Meet the line up of contestants on the first ever series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK.
Here’s all you need to know about the ten beautiful drag queens who will be competing for the title of UK’s first Drag Race Superstar.
Handpicked for their huge slaying potential by Mama Ru herself, this eclectic group of queens are the perfect showcase of what the UK drag scene has to offer.
RuPaul says: “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.”
The ten competing queens on the line up are: Baga Chipz, Blu Hydrangea, Crystal, Cheryl Hole, Divina De Campo, Gothy Kendoll, Sum Ting Wong, Scaredy Kat, The Vivienne, Vinegar Strokes.
RuPaul’s Drag Race UK will premiere on BBC iPlayer/BBC Three in October 2019 from Thursday, October 3.
Meet the Queens below…
RuPaul’s Drag Race UK contestants
Baga Chipz
29-year-old from London
Twitter username: @ChipShopBird
Instagram username: @bagachipz
Baga Chipz says: “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, Baga Chipz from Walthamstow.”
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Blu Hydrangea
23-year-old from Belfast
Twitter username: @BluHydrangea_
Instagram username: @bluhydrangea_
Blu Hydrangea says: “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.”
Divina De Campo
35-year-old from Brighouse in West Yorkshire.
Twitter username: @Divinadecampo
Instagram username: @divinadecampo
Divina De Campo says: “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
34-year-old from London (originally from Canada)
Twitter username: @crystalwillseeu
Instagram username: @crystal.will.see.you.now
Crystal says: “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.”
She adds: “I’m unique as a drag performer because I’m not afraid to think outside the box and create looks, concepts, acts and performances that challenge and excite and pull from lots of sources. I’m not a ‘cookie cutter’ drag queen.”
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Sum Ting Wong
30-year-old from Reading
Twitter username: @issumtingwong
Instagram username: @issumtingwong
Sum Ting Wong says: “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.”
Cheryl Hole
25-year-old from Essex
Twitter username: @CherylHoleQueen
Instagram username: @CherylHoleQueen
Cheryl Hole says: “I’m a dancing diva, I’m known for my dance moves, death drops and pure entertainment and that’s what you want from a drag queen isn’t it?
“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.”
Gothy Kendoll
21-year-old from Leicester
Twitter username: @gothykendoll
Instagram username: @GothyKendoll
Gothy Kendoll introduces herself: “My name comes from my friend who described me as a Ken doll but a gothy one because I used to be wear loads of black, have really black hair, but also be really tanned and wear loads of makeup!
“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.”
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Vinegar Strokes
35-year-old from London
Twitter username: @TheOnlyVinegar
Instagram username: @theonlyvinegarstrokes
Vinegar Strokes says: “I’m a proper London lady, zone five. 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.”
Scaredy Kat
20-year-old from Wiltshire
Twitter username: @the_scaredy_kat
Instagram username: @scaredykatofficial
Says Scaredy Kat: “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.”
The Vivienne
27-year-old from Liverpool
Twitter username: @thevivienneuk
Instagram username: @thevivienne_
The Vivienne says: “I’m an engaged lady and I live for my fiancé. And I’m here to win the crown of the first ever RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, so bring it on!
“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!”
Drag Race UK will air on BBC Three/iPlayer from October.
The first episode airs on Thursday October 3 at 8PM.
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