The line-up for RuPaul’s Drag Race UK has been revealed, featuring ten queens competing for the title of the UK’s first Drag Race Superstar.
So who is on the line-up? The first ever UK edition will feature Baga Chipz, Blu Hydrangea, Crystal, Cheryl Hole, Divina De Campo, Gothy Kendoll, Sum Ting Wong, Scaredy Kat, The Vivienne, and Vinegar Strokes.
All of the ten queens are set to make their first official appearance together at Manchester Pride on Saturday 24 August.
Speaking about the series, RuPaul said: ‘Each of the UK queens is so unique, so courageous and so special. I can’t wait for the UK – and the world – to fall in love with them the same way I did.’
In the UK edition, RuPaul will be joined by Michelle Visage, Alan Carr, and Graham Norton on judging duties, while celebrity guest judges will include Andrew Garfield, Maisie Williams, Twiggy, and Cheryl.
You can check out the full line-up below.
Divina De Campo
Age: 35
From: West Yorkshire
My act is a massive variety of different things. You’ll get some opera, Italian aria, some pop tunes, some show tunes, some blue tunes I like sing things that are a bit more challenging or exciting that makes people say ‘oh my god, I wasn’t expecting that.
‘A bit of everything for everybody.’
Crystal
Age: 34
From: London
‘I’m Crystal, I’m 34 and I’m originally from Canada but I have been living in London for the past 10 years as I have a British passport and dual citizenship through my mother, so I’m British!
‘Crystal is a gender bending, ‘mess with your brain’ kinda drag queen. She stands for tearing down gender constructs using creativity, looks, and fashion and crazy performances. I do aerial circus, I can crack a whip, put cigarettes out on my tongue – it’s a freak show. It’s unexpected. It’s nothing you have ever seen before.’
The Vivienne
Age: 27
From: Liverpool
‘My style is like a scouse wife who has come into money, she moved to LA and blew it all and then she’s had to move back to Liverpool. I like to have a really fierce look, but I like to be hilarious on stage so I’m kind of an old school and the new school put together which I think works.
‘Comedy is definitely my trump card. My favourite trick in drag is my vocal impersonations so I do everyone from Kim Woodburn, Cilla Black, Donald Trump – you name it, I’ll do it – for the right price!’
Scaredy Kat
Age: 20
From: Wiltshire
‘I’d say my style of drag is probably very pink, very cute and very feline-esque. It’s very camp, exciting, colourful and bold. Cute, pink and scared – like a nervous flamingo. I’m unique and another that makes me unique is that I’m the youngest queen ever on Drag Race.
‘At the moment, I do a lot of drag alone in my house but I’ve made quite a lot of videos – music videos, lip-sync videos, arty stuff and pictures, creative things.
‘I want to change that and I need to be on a stage in front of millions of people because the attention just has to be on me right now.’
Gothy Kendoll
Age: 21
From: Leicester
‘My drag is dark, contemporary, striking and unique, and everything that is cool and fresh about UK drag now. The fact that my name is Gothy lets me bring in those darker elements; especially when it comes to wigs and makeup.
‘I like to look very different to traditional queens who are more camper, and more performance based. I also do a lot of different work compared to other queens in the UK. I like to DJ, host and throw parties – that’s what I’m good at.’
Cheryl Hole
Age: 25
From: Essex
‘My style of drag is that Essex glamour with a touch of showgirl. Everything’s got a bling, a touch of vajazzle but a real girl at heart. I like to play up the Essex stereotype and really incorporate that into my drag.’
Sum Ting Wong
Age: 30
From: Birmingham
‘My drag comes from singing. I was a little emo kid at 12 years old and I loved to sing. I can’t be a singer out of drag. I am a Chinese male who’s overweight and losing his hair. I’m never gonna make it like that so drag helped me , and the 12 year old me, finally live out my dream of performing and singing. That’s the only reason I put all of this on – so I can perform and sing. It’s the best job in the world.’
Blu Hydrangea
Age: 23
From: Belfast
‘Blu Hydrangea is like a GCSE art project, high fashion from outer space, a cartoon character – with muppet realness. She is queen of the makeup brush and her strength lies in her mug. Not only am I a look queen but I can dance, I can perform, I can do some funny movements to make people laugh.’
Baga Chipz
Age: 29
From: London
‘Baga Chipz is a pub queen; tart with a heart; Like someone’s auntie I give advice on how to pull fellas and how to get pissed. I’m not one of these gorgeous beautiful Kate Moss lookalike drag queens. My style is more cabaret, old school, sequin frocks, Shirley Bassey, Danny La Rue, Lily savage kind of drag. I’m common as muck, bagachips from Walthamstow.’
Vinegar Strokes
Age: 35
From: London
‘I am a straight up comedy queen, I do stand-up comedy, I sing in my own particular style. I’m like Tina Turner meets Lizzo meets Kat Slater.
‘I embrace who I am. I’m a working class girl and I like to put that in my act and celebrate that and wear my heart on my sleeve. It’s really important to me because we live in an age where so many want to be something else and actually it’s great to celebrate who you are.’
RuPaul’s Drag Race UK kicks off on BBC Three in October.
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