The third series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK airs tonight and for the first time in the history of the franchise, a Drag Queen is competing who is also a cisgender woman – someone who identifies as the sex they were assigned at birth. 

Trans women and non-binary people have competed on the show before, but Victoria Scone’s presence is a significant first for a show that has often been criticised for its narrow definition of drag.

However, it is important to me to emphasise that Victoria Scone is not just a ‘cis woman drag queen’, she’s a Drag Queen – and an excellent one at that. She’s an ambassador for an ‘old-school’, British style of drag performance: camp looks, great stage presence, witty banter, and amazing live vocals.

I have no doubt she will excel on the show amongst a fantastic lineup of Queens, and will do incredible things with the platform it gives her.

To see someone like Victoria Scone appearing on the show means a lot to me as I am also a cis woman and a professional Drag Queen. My stage name is Lilly SnatchDragon and I’ve been performing for more than a decade across the UK and internationally. 

The first time I did drag, I wore my sister’s traditional Lao wedding outfit, which had been given a drag make over. I wanted to explore stereotypes of Southeast Asian women, something that had negatively affected me my whole life. I felt glamorous, and both strange and empowered to be wearing a traditional garment in such a non traditional way.

I was just supposed to sell raffle tickets for a drag show but my drag mum, Miss Cairo, was gogo dancing and invited me to join her on stage. After one song, she whispered, ‘I’ll be right back, don’t f**k it up’. With an audience staring at me expectantly, I had to perform – I had no choice. I went for it, and the crowd started cheering. I felt completely liberated and instantly fell in love with the artform.

Drag was a whole new world to me, and I didn’t think someone like me was allowed to take part. But I quickly learned that there are no limitations on what form it can take. 

I had trained at theatre school but after graduating, I found it extremely difficult to find my place in the acting world as a queer, curvy, Asian woman. Finding drag and burlesque stopped me from giving up on my dreams of being a performer and once I started, I never looked back.

That said, as much as I love drag and I’m proud of the things I have achieved, I have always struggled to gain the same level of recognition and respect as my cis male and amab (assigned male at birth) peers – so I am happy to see afab (assigned female at birth) queens being represented on drag’s largest platform.

When I first started to become involved in drag, it was with the legendary Family Fierce in London. I moved into a house share with two performers in the family before I really knew what drag was. They took me under their wing, introduced me to drag shows, taught me how to do makeup and eventually I began to perform with them. We were very well known within the drag scene and were the subject of a documentary called Drag Queens of London.

At that time, there were two other female drag queens (Lolo Brow and Scarlett O’Hora) among nine performers in the family, and we all performed together on an equal basis. It didn’t occur to me that this was unusual and, although I would occasionally be told I wasn’t a ‘real Drag Queen’ by gay men in the audience. Once, I was even booed off stage. It made me question myself, and sometimes compounded the exclusion I already felt as an Asian woman in queer spaces, but I always had the support of the family and the majority of audiences.

Incidents like these rarely happen to me now, partly because I have proven myself within the drag scene, but also because attitudes have improved towards ‘alternative’ kinds of drag.

Yes, most Drag Queens were and still are male – but so are CEOs, and in much the same way this statistic is most often a reflection of opportunity and not necessarily talent.

In the early days of Drag Race in the US, I performed with Ru-queens on a regular basis at a show called the Meth Lab in London, run by Me, the Drag Queen. Nobody freaked out or demanded refunds because there were cis women drag queens in the show. 

Drag Race and diverse forms of drag have never been incompatible, the show has just never chosen to showcase this until now.

While Victoria’s presence is a definite step-forward for Drag Race, the franchise is still several steps behind when it comes to representing the true range of drag that exists.

Drag Kings (like my fiancé mark Anthony, pictured above) for example, are a huge and important part of the drag community but have had no representation on the show. The casting for this season has also been heavily criticised as being extremely lacking in racial diversity, with just three queens of colour competing (River Medway, Vanity Milan and Anubis).

