RuPaul and BBC Three have Ru-vealed the next set of fabulous drag queens making their series three debut as RuPaul’s Drag Race UK returns to BBC iPlayer this September.

Global drag icon, and judge supremo, RuPaul presides as twelve of the nation’s most fabulous queens compete over ten weeks to be crowned the UK’s Next Drag Race Superstar.

Series one and two of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK have been streamed over 35 million times on BBC iPlayer, firmly establishing the title as a much loved, highly lauded, competitive reality smash hit for BBC Three.

Each week, the queens face challenges that test their drag race prowess to the max. hoping 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.

Queen of queens, Mama Ru has the ultimate say on who shantays or sashays, but each week, Ru is joined on the judging panel by Michelle Visage, an extra special celebrity guest judge and, on a rotational basis, Graham Norton and Alan Carr.

VICTORIA SCONE 27, Cardiff 

Preferred pronouns: In drag: She/her Out of drag: She/her 

Tell us about yourself… My name is Victoria Scone and I am a camp, Cardiff, cabaret, disco diva, with a lot of spunk… 

How long have you lived in Cardiff? I am a Pompey girl originally but I moved to Cardiff, which was where I fully established my drag career. So Victoria is very much a Cardiff girl. 

How long have you been doing drag? About three years… It feels like so much longer! 

What’s a typical Victoria Scone show like? If you come to a Victoria Scone show, you’re going to get all of the divas. A bit of Barbara, a bit of Donna Summer. My drag is high campery, utter nonsense. I am not portraying a real woman. Victoria is a caricature of a woman! 

Who or what inspires you? I am very much inspired by traditional drag, pantomime, and the older Welsh queens. People like Ceri Dupree have really inspired me. I like to mix my traditional drag with fashion and blur the lines of panto, fashion and costume. 

How does it feel to be the first cis-female on the show? It feels right! I definitely didn’t invent the art of drag for women. I am not the first and I certainly won’t be the last. But I feel very capable and proud to have made it through the application process and be the first on Drag Race UK. 

Me being here is political but you can just have fun with it. That’s why I started. I just wanted to entertain people and that’s what we’re going to do! Drag can just be fun! 

Would you call yourself an AFAB Queen? I would call myself a Drag Queen, Drag Artist, Extraordinaire. 

I understand it’s helpful to use AFAB, which stands for Assigned Female At Birth, when we are specifically speaking about the fact that I do not own certain cis-male drag queen genitalia. But we don’t describe cis-male Drag Queens as AMAB Queens, so as a handy tip, I’d just call us all Drag Queens or Drag Artists, and if you must know, I identify as a Tony Award!

What are your strengths? I sing, I dance. I’m quick witted and I’m creative. I’m everything a Drag Queen should be. I embody a lot of traditional British drag. I am the whole entertainment package. I have been performing since I was a child. I was thrust into dance school from the age of three by my mother. She was a ballerina and was on The Benny Hill Show. It wasn’t easy at first, but fell in love with entertainment, it was a kind of Stockholm Syndrome for me. I fell in love with my oppressor. That is theatre for me. I live and breathe it. I need to do it to survive. 

What is the drag scene like in Cardiff? It’s quite traditional, but I’m very proud to have been welcomed in and to have broadened the diversity of the Cardiff scene. The older Drag Queens took me under their wing, showed me the way and made me who I am today. You might think that the older scene might turn me away or be sniffy about my drag, but I have turned them! Once they actually see me perform, they realise that we’re all doing the same thing. We’re all dressing up, we’re all putting on a show. I’m putting on a character, the same as a cis-male Drag Queen. We are ALL putting on a character to entertain! 

Why drag? I think I have always been a Drag Queen, but I just hadn’t found the right outlet. 

Drag was a natural progression for me. The theatre introduced me to pantomime, which is such a big part of British culture. I’ve been in pantomimes from a very young age – that was where I first fell in love with drag. I didn’t look up to Cinderella, I looked up to Widow Twankey. That was my goal: to be Widow Twankey. 

I love what drag allows me to do. I feel like I can get away with absolutely anything when I’m Victoria. I love drag. I love the entertainment side of it; the escapism, the nightlife, the family. I love that it is a safe queer space. 

