RuPaul’s Drag Race UK 2022 contestants: Meet the Queens on series 4

RuPaul’s Drag Race UK series 4 has revealed its cast of Queens as the new season begins.

The brand new series airs Thursday nights at 9PM and air across ten weeks on BBC Three and iPlayer.

The twelve queens are: Baby, Black Peppa, Cheddar Gorgeous, Copper Topp, Dakota Schiffer, Danny Beard, Jonbers Blonde, Just May, Le Fil, Pixie Polite, Sminty Drop and Starlet.

Each week they’ll face challenges that test their drag race prowess to the max in the hope that they have impressed Ru enough to avoid being one of the bottom two queens facing a lip sync for their life and elimination from the competition.

As ever, Michelle Visage, Graham Norton, Alan Carr and a sparkling array of superstar guest judges will join RuPaul on the panel.

Meet the Queens taking part below!

RuPaul’s Drag Race UK season 4 cast

BABY

Age: 25

From: South London

Instagram username: @bby.ldn

Baby says: “My drag is pretty, punk and Black. I love to represent my culture and I love playing with in the area where black culture and alternative culture meet.

“The name Baby comes from being the youngest sibling out of five and I was always referred to as ‘the baby’. So, when I needed to come up with a drag name in a lip sync competition at university, I thought of ‘Baby’ and now years later, I’m still known as Baby!”

 

BLACK PEPPA

Age: 29

From: Birmingham

Instagram username: @iamblackpeppa

Black Peppa says: “I love spicy food and I always carry hot sauce in my bag. Back when I was growing up in the Caribbean, my mum always grew chillies in her garden and she made her own homemade hot pepper sauce and so I decided to call myself ‘Black Pepper’.

“And later, I was inspired to change up the spelling after a chance watching of Peppa pig! I saw her hang up the phone on her friend because her friend could whistle but she couldn’t. Ha! I thought to myself Peppa pig is the OG, and that is why I’m ‘Black Peppa’ with a twist!”

 

CHEDDAR GORGEOUS

Age: 38

From: Manchester

Instagram username: @cheddar_gorgeous

Cheddar Gorgeous says: “My drag name references the iconic British landmark Cheddar Gorge which I have visited many times in my many lifespans. A lot like Cheddar Gorge, I go on forever and ever and ever and ever and ever and sometimes I’m damp.

“My drag is a living spectacle. A collage of makeup, costume and performance. You could see anything at a Cheddar Gorgeous show as my drag is otherworldly and ethereal. Growing up, I was a bit of a geek and I was enamoured by aliens, gods, goddesses and strange monsters and now in my drag, I like to harness the energy of science fiction, fantasy and magic!”

 

COPPER TOPP

Age: 38

From: Cheltenham

Instagram username: @coppertoppqueen

Copper Topp says: “I’m Copper Topp, I’m 38 and I am the feel good ginger of drag! And now I’m a Ru Girl and on top of a mountain!

“[My drag is..] first and foremost it’s very camp and physical! Nobody expects it when a camp bird like me is singing and then suddenly jumps into the splits and everybody is gagged. You’re gonna laugh until you wet yourself and by the end of that night, you will probably slide into my DMs because let’s face it, she’s gorgeous!”

 

DAKOTA SCHIFFER

Age: 22

From: Sussex

Instagram username: @dakota.schiffer

Dakota Schiffer says: “The name Dakota comes from a cartoon reality show from the early 2000s called Total Drama and Schiffer of course, comes from the iconic 90s supermodel, Claudia Schiffer.

“I’m generation Z’s answer to Sharon Tate. My drag is a love letter to the 60’s and the 90’s. I’ve always been intrigued by the 60s and 90’s supermodel era and my number one Hollywood icon is Sharon Tate in Valley of The Dolls and I worship everything she’s ever been in – she’s such a style icon to me. My drag aesthetic is always beautiful and fashion first.”

 

DANNY BEARD

Age: 29

From: Liverpool

Instagram username: @thedannybeard

Danny Beard says: “I’m a Ru Girl! I can’t believe it! I love having a beard, mixing genders and putting them in the blender. My drag is about throwing the rulebook out the window.