While Drag Race has had a significant impact on the popularity (and commercial value) of certain kinds of drag, it is by no means a true reflection of the dynamic, diverse and radical community that I am proud to be part of.

For the kinds of Kings, Queens and in-betweens who do not find themselves represented on the show, there is a real fear that its rise to the mainstream will have a negative and restrictive impact on their opportunities.

Many have had to fight hard to be included and already I have witnessed a regression as a result of the show, with venues wanting to feed public appetite for ‘Ru-girls’ and as a result, only booking those who look and perform in similar styles.

Drag is fundamentally a live artform and, in my opinion, best appreciated by being at a show and experiencing the community and atmosphere that go hand in hand with the glitz and glamour on-stage.

Although live shows are sometimes not accessible to all, I always urge fans of Drag Race to take their enthusiasm to the shows and performers in their local area if they can.

It’s about time for the under-represented to have a chance in the spotlight: Kings, afab Queens, non-binary and trans performers, performers of colour and disabled performers of all ages – drag celebrates all identities. 

As a queer Asian woman, drag gave me community, self-love and a voice, and I want others to experience that same joy.

Female and afab drag has always been there, and now we’re finally getting a seat at the table, you’d better watch out, because we’re ready to show you how it’s done.

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing James.Besanvalle@metro.co.uk. 

Share your views in the comments below.

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Those were the words I uttered as I strutted into the Werk Room for RuPaul’s Drag Race UK’s third season. 

I chose this as my entry line in episode one because I wanted my first words in the show to make a big statement about who I am and what I believe in, but also because I knew I’d get hateful comments about not being from the UK so I wanted to own it.

Sure enough – as a drag queen with a mix of both Spanish and Geordie influences – from the moment I was first announced as part of the cast back in August, people complained that I ‘do not represent Newcastle drag’ or that I ‘should be on Drag Race España, not UK’.

It saddens me to see people genuinely believing in these words but thankfully, my drag scene had my back, with the queens and kings coming out in support. And despite some of these ignorant comments, my entrance line has become a meme!

I’m so proud of everything I’ve done and how far I’ve come. 

I grew up in Guadassuar – a little Valencian town with less than 6,000 residents – and when I think about my childhood, I have mixed feelings. I do love my hometown, but I had to do a massive exercise of forgiveness in order for me to be at peace with all the homophobia that I suffered while I lived there.

I felt trapped for so many years and I was surrounded by people who told me everything about me was wrong – I was too camp, too flamboyant, too loud and I was ‘el maricón del poble’, which translates to ‘the town’s f****t’.

People tried to shame me and my family for that, and that was probably the worst part.

I tried to keep all the bullying a secret because I didn’t want my mother and father to be worried and ashamed, but it got to a point that the teenagers were calling me names when I was out with my parents and younger brother.

It got so bad that I made it my mission to get out of there. For that to happen, I had to become an exceptional student (which I really wasn’t at the time) so I could get a scholarship for university because there was no way my family could afford that big expense.

Year after year from high school until my last year of university – so around seven years – I got scholarships… And every time I did, I proved to myself, my family and everyone around me that I was worthy of greatness.

I went to uni in Castellón – a big city – to study advertising and public relations and that’s where I started exploring my queerness and became a proud gay man. I’m not going to lie, but the humanities faculty is probably one of the gayest places in Castellón.

I met a lot of guys, had a lot of sex and learned that I wasn’t alone. Even if it was a gay friend, sex partner, boyfriend or teacher, there were a lot of us, it felt like I had finally found my home. 

But soon, even this felt too small. Before I graduated and jumped into the adult world, I decided to apply for another scholarship – this time to go abroad and learn English. I also got that one. This was terrifying as I had never been to the UK! And that was my first time coming to Newcastle nine years ago.

Needless to say, I fell in love with the city and its people. The art galleries, old cinemas and a friendliness in people that reminded me of Valencia were what hooked me! Especially one handsome British man, who I have now been dating for eight years and is the reason I moved to the UK permanently.