Why should you win RuPaul’s Drag Race UK? I should win RuPaul’s Drag Race UK because it’s so important, not just for me, but for marginalised minority groups in the queer scene to see themselves reflected on TV. We can absolutely have a seat at this table. I didn’t build the table (despite being very butch and very good at DIY) but I deserve a space at it. Everyone deserves a space. I wanted to do Drag Race to prove that I can win it. I’m not a fragile, little flower darling. I can have them all for supper! 

VERONICA GREEN 35, Rochdale, Lancashire 

Preferred pronouns: In drag: She/her Out of drag: He/him 

Welcome back! Introduce yourself… Hiya! Remember me?! I guess it’s time to reintroduce myself…. Ru-introduce myself?! Everybody deserves a second chance. 

You may recognise me from season two, but if you don’t – where have you been?! I was flying high, and really enjoying competing in series 2, but the pandemic interrupted filming, and unfortunately, I tested positive for COVID just as filming resumed, so I couldn’t return. It was a big blow, BUT thankfully I received an open invitation from Mama Ru to come back for series 3 – and I wasn’t gonna turn that down! 

How was season two for you? I always knew that season two was going to be THE season. It was just legendary. We gagged the world and gave them all rat bite fever and a lift in a really difficult time. Winning a badge for Rats The Rusical was definitely a highlight for me. And thankfully, after ten days isolation, my rat bite fever subsided!! 

Have you had any famous faces reach out since series two? it’s been mad! I’ve been overwhelmed by the love and support. l I’ve done a song with Myleene Klass on the piano and she’s going to collaborate on my second song. I also got a DM from Ariana Grande’s brother! And Boy George, my Drag Race UK gay idol – who I paid homage to in one of my runway looks – invited me to be in his music video! It’s been a blast. 

Talk us through your series three Meet The Queens outfit… This outfit is a very sentimental piece to me, is a family heirloom. This is my sister’s sweet 16 prom dress. I love my sister – I stole her name, so I might as well steal her clothes too. And it was made by my mum. 

My sister, Veronica, is the inspiration for me and my outfits, and she’s had to fend off all of her work colleagues, asking for my autograph and video messages. Veronica’s had a bit of second-hand fame too, which she loves. My whole family has been so supportive, I couldn’t ask for more of them. 6 

How does it feel to be back? I’m hoping that as I’m not a newbie, the second time around will give me an advantage. I’m having the time of my life all over again. I love it! 

Are you nervous about facing new queens? I’m always nervous. I’m excited, but it’s a brand new batch of Queens and you don’t know who’s going to walk through that door and what skills people have. What was great on season two was that I was one of a kind. And I’m hoping to continue that, so that I can stand out. 

What are you most looking forward to? Winning! Haha! I’m looking forward to getting back on track and getting back into the competition. Being taken out of season two was devastating, I was having so much fun! 

What are your strengths? I’ve been working on my comedy. I’ve been working on my improv. I will not be taken by surprise by an improv challenge again! I am multi-talented, it’s just a case of getting it right on the day. There’s lots of things I can do. I hesitate to use the phrase, Jack and Jill of all trades, master of none. Because I trained to be on this show. I knew was going to come, so I learned to sew for the show. And so putting those skills to the test in situ is exciting but terrifying at the same time. 

Why should you win this time around? Am I going to win?! Does the pope shit in the woods?! I was SUPPOSED to win Drag Race UK season two. And if you don’t crown me this time Ru, I’m going to come back again. Another variant of Veronica Green… I’m not joking. Just keep bringing me back. 

I’ve proved that I’m a heavy weight contender. The judges described me as a triple threat on series 2, and I’ve already won a badge! I’ve kept it in a box on my window sill at home so that I wake up to it every morning!

VANITY MILAN 29, South London 

Preferred pronouns: In drag: She/her Out of drag: He/him 

Tell us about Vanity? I’m sophisticated, sexy and savage. I’m not a diva. I’m not a hun. I’m serving unapologetic blackness. Vanity is REAL. I am REAL. I grew up in Mitcham, South London where it’s very REAL. I’ve lived in London 29 years, born and bred – South ‘til the death! And my drag is very South London. 

The recipe to be Vanity Milan is sugar, spice and everything nice. She is just a humble, performing Drag Queen serving high octane performances with extra spicy flavour. Vanity loves the art of drag and everybody that loves it. That’s Vanity Milan! 

How long have you been doing drag? I have been doing drag for a year – but I have gone from 0 to 100 real quick. Like, really quick! In 2019 I took part in a competition called The Crown – it was actually hosted by Kitty Scott-Claus! Every week we had to compete and someone would be sent home. But I won! So I’m used to a bit of competition. But also it was such a good way to meet new friends! Especially because it was the first time I was doing drag in London. 