“I work all around the country on the cabaret scene mixing club kid aesthetic with old school drag performance style. At my shows you get live vocals, interactive comedy and an hour’s worth of entertainment for a very reasonable fee! I like to belt out Adele and finish on a big Queen number. The thing that makes people want to come back to my shows is my singing. I love it and if anyone wants to book me…”

 

JONBERS BLONDE

Age: 33

From: Belfast

Instagram username: @jonbersblonde

Jonbers Blonde says: “In three words, I‘d describe my drag as high fashion pig. Oink oink! I put myself into the fashion category. Although, I’m more than that, I’m a performer too. I love to perform. I’ve been
around the world with Melanie C and I’ve danced as a backing performer for Years and Years and Jessie Ware. The list could go on!

“You’re going to see a lot of movement! It’s like coming to watch a crab perform. There’s a lot of moving back and forth. I‘m a storyteller too, so accompanied by my Irish flute, you‘ll get a great yarn with plenty of animal and Irish references!”

 

JUST MAY

Age: 32

From: Essex

Instagram username: @justmaydoes

Just May: “At a Just May show, you can expect an acoustic rendition of Wannabe by The Spice Girls, a bingo machine and a whale of a time babes ! You put me in front of people with a mic and I will talk the house down. The huns love me, they can’t get enough.

“I have been doing drag for longer than Series 3 winner, Krystal Versace’s life so that’s ooh… almost 10 years! I’m very well known as the go to drag host on the London circuit. It’s a dangerous job being a drag queen. You never know when you’re gonna trip over your own heels and end up face burst in a stranger’s lap. That can be pretty tricky.”

 

LE FIL

Age: 36

From: Yorkshire

Instagram username: @iamlefil

Le Fil says: “Le Fil is the intersection of art, fashion music and sculpture. I like the idea that I’m breaking genre, breaking gender and creating art. My background was in art and sculpture, and so I always aim to look like a walking piece of fine art!

“A typical Le Fil show is a full on epic pop performance meets fashion and art installation with my own songs, live vocals, my own band and backing dancers. I call my gigs ‘pop sculptures with extras”, because they’re music gigs entwined with stories, and performance art. I like to give my fans a pop extravaganza, where the sets are like sculptures, the costumes are like couture, and the show is like a piece of live art.”

 

PIXIE POLITE

Age: 29

From: Brighton

Instagram username: @pixiepolite

Pixie Polite says: “If you come to a Pixie Polite show, you’ll get some powerhouse vocals, all the camp tunes anyone could want for and a little bit comedy thrown in for good measure. Who doesn’t love a good time? I do.

“I chose the name Pixie because I’ve always loved Disney and Tinkerbell and I thought it was really funny that this large lady would be called Pixie!
I’ve always been a very polite young woman, and so Pixie Polite was born! Pixie Polite by name, And Pixie Polite by nature! But, drag gives you the licence to be naughty, so if these girls come for me I might get a bit rude!”

 

SMINTY DROP

Age: 23

From: Lancashire

Instagram username: @smintydrop

Sminty Drop says: “You are going to see stunning looks, you’ll see a gorgeous face and lots of hair. I love a good time and I know how to entertain a crowd!

“The name Sminty Drop comes from me being a on a night out and wanting to kiss some boys so I would always take some mints with me just in case! But, I’m also a very clumsy girl so I would always drop said mints on the floor so… Sminty Drop I became!”

 

STARLET

Age: 23

From: Surrey

Instagram username: @itsstarlet

Starlet says: “My look is about exuding the vintage beauty and glamour of the silver screen. I’m a beautiful young rising star of Hollywood and all eyes are on me. I’m a living walking vintage movie star!

“I’m quite an established looks queen, but I’m gently tippy toeing into the performance side of drag. If you came to one of my shows, you’d see the perfect woman on stage with loads of rhinestones, and a feather fan or two.”

 

RuPaul’s Drag Race UK series 4 starts on Thursday, 22 September on BBC Three and iPlayer.

For now, all episodes of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK are now streaming on BBC iPlayer.