It was after a few years of living in the UK that I started doing drag. Although I loved this country, at first I struggled to find my tribe. But when I saw the queens and kings from the drag scene, I knew instantly they were my people.

I had never been to a drag show in Spain, which now thinking about it is quite weird… My first time doing drag as Choriza May, I dressed up as Cruella de Vile for POKE – a queer night in Newcastle. It was Halloween so it didn’t feel as serious, but God I felt beautiful! It was addictive! 

It was feeling that sense of belonging to a queer community, as well as a mix of frustration, anger and desperation towards the current political scenario at the time that made me create Choriza May – a Spanish/Geordie drag queen.

Since then, every time I have been in the public eye in drag, I have received xenophobic comments. For example, when I was part of some online interviews for ITV news or when I appeared in Inside Out for the BBC. Or every single interview or article about me in Newcastle’s, The Chronicle.

It’s the price you pay for being part of a minority and also being outspoken about the issues that make us feel like second class citizens.

It is very unfair.

Minorities have to work twice as hard to get what everyone else has and it’s this hard work over the years that has earned me a spot on Drag Race. So for some people to question RuPaul’s decision to have me on the show, it’s really hurtful.

In all honesty, this just makes me realise how important it is that finally an EU citizen has made it onto such a big platform.

There are around 3.5million in the UK – we are teachers, lawyers, doctors, bartenders, au pairs… and also drag queens. We’re hard workers and we’ve left our friends and families behind to chase our dreams – mine just came true in a country I adore.

I am going to keep working hard so immigrants have more representation in the media, so it doesn’t feel odd that someone with a slightly different accent or skin colour becomes a successful person. So people can get past the feeling that these positions of power have been stolen from them and given to us.

When I was preparing for the show, it did cross my mind to tone down my ‘Spanishness’ in case it was ‘easier to swallow’ by the audience here. But soon I realised that was a stupid idea.

I was struggling to come up with ideas, everything felt forced and like I was trying to read the audience’s mind. I was focusing too much on thinking about what they would like me to do instead of what I really wanted to do.

If I was going to be on the show, I was going to do it being 100% and unapologetically me. And that’s what I did, I used both British and Spanish designers, cultural and visual references.

And you are very welcome, because I see this as a gift to the audience, a little window to my world, my background and my culture that people don’t always get to see on TV. Little nods to the Spanish divas and queer icons that inspired me as a kid mixed with everything I love about the UK.

The best part of the whole experience was having my 11 sisters and the whole team behind RuPaul’s Drag Race UK embracing these qualities that make me unique. They listened, learned and supported me along the way and I really hope the audience does the same, not just for me, but for themselves.

I want them to enjoy the cultural diversity of the show to the fullest without any prejudices and preconceived ideas of what it means to be a drag queen in the UK.

My life is already changing for the better as I will be joining the cast for Tuck Shop’s Dick Whittington Panto in the West End this Christmas in the role of Queen Rat!

I couldn’t be happier that I got this amazing role and I will be able to bring my Spanish flavour to such a British tradition. And this is just the start, I hope the UK is ready to get a lot more of this Spanish sausage.

RuPaul’s Drag Race UK is streaming now on BBC Three via BBC iPlayer, with new episodes at 7pm every Thursday

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RuPaul’s Drag Race fans, start your engines – the queens of season 14 have arrived, and they’re bringing in the new year with a bang!

A week after the UK’s Next Drag Race Superstar was crowned on Drag Race UK, with Krystal Versace over Ella Vaday and Kitty Scott-Claus, and Canada’s Drag Race season two is currently on the air, it’s been eight long months since season 13 of the American version of the show concluded, as it prepares to make its highly-anticipated return.

The new season will see the first ever cisgender heterosexual male queen compete, making history in the franchise.

Without further ado, let’s meet the cast of season 14!

Daya Betty

Hailing from Springfield, Missouri, Daya Betty, who is part of House of Methyd, is all about that ’80s inspired rockstar realness’, and boasts the talent of creating her own stunning looks. Get ready for the design challenge!