Are you competitive? I am competitive. I believe if you put your mind to it, and you put the blood, sweat and tears, and, and the hard work and dedication behind it, you can be somebody! But that doesn’t mean you have to take other people down to get there. 

What inspired your drag name? Me! I inspired my drag name! From a very young age my mum would always catch me looking in the mirror. One day, she said to me, ‘look, you’re always stuck in the mirror’ you might as well just call yourself ”Vanity” ! ‘. That has always stuck with me, and then later I added “Milan” because I always serve fashion! 

What are your strengths and weaknesses? With a strong performing arts background, I’m very versatile! I don’t want to class myself as a queen that fits into just one category because my drag career is ever-evolving. I’m always learning, and I can serve looks, do comedy, sing and dance. I dance like no-one else. I give it spice, with me you’re going to catch some twerking, hair flips, splits, dips, kicks, dips, trips. I just go, go, go! Oooh girl, we’re gonna have a good ol’ time!

I never stop, even when I moved to my husband’s home country Estonia for a while, I continued to dance – I taught dance classes and choreography for Estonian celebrities. In fact, as I’ve worked on cruise ships, I’ve performed all over. 

Why should you be the UK’s Next Drag Race Superstar? I’m nice and I’m real. I always work hard. If I fail, I try and try again, and if I put my mind to it, I can do anything. I’ve worked really hard to be here, and my eye is on the prize …. 

SCARLETT HARLETT 26, East London 

Preferred pronouns: In drag: She/her Out of drag: He/him 

Tell us about Scarlett? Scarlett is a beautiful woman, with movie star looks. She’s a glamorous diva and when she talks she’s a proper mouthy, cheeky cockney. She’s like Danny Dyer in drag! 

I’m really proud of my roots and I embrace my working class and cockney heritage in my drag. I was born and raised in East London, I am EastEnders personified! I’m real, I’m the best thing to come out the Isle of Dogs since… Henry VIII! 

I don’t think there’s been anyone like me before, East London queens have been on the show before, but not like this. I’m the real thing! 

How long have you been doing drag? I’ve been doing drag for eight years!! 

Who or what inspires you? All women! I’m influenced by funny, powerful women. I know I’m only 26, but inside, I’m an old codger! I love the old school divas – Joan Rivers, Barbara Streisand and Shirley Bassey are just a few of my inspirations and I love British, female comedy. Of course, I absolutely love Catherine Tate! I absolutely loved her when I was a kid. I loved her characters and humour, and I strive to capture East End humour in my drag 

What are your strengths or fears? I’ve got a lot of Film and TV work experience, so I think I’m going to kill an acting challenge. I’m not one to brag, but I’ve been an extra in films like Rocketman, the Absolutely Fabulous film and I’ve made a fool out of myself on a couple of TV shows too. I was on the “Impossible Gameshow” I had to crawl in mud and jump over all sorts in full drag! 

However, I can’t dance to save my life. When I dance I’m like Bambi on ice and I’m not a fashion queen. I have absolutely no style, but that’s okay, because that’s not why I do drag. 

I love making people laugh, and being silly, but I’m very loud and I don’t take things too seriously so I wonder how people are going to take it… 

Why should you be the UK’s Next Drag Race Superstar? Representation really does matter to me. I have come from nothing. I grew up on a council estate and I feel so proud to have landed myself in one of the biggest shows in the UK right now. I want people to know you can make a banquet out of scraps. I am doing this for the Isle of Dogs!

RIVER MEDWAY 22, Kent 

Preferred pronouns: In drag: She/her Out of drag: He/him 

Tell us about yourself… Hello sweeties! My name is River Medway. My drag is camp, feel good and shallow. It’s not that deep! Don’t take it too seriously babe. 

I am 50% white British, 50% Singaporean and 100% a cross dresser. 

Where are you from? I’m from Medway in Kent. This is not what you’d see normally walking down the street in Medway. But – it’s home! I love it. 

Because there’s so little drag in Kent, there’s no specific style. And because of that it’s allowed me to do what I want. And here I am – a beautiful butterfly! 

What’s a River Medway show like? I love to sing live and I love musical theatre. Some people do drag to be looked at, like a model. That’s fine, but for me, I want to have a connection with an audience member. I want them to get to know me and I want to get to know them, because that is when people really fall in love with you and for me that’s the best part. 

