Nymphia Wind reveals dark history "I was ugly too", encourages brave attempts to find one's shine
RuPaul's Drag Race winner Nymphia Wind (Leo Tsao) appeared on a Taiwanese public TV show, sharing his past struggles with insecurity and anxiety, and encouraging youths to "fake it till you make it" to find their true shine.
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- 📰 Published: April 21, 2026 at 16:48
- 🔍 Collected: April 21, 2026 at 17:01 (13 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 22, 2026 at 05:08 (12h 6m after Collected)
Taipei, April 21 (CNA) -- Nymphia Wind, the "Pride of Taiwan" who claimed the championship on "RuPaul's Drag Race," shared his journey from obscurity to household name on the show "Whatever, You Are Not Sleeping Anyway" (反正你也不睡覺). He admitted that he "was ugly too" and encouraged everyone to be brave in trying so they can find their own shine.
Drag queen Nymphia Wind, born in 1995 with the real name Tsao Mi-er, is affectionately called "Leo Tsao" by friends and family. Recently, he was invited to the PTS Taigi program "Whatever, You Are Not Sleeping Anyway" to share tidbits of his journey. For the first time on a show, he unpacked his essential, private makeup bag for performances, which surprisingly contained some wild tools, causing gasps of astonishment from everyone present.
While Nymphia Wind performs with full confidence on stage, what is Leo Tsao's life like in private? Through a press release, Leo recalled the depression and anxiety of his teenage years, noting that at 17, he felt awkward just holding a microphone to introduce himself. However, he developed a "crazy philosophy": as long as you put on heavy makeup and put on your battle armor, if you achieve the exterior first, the inner self will slowly catch up. This trick of "faking it until you make it" offers an external solution for all teenagers deeply trapped in the anxiety of perfectionism.
When asked what the 17-year-old Leo, who didn't dare hold a microphone, would say if he saw himself now, Leo emotionally responded: "The 17-year-old me would say, don't forget my innocence, my happiness."
Leo stated that it's okay to stumble at the beginning. "I had my ugly days too." As long as you bravely try, you can find the shine that belongs to you.
Leo also revealed the contents of his makeup bag. From it, he pulled out a huge pair of pliers that looked exactly like "cat nail clippers." As he swiftly "clipped dead skin," he laughed and said, "Whenever there's dead skin, I get super annoyed!" giving a glimpse into the most unburdened and authentic side of a drag queen behind the glamorous facade.
"Whatever, You Are Not Sleeping Anyway" is broadcast on PTS Taigi and PTS+ every Monday and Tuesday at 9 PM, and uploaded to YouTube and Podcast every Tuesday and Friday.
Drag queen Nymphia Wind, born in 1995 with the real name Tsao Mi-er, is affectionately called "Leo Tsao" by friends and family. Recently, he was invited to the PTS Taigi program "Whatever, You Are Not Sleeping Anyway" to share tidbits of his journey. For the first time on a show, he unpacked his essential, private makeup bag for performances, which surprisingly contained some wild tools, causing gasps of astonishment from everyone present.
While Nymphia Wind performs with full confidence on stage, what is Leo Tsao's life like in private? Through a press release, Leo recalled the depression and anxiety of his teenage years, noting that at 17, he felt awkward just holding a microphone to introduce himself. However, he developed a "crazy philosophy": as long as you put on heavy makeup and put on your battle armor, if you achieve the exterior first, the inner self will slowly catch up. This trick of "faking it until you make it" offers an external solution for all teenagers deeply trapped in the anxiety of perfectionism.
When asked what the 17-year-old Leo, who didn't dare hold a microphone, would say if he saw himself now, Leo emotionally responded: "The 17-year-old me would say, don't forget my innocence, my happiness."
Leo stated that it's okay to stumble at the beginning. "I had my ugly days too." As long as you bravely try, you can find the shine that belongs to you.
Leo also revealed the contents of his makeup bag. From it, he pulled out a huge pair of pliers that looked exactly like "cat nail clippers." As he swiftly "clipped dead skin," he laughed and said, "Whenever there's dead skin, I get super annoyed!" giving a glimpse into the most unburdened and authentic side of a drag queen behind the glamorous facade.
"Whatever, You Are Not Sleeping Anyway" is broadcast on PTS Taigi and PTS+ every Monday and Tuesday at 9 PM, and uploaded to YouTube and Podcast every Tuesday and Friday.