Jasmine Kennedie

This New York queen is not only a smooth talker, but a force on the dancefloor, as she prepares to bring her many talents to the runway.

Willow Pill

We love a queen who puts a unique spin on her artform, and it sounds as though Willow Pill, from Denver Colorado, is going to do just that, as the drag sister of season 11 winner Yvie Oddly.

Maddy Morphosis

While Drag Race UK season one contestant Scaredy Kat, who is bisexual, had a girlfriend when she competed in the show, Maddy is the first cisgender heterosexual male queen to take part, and is ‘ready for her big stage debut’.

Kornbread ‘The Snack’ Jete

The Los Angeles queen is going to be serving, with Kornbread promising to ‘leave you gooped, gagged and gandered and you will want a taste of what she’s cooking’.

Angeria Paris Vanmichaels

This southern belle from Atlanta is bringing old school drag to the competition, as a pageant queen oozing country charm.

Bosco

Bosco, who’s from Seattle, has teased the many talents that she has up her sleeve, warning not to let her ‘laid back grunge vibe fool you’.

Deja Skye

From Fresno, California, Deja is not only serving looks, but creating them as well, promising to be a force to be reckoned with as a lip sync assassin to boot.

Jorgeous

Having started drag at the age of 16, Jorgeous is described as a ‘spicy Latina dancing diva’ hailing from Nashville, Tennessee. We can’t wait to see her ‘fierce’ moves.

Kerri Colby

The House of Colby presents Los Angeles queen Kerri Colby, who’s looking stunning from head to toe and delivering body-ody-ody from the get-go.

Alyssa Hunter

Having already slayed as a well-known pageant queen, Alyssa, from Cataño, Puerto Rico is a ‘huntress on the prowl’, ready to show what she’s got.

June Jambalaya

June Jambalaya is ready for what the main stage has in store, promising to treat fans to ‘fierce dance moves’, with kicks and splits to boot. Bring it!

Lady Camden

Originally born in the UK and now living in Sacramento, Lady Camden is going to be using her skills as a professional ballet dancer to rise to the top above her competitors.

Orion Story

From Grand Rapids, Michigan, Orion is described as a ‘retro sex kitten with a campy edge’, looking every inch a glamazon as the new series approaches.

RuPaul’s Drag Race season 14 is set to premiere on WOW Presents Plus in the UK on January 8 2022, with new episodes released on Saturdays from 4am GMT.

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

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Several RuPaul’s Drag Race fans in the UK have expressed their huge disappointment over season 14 not airing on Netflix, with some vowing that they won’t watch the new episodes.

The cast for the upcoming season of the American version of the show has been announced, boasting a talented line-up of queens including the first cisgender heterosexual male contestant.

However, amid the excitement over the competition’s return, several Drag Race viewers in the UK have lambasted the decision to move it to another platform.

In January, season 14 will air exclusively in the UK on WOW Presents Plus, a streaming service owned by World of Wonder that features a wide array of Drag Race-related shows.

While some may already have a subscription for the platform, others would need to pay for a new one if they want to watch the show, which costs £53 a year or £5.50 a month after a seven-day free trial.

Some of WOW Presents Plus’ best shows include all seasons of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, Trixie Mattell and Katya’s show UNHhhh and Werq The World.

One fan described the move as a ‘big big shame’, describing it as a ‘shortsighted decision which ultimately will mean less viewers if it was on Netflix’.

‘Looks like I’m not watching this then. Why oh why wouldn’t they stream on Netflix?’ someone else tweeted, while another remarked: ‘Oh well, guess I won’t be watching anymore.’

Another person questioned having to ‘pay for a new streaming service to watch another series of drag’, stating: ‘Ru loves financially testing fans.’

‘Well that’s me now officially not going to be watching #DragRace, I refuse to subscribe to yet another service for something I’m fatigued with already,’ someone else stated.