How long have you been doing drag for now? I’ve been getting into drag since I was about 15. Then when I turned 18 I started going to clubs and parties in drag just for fun. I loved it, so as a trained performer, I decided to do drag professionally. I’m 23 now, and I’ve been doing drag properly and gigging for just over two years. 

Who or what inspires your drag? I love Hannah Montana.. I’ve always been obsessed with her and now when I think about it I loved the transformation. By day, she was a schoolgirl, living a completely normal life, and then by night she’s a popstar, with wigs, make up and outfits. That’s drag ! And that’s how I feel in drag. 

My mum and my sister were also my inspirations. Growing up with them, they were such glam divas! My mum never left the house without a full face of makeup. Me too! I definitely get that from my mum 

What are your biggest strengths? I grew up doing youth theatre, training for three years at performing arts college doing musical theatre. I graduated in 2019. I love singing. I love dancing, and I’m creative – I love styling wigs. 

I’ve never worn a wig styled by someone else. I can’t bear a dirty wig – it makes me really angry! When I was about 15 years old I learned how to knot a wig. I just love it. 

What are you looking forward to in the show?

I’d love to do a Rusical! That’s really my thing. I’m really competitive – I am in it to win it. I want to strut on that runway and show everyone what I can do. 

What does it mean to you to be on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK? The idea that young queer people might be watching this show and I want them to look at me and know they can do this. I needed that when I was growing up. As much as I want to win – knowing that alone is the best gift.

KRYSTAL VERSACE 19, Kent 

Preferred pronouns: In drag: She/her Out of drag: He/him 

Tell us about Krystal? Oh, she’s a sex goddess. She is the supreme. She is a god. It’s the legs, the body, the hips, the waist. High, feminine glam. Super fierce. She is just the ultimate moment. 

How long have you been doing drag? I’ve been doing drag professionally for almost two years since I was 17. I started dabbling with makeup when I was about 13. It was all trial and error really. At the time, boys wearing make-up was becoming a big thing. I practiced so much, and perfected my art, and drag just felt like the natural next step. My first time in drag was so overwhelming because it was the first time I’d been around other queens, but I just felt like I’d fallen into something so magical. I knew that I needed to keep doing drag for the rest of my life! 

What is a Krystal drag show like? My drag sisters call me the flying squirrel on stage. I’m literally chaos, play the track and I’m darting about, high kicks, flips, cartwheels. Everything! I am a blur! I may only be 19, but I’m an unexpected surprise. My drag is refined and polished. I’m the full package. 

Why did you want to take part in the show? I’ve been watching Drag Race since I was little. I’ve always been inspired by it. It was so different from anything that was on TV. What are your strengths? I’m a perfectionist. I’m never fully satisfied, It sounds bad but it’s worked in my favour, and I’d probably say my greatest strength is my motivation – I always keep going. 

Why should you be the UK’s Next Drag Race Superstar? I’m different. I’m refreshing. I bring a new fire to drag !

KITTY SCOTT-CLAUS 29, Birmingham 

PRONOUNS: In drag: She/her Out of drag: He/him 

So who is Kitty Scott-Claus? Kitty is all singing, all dancing. She’s the life and soul of any party and always very funny! I know every queen says that, but there ain’t no party if Kitty’s not there darlin’. Come and have a camp old time with me! 

How was Kitty Scott-Claus born? Well, when a man loves a woman very, very much…. 

Haha! No I came from a normal family in Birmingham. No one in my family are performers. They all went to uni and did serious subjects like engineering, accounting. I went to Drama School to do Musical Theatre, but I never wanted to do the boy parts. The boy parts are so boring! They’ve got boring costumes. Boring songs! I wanted to be sassy. I wanted to be Elle Woods in Legally Blonde. I wanted to be Roxy Hart in Chicago. I wanted to be Glinda in Wicked. The busty blondes! So when I graduated I started to do Pantomimes all around the country. I loved it. I liked to do the makeup and I liked the big costumes. I wanted to do it all year round. So when my best mate asked me to join their drag group with Cheryl Hole, I thought why not. That first gig was a hot mess. I looked an absolute mess, but I literally thought I was God’s gift, but now here we are four years later and I’m on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK! 

