUL'S DRAG RACE" AIRS

FRIDAYS ON VH1.

IT'S RuPAUL, EVERYBODY.

BACK WITH A PERFORMANCE BY MAREN MORRIS.

STICK AROUND.