However, there is still a lot of excitement for the new season, with one person tweeting: ‘Just reading up on #DragRace season 14 and apparently there’s a UK queen competing! Now that’s exciting!’

‘I can’t believe it’s season 14 already, it’s nonstop but I love it,’ another said.

Others also praised the incredibly talented line-up, with a fan writing: ‘I love this cast! I’m so excited for #DragRace season 14!’

One person pointed out the similarity between season 14 switching platforms in the UK with the controversy that occurred over the latest season of Star Trek: Discovery, when it was pulled from Netflix just a few days before it was due to come out.

The series has moved to Paramount Plus, which isn’t launching in the UK until next year, meaning that fans across the world will not only have to avoid spoilers, but also might have to face paying for another subscription service if they want to watch it.

‘This is a shady move! Not on @NetflixUK anymore and we will have to pay ANOTHER subscription,’ the Drag Race fan said.

‘Didn’t the uproar over #StarTrekDiscovery teach them anything? People will still watch but it will not be by legal means. @RuPaul Mama Ru and @michellevisage what do you say about this?’

Drag Race UK is still set to return to BBC Three with season four.

RuPaul’s Drag Race season 14 is set to premiere on WOW Presents Plus in the UK on January 8 2022, with new episodes released on Saturdays from 4am GMT.

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

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The cast for the latest season of RuPaul’s Drag Race has been announced – and social media is already ablaze with righteous fury. The reason? A cisgender heterosexual man, Maddy Morphosis, has been cast.

How dare a straight man invade a queer space, critics argue, and how dare RuPaul’s Drag Race include a straight person before many members of the LGBT+ community – such as disabled artists or drag kings – have had their chance?

There is some validity to concerns surrounding representation – but we should be careful not to dictate who should have access to an art form that is, at its core, about freedom of self-expression.

With that said, I’m in two minds. The inclusion of trans and non-binary drag artists is yet to feel normal for the show, which rarely features more than one or two non-cisgender contestants among around 14 others in each cast.

We’re also still waiting for drag kings and other talented drag artists to be cast on the show. With their immense pool of talents yet to be tapped, is it too soon for a straight contestant? Shouldn’t the show first fully celebrate the diversity of the queer drag scene?

Perhaps. But I’m also incredibly uncomfortable with the gatekeeping I’ve seen online regarding Maddy’s drag. Many have decried her for ‘appropriating’ a queer identity and declared that ‘only queer people can do drag’.

Ironically, many of those asserting the latter also lament the lack of drag king representation – forgetting that some drag kings are cisgender straight women who, by their definition, would be excluded.

While I can understand the frustration that we’ve lost an opportunity for an LGBT+ queen to shine on a global platform, I think it’s equally important that we show our community to be an open and inclusive one.

Drag is a way for us to explore different aspects of ourselves – and while we must acknowledge and celebrate its queer history and origins, it feels wrong to enforce boundaries on such a liberating art form.

Queer people are so often oppressed by straight men – whether it be through policing of gender expression to the constant ridicule of their sexualities. Personally, I’m thrilled to see a straight man tearing these restrictive standards down rather than upholding them.

Maddy Morphosis’s casting will show millions worldwide that we should all be free to break free from outdated gender norms and express our full selves, no matter our gender or sexuality.

The reactions on Twitter have been incredibly disheartening. Many have refused to use Maddy’s preferred pronouns (she/her when in drag) and pointedly refer to her as a man. Others have made sweeping assumptions about her character based entirely on his gender and his sexuality – seemingly with no trace of irony. One can only wonder how they’d feel should the shoe be on the other foot.

While I don’t agree that Maddy Morphosis’s casting deserves the outcry it’s received, there is certainly validity in the frustrations surrounding representation.

RuPaul’s Drag Race has for many years been at the centre of a casting row for excluding marginalised communities. Contestants on the show’s early seasons were predominantly cisgender gay men – with RuPaul attracting outcry for an interview in 2018 where, in response to a question about whether he’d accept a trans contestant onto the show who’d transitioned, he replied ‘probably not’ because ‘it changes once you start changing your body’.