What is a Kitty show like? When people come to a Kitty Scott-Claus show, you can expect to have the best night of your life. It’s like the BEST hen do – and everybody’s the bride! It’s everybody’s birthday! It’s everybody’s special day! You’ll have a busty blonde bubbly night and it will be fabulous… filled with all the prosexy in the world! It will be fabulous. 

How did you come up with your drag name? Originally I was going to be Madonna Kebab, then I thought about Chelsea Bun, or Burger Queen, but nothing landed. But one day it just hit me. I have a large array of funny catch phrases and funny voices – and I realised that whenever someone was being a bit catty, I always used to say ‘ooh saucer of milk…. This kitty’s got claws!” And so that’s how Kitty Scott-Claus was born!

What would you say are your biggest strengths and weaknesses? My strength is my personality! I’m funny! I can dance! I can sing! I’m musical theatre trained! And I’ve got a cracking rack! 

I’d say sewing is my weakness. I can get by but I’m not the kind of gal who can construct a couture garment from scratch. And if they make me do a make-over I’m out. I can do my own face but not other people! I tried to do it on my friend and it was horrendous. But this is the Olympics of Drag. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I don’t want to waste a single second feeling nervous. I’m going to give it everything. 

Why should you be the UK’s Next Drag Race Superstar? I am the future of British drag. I am silly and camp and have everything that old school drag was, but I have the modern edge. I’m the whole package.

ELLA VADAY 32, Dagenham, Essex 

Preferred pronouns: In drag: She/her Out of drag: He/him 

Tell us about Ella Vaday? I’m the drag Beast from the East. I’m like a desperate housewife of Dagenham. A yummy mummy – a bit garish, a bit classy, a bit Essex-y. I’m very sarcastic and dry 

Where does your name come from? When I was working in the West End, I also ran my own dog walking business, so I’d be running around all day, and then when I’d go to work I would say, ‘it’s been a hell of a day!” It’s very me – very British and a little bit moany. I used to call myself Ella Vanass, but everyone thought I was saying Elephant Ass, so I scrapped that! 

What’s an Ella Vaday drag show like? I do all sorts! Lots of singing and dancing, and I love being cheeky, taking the mick, and being a bit sarky! 

How long have you been doing drag? I’ve done theatre and dancing my whole life, but Ella has only been part of my life for just over two years. When I first started drag I did it in complete secrecy. I didn’t tell my friends. I started my Instagram account hoping to find a following of people who didn’t know me, but just appreciated me as a drag artist. I’ve quickly built up a following, and my drag really took off during the lockdown last year, when I went from around 6,000 followers to 30k. 

Who or what inspires you? I like to be larger than life. My drag is the feminine side of me, which as a male actor I’ve never been allowed to show, so it’s two fingers up to everyone who has ever told me I must look like a leading man. Now, I am both the lead man and the lead woman! What are your strengths? As a trained actor and dancer, with a long West End career behind me, I am a very experienced performer. I trained at Bird College and left in 2008. My first job was backing dancing on X Factor for Eoghan Quigg and I also did backing dancing for Olly Murs on X Factor too. I’ve been Peter Pan in Panto, I’ve done the White Christmas musical tour, I’ve done FAME the musical in Monte Carlo, a production of CATS in Cyprus, I was understudy in Wicked in the West End. I covered nine people! So I had to learn and perform nine different roles. There was one show that I sang every single male line in the opening of Wicked. Everyone was off! I was running around like a blue-arsed fly. I’ve also done the Book Of Mormon in the West End and Joseph and The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. I started rehearsals for Hairspray in the West End last year, but then COVID hit and we stopped. And now I’m here!I don’t think anyone has come from a great career and then switched to drag at the age of 30, so I am looking forward to the singing challenges and dancing challenges, where I know I can excel. I always sing live too! 

Why should you be the UK’s Next Drag Race Superstar? I’m bringing all the skills that I’ve gained for the last 14 years. This competition is testing everything I’ve ever learned. In the short time that I’ve been doing drag, I’ve really pushed myself. I don’t do things by halves.

ELEKTRA FENCE 29, Burnley, Lancashire 

Preferred pronouns: In drag: She/her Out of drag: He/him 

Tell us about Elektra! Elektra is death defying, electrifying and just up for a good time! I love to shock people with my killer dance moves . I’m playful. I’m fun. I’m ready. I’m the Pocket Rocket of drag. 

