THYRST

Actor, musician and artist Jade Hassouné joins Aneal Joshua on THYRST for a conversation that starts with Drag Race and pop culture and somehow ends up questioning everything we know about success, self worth and manifestation.
Best known as Meliorn on Shadowhunters, Jade opens up about what happens when the attention from a hit television show starts to disappear and why he had to learn to separate his value from followers, numbers, money and external validation.
We get into Shadowhunters, his music career as J4DE, building an identity as an artist, social media, finding your creative point of view and why Jade believes talent will eventually find its way to the right opportunity.
Of course, we also talk Canada’s Drag Race, Drag Race UK, reality TV and why shows like Love Is Blind and The Real Housewives might actually teach us more about human relationships than we give them credit for.
Then Jade reveals he would 100% do Big Brother, The Traitors and even Survivor, including his dream of competing on Big Brother Québec Celebrity and why the social game terrifies and excites him.
And things get unexpectedly spiritual as Jade breaks down limiting beliefs, manifestation, prayer, abundance and why getting everything you want means nothing if you haven't become the person capable of holding onto it.
From Shadowhunters and Drag Race to reality TV, music, spirituality and finding your worth beyond the numbers, this is Jade Hassouné in 2026.
Follow Jade Hassouné on Instagram @jadehassoune and find his music on Spotify as J4DE.
Follow THYRST for more LGBTQ+ culture, reality TV, Drag Race, pop culture and queer conversations.
The THYRST is real.

Owen Unruh on Addiction, Healing, Indigenous Identity & Starting Over
Content creator Owen Unruh joins Aneal Joshua on THYRST for an honest, hilarious and unexpectedly deep conversation about addiction recovery, healing, Indigenous identity, social media, reality TV and finding a new home in Montreal.
Owen opens up about his journey from addiction and experiencing homelessness to building an online community around vulnerability, authenticity and helping others feel less alone. His philosophy? “Turn your mess into your message.”
We talk about reconnecting with his Cree identity, growing up on a farm in Northern British Columbia, preserving childhood memories, leaving Vancouver for Montreal and learning when sharing your life online can be healing and when some things are better processed offline.
Then things get very THYRST.
Owen takes on Montreal Fetish Week trivia, explains why authenticity beats chasing TikTok trends, gives his take on Leah Remini joining The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and reveals why he wants another shot at reality TV. We also get into Big Brother Canada, the pressure cooker of reality television and whether Owen could survive Big Brother or The Traitors.

🎙️ THYRST is a queer culture and pop culture podcast hosted by Aneal Joshua, covering LGBTQ+ life, reality TV, relationships, identity, nightlife and the conversations happening in the group chat.
Follow Owen Unruh on Instagram at @owen.unruhhh
Subscribe and follow THYRST for more queer culture, reality TV and unfiltered conversations.
The THYRST is real.

Content creator Marcus McNeil joins Aneal Joshua on THYRST for an unfiltered conversation about gay culture, dating, social media, reality TV and life in Montreal.
After RuPaul’s Drag Race star Naomi Smalls revealed Marcus was her Instagram crush, we obviously had to ask the important question: would he couple up with Naomi on a gay Love Island? Spoiler alert: the answer is looking promising. 👀
Marcus gets candid about being desired versus being respected, validation online versus fulfillment offline, dating while building a career, his relationship with social media and why Montreal has become home.
We also get into Big Brother 28, our mutual appreciation for Daddy Drew, what it’s actually like living inside the Big Brother house and whether Marcus could survive the game himself. Plus, Aneal reflects on his own Big Brother Canada experience and the mental warfare of being watched 24/7.
And because this is THYRST, things naturally get chaotic with the THYRST 30 Second Tantrum, dating red flags, Naomi Smalls, queer nightlife, family, content creation and some very questionable rapid fire answers.
Come for the THYRST. Stay for the surprisingly wholesome conversation.
🎙️ THYRST is a queer culture and pop culture podcast hosted by Aneal Joshua, covering LGBTQ+ life, reality TV, Drag Race, Big Brother, dating, nightlife and the conversations happening in the group chat.
Follow Marcus McNeil at @MarcusMcNeilX.
Follow THYRST for more queer culture, reality TV and pop culture conversations.
The THYRST is real.

Toronto photographer and creative force Jam Like Jelli joins Aneal Joshua on THYRST for a chaotic dive into queer culture, pop music and the internet.
From photographing some of Canada’s fiercest drag queens and Gossip Girl star Jordan Alexander to going viral for his circuit party takes and getting noticed by Lana Del Rey, Jampol knows how to make an impact.
We get into Canada’s Drag Race All Stars, Toronto drag history, KATSEYE and the Manon discourse, the state of circuit parties, going viral online, pop music nostalgia and what it actually takes to build a creative identity people remember.
Plus, Jampol faces the THYRST 13, evil Canada’s Drag Race trivia and the ultimate question: love or leverage?
Follow THYRST for more conversations at the intersection of LGBTQ+ culture, Drag Race, pop culture, reality TV, queer nightlife and creative life in Toronto and Canada.
The THYRST is real.

Who should win Canada’s Drag Race All Stars? And what does a Survivor Québec player think of the new All Stars format? 👀
This week on THYRST, Aneal sits down with Benjamin Parry, gay Montreal creator, flight attendant and Survivor Québec contestant, for a chaotic deep dive into Canadian reality TV, drag, dating and queer life in Montreal.
Benjamin takes us behind the scenes of Survivor Québec, from applying four times to finally getting cast, navigating alliances, embracing his villain edit and discovering just how quickly the game can change. Then, we get into Canada’s Drag Race All Stars: why Benjamin thinks the format makes it easier to eliminate strong queens, his case for Sammy Landry and Aurora Matrix, and our predictions for who could take the crown.
We also talk about the rise of Canadian drag queens as mainstream celebrities, international Drag Race franchises, queer nightlife, Montreal Pride and whether dating apps have broken gay dating. Benjamin even compares dating apps to a casino, where constantly searching for the next jackpot can make it harder to recognize something real when you actually find it.
And, of course, Benjamin enters the 30 Second Tantrum to deliver his Pride hot take: less circuit music, more Britney and Gaga.
In this episode: Canada’s Drag Race All Stars • Survivor Québec • Sammy Landry • Aurora Matrix • Canadian Drag Race • Montreal Pride • gay dating • queer nightlife • LGBTQ+ creators • Canadian reality TV • Montreal gay culture