RuPaul added at the time: ‘Drag loses its sense of danger and its sense of irony once it’s not men doing it, because at its core it’s a social statement and a big f-you to male-dominated culture. So for men to do it, it’s really punk rock, because it’s a real rejection of masculinity.’

He later apologised for the ‘hurt’ his comments caused and things have slowly changed for the franchise since then. Recent series have seen a gradual diversification in casting with non-binary and genderfluid contestants as well as the long-awaited inclusion of trans men and trans women.

The latest season of Drag Race UK was groundbreaking for featuring the franchise’s first cisgender woman, Victoria Scone. This year is the first time two trans queens (Kerry Colby and Kornbread ‘The Snack’ Jeté) will compete at once on a regular season of the show – though this news seems to have been buried by the Maddy Morphosis furore.

Sadly, it has taken the global franchise many years to begin to pivot toward progress when there have been other competitions which have quickly embraced change.

For instance, The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula has always accepted drag artists from across the spectrum of gender, sexuality and drag. It is often heralded by fans as the antithesis of Drag Race: where Drag Race is sometimes seen as white-washed and sanitised for mainstream audiences, Dragula celebrates oddballs and outcasts, placing diversity at the forefront.

In fact, Dragula’s second season (broadcast in 2019) featured a straight male named Disasterina. Placing fifth, she was well received by audiences – a far cry from Maddy’s casting announcement.

The difference here is representation: Disasterina was a contestant on a show which exists to level the playing field, whereas Maddy has joined a format which, as things stand, has set up a false dichotomy in drag where (predominantly cisgender male) queens rule the roost and talented drag artists (including kings) are left out in the cold.

So, yes – it’s frustrating that we are still yet to achieve a fully inclusive mainstream drag competition – but it’s also groundbreaking and positive that Maddy Morphosis has been cast. The answer to this problem is not to restrict who can do drag or compete on reality TV competitions. Instead, the answer is to give audiences more.

We need to see more trans and non-binary representation that doesn’t feel tokenistic. We need to see more queer women and drag kings given platforms. We need the drag on mainstream television to reflect what drag in the real world looks like.

Opening the door toward inclusivity means that everybody should be able to walk through. We just need a wider door.

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing James.Besanvalle@metro.co.uk. 

Share your views in the comments below.

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RuPaul’s Drag Race is about to go on an international hunt for the first time ever in the new show Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK Versus The World.

The new show, commissioned by BBC Three as part of the channel’s relaunch, aims to unite nine queens from global Drag Race seasons as they compete for the first global superstar title. What an honour.

RuPaul, Michelle Visage, Graham Norton, and Alan Carr will be critiquing the queens on the judging panel, which will also feature a dazzling array of guest judges along the way.

The new show is one of three new releases set to premiere on the channel. Santa Claus the Serial Killer, a six-part true-crime series that follows journalist Mobeen Azhar in Canada, exploring the case of serial killer Bruce McArthur will also be released along with Flight Club, a programme based on life behind the scenes at an airline.

BBC Three controller, Fiona Bruce said: ‘As we gear up for launch, we’re excited to start talking about what will be on the new channel.

‘As a destination for young audiences on the BBC, BBC Three will provide a true multi-genre offering with these commissions serving up some world class entertainment with RuPaul Versus, award-winning true-crime with Mobeen, and sky-high ambition with Flight Club.’

The announcement couldn’t have come at a better time as fans recently expressed huge disappointment over season 14 of Drag Race not being available to watch on Netflix.

One fan described the move as a ‘big shame’, describing it as a ‘shortsighted decision which ultimately will mean less viewers if it was on Netflix’.

Krystal Versace was recently crowned the youngest ever winner of Drag Race UK season 3, and expressed the glorious moment as ‘surreal’.

‘Honestly, I would never have thought I’d win the show. It’s mind-blowing to me.’