Where does your name come from? I called myself Elektra Fence because I’m full of energy and millions of people have seen me be stupid, when a film of me went viral. A friend filmed me as I accidentally electrocuted myself on an electric fence. I thought it wasn’t working ! I don’t recommend it, as it blew me off my feet and it really, really hurt! 

How long have you been doing drag? I’ve been doing drag since 2014, excluding a three year hiatus working as a dancer. 

How would you describe your drag look? Elektra’s look is camp meets glam with a bit of low-fashion thrown in for good measure. Think Pamela Anderson on the school run! 

Who or what inspires your drag? I am inspired by northern warrior-women like Bet Lynch and Jane McDonald – hence my obsession with leopard print! But also by strong, glamorous ladies, like Miley Cyrus, Kris Jenner and Madonna! 

Why drag? I’m very confident as a boy, but when I put Elektra on, I feel so amazing. Like I am myself, but an extra 2,000 per cent! I love to make people laugh and have a good time with them. My happy place is at a live show, entertaining people 

What can we expect from an Elektra Fence drag show? My drag is electrifying! An Elektra Fence night is glitter, glamour, disco and dramatic! 

I love hosting drag brunches, and when you come to one of my brunches, you don’t forget it because you’ll have seen me drop from the sky down into the splits, bounced into a headstand, span around, leapt on to the bar, and leapt of it in to the splits. Done! 

What are your strengths? I’m a trained dancer. I was trained in ballet, freestyle, disco, ballroom, Latin and I can pole dance too! I’ve been performing since I was young, and my biggest career highlight was doing panto with Darren Day. He’s a lovely man!  

I’m also fearless. I’ve been through stuff in my life. So nothing scares me. I’m not afraid of anything. 

Why should you be the UK’s Next Drag Race Superstar? I should be the UK’s Next Drag Race Superstar because I don’t just want to be the best, I want to inspire others to be their best. Pass me the crown, Mama Ru. I feel like this is my time.

Charity Kase 24, Lancashire 

Preferred pronouns: In drag: She/her Out of drag: He/him 

Tell us about your Drag… I’ve got a reputation for really outlandish crazy looks. I like to play on the darkness in beauty, break beauty stereotypes and create a fantasy from another dimension. My name comes from my ability to craft stuff on a very low budget and transform the grotesque to glamorous and maybe be both at the same time! 

Charity Kase is my way of expressing my inner emotions and escaping from the mundane, boring, bland grey world that we live in. I try to transport people from reality into a world where the impossible is made possible, with makeup, crystals, and a hell of a lot of hot glue. 

What can we expect from a Charity Kase show? My drag is not entry level. At a Charity Kase show, you can expect shock, horror, gore, glamour and maybe a little bit of vomit!! You have never seen anything like me, here before. 

I’m an East London queen now, but Manchester is where I’m from originally and where I first started out in drag, so I think that my drag is the perfect blend of a creative, alternative mashup of the Manchester and London drag scenes. 

How long have you been doing drag? I began doing drag for five years. A few years ago, I gave myself a “365 days of drag” challenge, which really kick started my drag career. It was my way of developing my make-up skills and trying to get as good as possible. By the end of it, I was getting bookings all over the world so I carried on and here we are today! 

I’ve performed in Tokyo, New York, Boston, Paris, Amsterdam, Milan and Bologna and most of Europe! I just love what I do and I wouldn’t wish to spend my time doing anything else. It’s my life. 

What inspires your drag? I’m a massive fantasy sci-fi nerd and for anything based outside of this reality, I’m there. Get me a ticket and I will be on that train or flight… or rocket ship! I am hoping to inspire a whole new generation of fantastical mythical creatures to take to the drag stages all over the country. 

What challenges are you looking forward to? I’m really looking forward to a sewing challenge because I’m very crafty! I feel like my taste level is on a different planet to everyone else’s, but I’m happy about that. I’m also really looking forward to any sort of acting challenge. I love doing accents, voices and creatures, so I think I’ll thrive on anything that’s creative and character based. 

Why should you be the Next UK Drag Superstar? Welcome to alternative drag ! I am pushing the boundaries drag and I’m opening people’s eyes up to a whole new art form of transformation. I am scary, hairy and a total fairy!

CHORIZA MAY 30, Newcastle 

Preferred pronouns: In drag: She/her Out of drag: He/him 

Tell us about Choriza… Hola, I’m Choriza May ! I’m Spanish living in Newcastle, and so I am Newcastle’s spiciest, meatiest and silliest sausage. 

