Kandy Muse will be 'the main character' of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 8 'whether you like it or not'

Kandy "Producer" Muse is ready add another hyphenate to her growing roster of RuPaul's Drag Race on-set duties: Director.

"I don't know what it is about me, but the girls... when Kandy speaks, the girls listen," she exclusively tells EW in her first interview since joining the RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 8 cast of returning queens. "So, it's going to be interesting to see how things play out this season."

The New York City native was known on season 13 for her endlessly entertaining television personality as well as a key behind-the-scenes orchestrator, all thanks to the fireworks she ignited while regularly clashing with other queens ��� including Tamisha Iman, with whom she reveals she's currently developing a talk show — and knowing exactly what to say for the cameras at precisely the right time.

While her production skills were praised by a sector of the fandom, Kandy says she knows her inherent star quality rubbed some people the wrong way. And, frankly, she doesn't care: "I'm a polarizing character and that's completely okay. I'm always going to be the main character, whether you like it or not."

"You can take what happened before with the negativity and bring it with you in the Werk Room, but there's no reason for that," Kandy continues. "That happened then. I'm not bringing that back to All Stars 8. This is a completely different situation. I didn't walk into All Stars this time around thinking, well, I have to be more demure and more nice so people like me. No, I'm still going to be Kandy Muse, that same old bitch from the Bronx. If you like it, you like it. If you don't, you don't. It's not my job to make you like me."

One thing Kandy likes about All Stars 8, she says, is the level of excellence her fellow cast members brought to the Werk Room and the Main Stage, promising elevated fashion, challenges, and drama for the season ahead.

"[There are] a lot of tears. A lot of tears. One thing about this cast, I don't know if any of the girls have said it, but this is a very emotional cast. The girls cry for anything!" she shares. "[There are] some cat fights, it's going to be good."

Watch Kandy's full pre-season interview above — in which she also reveals she stole so much from the season 13 set she had to have production give her an extra suitcase to take everything home — and be sure to check out EW's full roster of exclusive AS8 cast interviews.

RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 8 premieres Friday, May 12 on Paramount+.

Subscribe toEW's Quick Drag podcast for recaps of RuPaul's Drag Race, including reactions with the cast, special guests, and more.

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