RuPaul's Drag RaceStar Katya Reveals the ‘Disgusting’ Behavior That Is an Immediate Dating Turn-Off (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Katya Zamolodchikova.Photo:Santiago Felipe/Getty

Santiago Felipe/Getty

You can mockKatya Zamolodchikova’swigs, insult her shoes or trash-talk her makeup. However, you’ll say nothing she hasn’t heard a thousand times from her BFF,singer Trixie Mattel.But, if you want her number, don’t laugh at her because she doesn’t have the latest iPhone.The formerRuPaul’s Drag Racestar tells PEOPLE exclusively that “financial shaming” is an immediate turn-off for her; the one behavior she’d banish from the dating world.Katya, who hosts Grindr’s sex-positive dating podcast,Who’s the A–hole?,remembers experiencing this ultimate ick during a trip to Mexico City two years ago.“I was in the elevator with four gay guys — three of them knew who I was, one didn’t,” she says. “The elevator opens, and they leave. The person who didn’t know who I was turned back and said, ‘Nice iPhone 6.’ And it’s so stupid, but it has stuck with me for two years. I’m like, ‘Are you for real?’ ”Katya may brush off the insult with a laugh, but it hits a nerve, a dating behavior that’s a no-no for her. She says, “First of all, it wasn’t an iPhone 6, but that doesn’t matter. That kind of financial snobbishness when it comes to mate selection and flirting is so repulsive to me. It’s like, ‘You can’t f— a poor person, darling. That’s disgusting.’ Oh, grow up."“I wish he would’ve been like, ‘Nice, bald head.' Do something. Just have some balls, because I would’ve laughed at that.”Katya recently wrapped season 2 ofWho’s the A–hole, which she says has been “a dream come true. Not only does the drag superstar indulge in their innate fascination with the world, but she gets to go on this expedition in comfortable clothing.Fans who watch the show on Grindr’s YouTube channel see Katya out of drag. “It feels like I can put more of the spotlight on [the guests],” she says. “If I were in drag, it would be more about me, and that’s something else.”Since the podcast launched in February, she’s explored the ins and outs of modern dating and probed the boundaries of what constitutes “a–hole” behavior while also gasping at dating horror stories alongside guests likeSaturday Night Live’sBowen Yang, fellowDrag Racealum Gottmik,country starOrville Peckand singerAdam Lambert.Katya interviewed Adam Lambert for ‘Who’s the A–hole?'.grindrKatya tells PEOPLE she wasn’t sure she would get along with Adam initially. “I have a friend who’s friends with him and she says he’s really nice, but I didn’t think I was going to like him. [But] I fell in love with him in 12 seconds,” she says.Given that she constantly tours withher “best friend,”fellow drag star and queercountry artist Trixie Mattel, Katya understands that may sound strange. She admits she “had some weird prejudice in my head, for some reason.”Whatever it was, she got over it. “My God, Adam was such a sweetheart,” she says.Katya with one of her podcast guests, ‘Saturday Night Live’ star Bowen Yang.grindrThe podcast largely focuses on dating, anonymous caller stories and her guests who have plenty to share. One great example: Bowen realizing he’s famous after Grindr banned him for “catfishing” because the app thought he was pretending to be theSNLstar.Though the podcast’s premise has been to analyze behavior, Katya says doing it has helped her be less self-analytical — and that’s a good thing.“I’ve always been hyperaware, perhaps too self-conscious about myself,” she says. “[Doing the podcast has] allowed me to relax a little bit and have a healthy sense of self-reflection and consideration for other people in the sexual arena. I feel like I’m evolving, which is good.”Katya, right, with her best friend, country artist Trixie Mattel.Santiago Felipe/GettyThat evolution brings knowledge and Katya’s biggest takeaway about sex from doingWho’s the A–hole?is a simple one: “You can stop right in the middle and go home.”Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories“My instinct was always to lie or to fake an injury or do some kind of dramatic little tableau to get out of it,” she adds. “But yeah, you can just say, ‘You know what? I don’t want to do this anymore.’ And then walk out the door. Revelation.”All episodes ofGrindr Presents: Who’s the A–hole? with Katyacan be viewed onYouTubeand streamed onSpotify.