Krystal added: ‘Anyone that is born to do drag out there and is the next superstar, can now have someone they can look at and be like, “Okay, right I can do it.”‘

The star – real name Luke Fenn – beat fellow drag queens Kitty Scott-Claus and Ella Vaday in the tense final, after 12 queens entered the ‘werk room’ at the start of the series.

Drag Race UK season 3 is available for catch-up on BBC iPlayer

Got a story?

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Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK star Baga Chipz has landed a role in Channel 4’s Ackley Bridge.

The drag queen, who came third in the BBC Three show back in 2019, has already started work on the school-based drama.

A source told The Sun that Baga will return to set in January to film more scenes.

They also said: ‘Baga caught the attention of Ackley producers, having appeared on a variety of reality shows since RuPaul. But while she loves a bit of low-rent telly, she also wants to prove there’s more than just big, brash Baga.’

After appearing in the first UK series of Drag Race, Baga has gone on to appear in Celebrity MasterChef, Celeb Karaoke Club and the celebrity version of The Circle.

The source continued: ‘Ackley Bridge’s bosses were impressed with what they saw from Baga on set. And having first been on set last week, she’ll now be back for more in January when she will film again.

‘Her character is being kept a closely guarded secret for now, but no doubt we’ll be hearing more in due course.’

Ackley Bridge first hit our screens back in 2017. The drama is set in a Yorkshire mill town where a new academy school merged lives and cultures of the divided White and Asian communities.

Famous faces who have appeared in the show include Jo Joyner, Sunetra Sarker and Rob James-Collier.

If you’ve got a soap or TV story, video or pictures get in touch by emailing us soaps@metro.co.uk – we’d love to hear from you.

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Warning: spoilers ahead for RuPaul’s Drag Race season 14.

RuPaul’s Drag Race has kicked off 2022 with the launch of season 14, releasing a premiere that packed a punch with show-stopping performances and a whole lot of talent.

Straight off the bat, the show unveiled a twist that left the queens gooped, as they discovered that only half of them would be appearing in the first episode and that there would still be an elimination at the end.

Kerri Colby set the tone with the first mini challenge, being crowned the winner of a task that saw the contestants strapped to a spinning wheel for a photo shoot that was all about serving face.

The seven competitors then took part in a talent show, before taking to the runway in a bid to impress judges Michelle Visage, RuPaul, Ross Mathews and extra special guest judge Lizzo.

In the end, Orion Story became the first queen to be told to sashay away after lip syncing against June Jambalaya to Lizzo’s track Water Me, while Kornbread ‘The Snack’ Jeté was crowned the first winner of the series for the maxi challenge.

When RuPaul told Orion that she had been eliminated, the head judge told her: ‘Orion, your story is just beginning. Now, sashay away.’

As she made her exit on stage, the dejected queen said: ‘Well boots, it’s time to start walking.’

Back in the Werk Room, she expressed her disappointment over her early exit.

‘I definitely did not see myself going home first, but I think everyone back home will be proud of what I did,’ she said.

‘I don’t have a single regret. I put up a good fight, but it wasn’t enough.’

On Instagram, she wrote: ‘Thank you all so much for the love. I’ve got a long post coming later, but b***hes! I’m a RUGIRL!!!’

Several fans sympathised with Orion following her elimination, with one tweeting: ‘I forgot how brutal day-one eliminations are. Really feeling for Orion, you could see her heart breaking.’

‘Orion going home first is a crime,’ another stated, while someone else remarked: ‘Orion Story going home first just doesn’t sit right with me.’

Next week, the remaining seven queens will make their entrances, while global singing sensation Alicia Keys is set to sit on the panel as the next extra special guest judge.

So who will get the pork chop next?

RuPaul’s Drag Race season 14 is available to watch on WOW Presents Plus with new episodes released on Saturdays.

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Warning: spoilers ahead for RuPaul’s Drag Race season 14 episode 2.

RuPaul’s Drag Race fans were left with mixed feelings over a certain moment in the second part of season 14’s premiere, as RuPaul revealed Maddy Morphosis is straight in front of the other queens, taking her by surprise.