As an immigrant queen, I’m someone with a slightly different background to the other queens in the competition, but my drag was born in the UK. There are millions of European immigrants in the UK, and I’m so happy to be representing them as drag queen of the immigrants! 

What would we see in a typical Choriza May show? I want to take you through a journey! I am a storyteller so I use puppets, live singing, a bit of dancing, projection, spoken word, lip-syncing and I mix all of those together to tell my funny, silly stories. 

Do you like the UK? To be honest, I was expecting the UK people to be very serious, but I love Newcastle and the North. Everyone is so nice. I just felt at home. 

You’re originally from Spain and now live in Newcastle – are there any similarities between Newcastle and Valencia…? Apart from the weather, Valencia and Newcastle have a lot in common. In Spain people are tanned and in Newcastle everyone is tanned too! Ok, it’s fake, but it kind of feels the same ! 

What inspired you to be a Drag Queen? There were so many artistic things that, as a boy, I didn’t dare to do, but then I realised I didn’t have to fit a standard. I was going to do what I wanted to do – and drag would be my tool. 

What are your strengths? Well, I think I’m a funny queen. I love making people laugh. Also, I’m very emotional, and I love connecting with the people through my art. I’m also a graphic designer and illustrator so I’m very creative. In fact, as a fan of Drag Race, I’ve created lots of fan art, and now it’s hard to believe I’m on the show! It’s just wonderful! 

Why do you deserve to become the UK’s Next Drag Race Superstar? I’m passionate and unique, and I bring a bit of fresh air to the competition.

ANUBIS 19, Brighton 

Preferred pronouns: In drag: She/her Out of drag: He/him 

Tell us about your drag… My drag is campy and wacky. It’s silly and rather fun. 

What would you say is a typical Anubis show? From an Anubis show, you can expect lots of chaos! I might do some gymnastics, live vocals, lots of jazz and musical theatre. It’s a camp old time, truly. 

Where are you from? So, I grew up in East Sussex. I kind of jumped around a lot, and I’ve lived in a lot of different towns including Eastbourne and Seaford, but I love the creativity and freedom of Brighton, where I live now I’ve been here a few years now, and I love it as I’m not afraid to be who I am here. I feel free. Where does your drag name come from? I chose the name Anubis because I wanted something that referenced my Egyptian heritage. My dad was Egyptian and when he passed away about three years ago, I wanted a name that paid homage to him – Anubis is the Egyptian god of the afterlife. It’s my tribute to him. 

How long have you been doing drag for? I’ve only been Anubis for the past two and a half years, but as I’ve been performing from an early age, I feel like I’ve been doing drag my whole life. 

What is your greatest strength? I’d say my greatest strength is my voice. I have a four octave range and I know how to hold a room and perform. That’s always been something I’ve loved. I’ve been a singer since I was thirteen and I’ve done a lot of backing vocals for big stars. As a backing singer, I was never really in the spotlight until I fully started drag, but now here I am! 

What inspired you to become a Drag Queen? To be on stage twiddling my hair has been my goal since I was about three years old! I’ve always loved theatre, music, fashion, wigs, singing, dancing, and comedy and as drag was the only real career that incorporated all of my different passions, it had to be drag! 

My mum and my nan are the big inspirations for me. A lot of my drag persona is based on my grandma, she’s an absolute legend. She’s really wacky with a really kind heart. She raised me, and so she is partly responsible for the craziness that is me, Anubis. What does it mean for you to be part of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK? It is monumental. It’s allowed me to fulfil a dream that I’ve had since I was 11 from when I first watched the US show and looked up to amazing Drag Race queens such as Sasha Velour and Bob The Drag Queen. I can’t believe that I am now one of the family! That is genuinely mind blowing for me. I hope that I can resonate with someone too, and be someone’s Sasha Velour or Bob The Drag Queen. Why should you be the UK’s Next Drag Race Superstar? Well, not to brag or anything, but I do have quite a wide skill set. I’ve got the vocals, I got the dance moves, I got the comedy… so I really think I’m a bit of a threat! 

RuPaul’s Drag Race UK is an 10×60′ World of Wonder production for BBC Three. It was commissioned by Fiona Campbell, Controller BBC Three and Kate Phillips, Controller, BBC Entertainment. The Executive Producers are RuPaul Charles, Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato, Tom Campbell, Bruce McCoy and Sally Sanders, and the BBC Commissioning Editor is Ruby Kuraishe.