You can mockKatya Zamolodchikova’swigs, insult her shoes or trash-talk her makeup. However, you’ll say nothing she hasn’t heard a thousand times from her BFF,singer Trixie Mattel.

But, if you want her number, don’t laugh at her because she doesn’t have the latest iPhone.

The formerRuPaul’s Drag Racestar tells PEOPLE exclusively that “financial shaming” is an immediate turn-off for her; the one behavior she’d banish from the dating world.

Katya, who hosts Grindr’s sex-positive dating podcast,Who’s the A–hole?,remembers experiencing this ultimate ick during a trip to Mexico City two years ago.

“I was in the elevator with four gay guys — three of them knew who I was, one didn’t,” she says. “The elevator opens, and they leave. The person who didn’t know who I was turned back and said, ‘Nice iPhone 6.’ And it’s so stupid, but it has stuck with me for two years. I’m like, ‘Are you for real?’ ”

Katya may brush off the insult with a laugh, but it hits a nerve, a dating behavior that’s a no-no for her. She says, “First of all, it wasn’t an iPhone 6, but that doesn’t matter. That kind of financial snobbishness when it comes to mate selection and flirting is so repulsive to me. It’s like, ‘You can’t f— a poor person, darling. That’s disgusting.’ Oh, grow up."

“I wish he would’ve been like, ‘Nice, bald head.’ Do something. Just have some balls, because I would’ve laughed at that.”

Katya recently wrapped season 2 ofWho’s the A–hole, which she says has been “a dream come true. Not only does the drag superstar indulge in their innate fascination with the world, but she gets to go on this expedition in comfortable clothing.

Fans who watch the show on Grindr’s YouTube channel see Katya out of drag. “It feels like I can put more of the spotlight on [the guests],” she says. “If I were in drag, it would be more about me, and that’s something else.”

Since the podcast launched in February, she’s explored the ins and outs of modern dating and probed the boundaries of what constitutes “a–hole” behavior while also gasping at dating horror stories alongside guests likeSaturday Night Live’sBowen Yang, fellowDrag Racealum Gottmik,country starOrville Peckand singerAdam Lambert.

Katya interviewed Adam Lambert for ‘Who’s the A–hole?'.grindr

grindr

Katya tells PEOPLE she wasn’t sure she would get along with Adam initially. “I have a friend who’s friends with him and she says he’s really nice, but I didn’t think I was going to like him. [But] I fell in love with him in 12 seconds,” she says.

Given that she constantly tours withher “best friend,”fellow drag star and queercountry artist Trixie Mattel, Katya understands that may sound strange. She admits she “had some weird prejudice in my head, for some reason.”

Whatever it was, she got over it. “My God, Adam was such a sweetheart,” she says.

Katya with one of her podcast guests, ‘Saturday Night Live’ star Bowen Yang.grindr

The podcast largely focuses on dating, anonymous caller stories and her guests who have plenty to share. One great example: Bowen realizing he’s famous after Grindr banned him for “catfishing” because the app thought he was pretending to be theSNLstar.

Though the podcast’s premise has been to analyze behavior, Katya says doing it has helped her be less self-analytical — and that’s a good thing.

“I’ve always been hyperaware, perhaps too self-conscious about myself,” she says. “[Doing the podcast has] allowed me to relax a little bit and have a healthy sense of self-reflection and consideration for other people in the sexual arena. I feel like I’m evolving, which is good.”

Katya, right, with her best friend, country artist Trixie Mattel.Santiago Felipe/Getty

That evolution brings knowledge and Katya’s biggest takeaway about sex from doingWho’s the A–hole?is a simple one: “You can stop right in the middle and go home.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories

“My instinct was always to lie or to fake an injury or do some kind of dramatic little tableau to get out of it,” she adds. “But yeah, you can just say, ‘You know what? I don’t want to do this anymore.’ And then walk out the door. Revelation.”

All episodes ofGrindr Presents: Who’s the A–hole? with Katyacan be viewed onYouTubeand streamed onSpotify.

source: people.com