The latest episode of the competition on WOW Presents Plus introduced viewers to the final seven contestants of the series, as the first seven were introduced last week.

Among them was Maddy, who is the first cisgender heterosexual man ever to compete in any show of the Drag Race franchise.

In a VT, Maddy, who’s from Arkansas, made it clear that she wasn’t going to bring up her sexuality straight away, stating: ‘I don’t feel the need to clarify my sexuality,’ and adding: ‘I really want the first impression that the girls have of me to be the content of my drag.’

However, during a one-on-one chat in the Werk Room, which could be overheard by the other members of the cast, Ru caught Maddy unawares by saying: ‘You have made history being our first straight contestant,’ as the other queens reacted with shock.

Several of the contestants remarked in the episode that they’d never met a straight drag queen, before expressing support for Maddy’s decision to pursue the artform.

‘It kind of makes me have mad respect for her,’ Lady Camden said, as Angeria Paris VanMicheals stated: ‘I think it’s sickening that Maddy is a heterosexual man from a small town in the south and wants to be a sickening drag queen all at the same time. Nobody said it couldn’t be done!’

On Twitter, several viewers shared their astonishment over the way in which Ru divulged the news openly seemingly without informing Maddy first, with some comparing it to when a member of the LGBT+ community is ‘outed’.

‘Not RuPaul outing Maddy to the rest of the queens..wait.. what kind of reverse universe.. not the straight being outed,’ one person tweeted.

‘Did RuPaul just out Maddy in the middle of the Werk Room????’ another asked.

One person said that while they don’t believe Maddy was ‘outed’ because she’s straight, it made them feel ‘conflicted’ because of the ‘parallel to someone being outed’.

‘Ok but why do I feel so conflicted about RuPaul just blatantly being like “HEY LOOK OVER HERE, QUEENS, MADDY’S STRAIGHT”? like obvs Maddy’s not being “outed” bc she’s straight but maybe it’s bc it feels like such a parallel to someone being outed? Idk [sic],’ they wrote.

‘I didn’t know you could out a straight person but RuPaul just did it to Maddy soo…,’ another commented, while someone else said: ‘Umm is RuPaul allowed to publicly out someone without checking first? Shouldn’t Maddy have decided when, where and how the conversation was brought up?’

However, others disagreed with the notion that Ru ‘outed’ Maddy, with one person remarking: ‘People mad that Rupaul “outed” Maddy like babes it’s not the same thing.’

For the talent show, which was performed in front of extra special guest judge Alicia Keys, Maddy impressed with her guitar-playing skills – including playing the instrument with her tongue – but it wasn’t enough to stop her from ranking among the bottom queens.

Maddy was saved from the bottom two thanks to her innovative runway look, which was designed to look as though she was carrying her own chopped off head.

DeJa Skye and Daya Betty were forced to lip sync for their lives, with the former being saved after a powerful performance of Alicia’s debut single Fallin’, which was released in 2001.

With Angeria Paris VanMicheals being crowned the winner of the week, how will all the queens fare as the two halves of the cast come together?

RuPaul’s Drag Race season 14 is available to watch on WOW Presents Plus with new episodes dropping on Saturdays.

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Warning: Spoilers for episode four of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Vs The World ahead.

Drag Race UK Vs The World has seen another queen sashay away – and it’s another shocker.

The queens were challenged to take on the famous Snatch Game, where they’re tasked with impersonating a celebrity of their choice. The all important rule though, is to make RuPaul laugh.

Ru was joined by returning star Michelle Visage as well as Clara Amfo, Michelle Keegan and none other than Katie Price after season two star Bimini Bon Boulash stunned with her Pricey impression.

It was definitely a star-studded affair, as we saw Pangina as Mariah Carey, Jujubee as Cher and Baga Chipz as Kathy Bates’ character from Misery.

Janey Jacké took on James Charles, with Blu Hydrangea as Mike Myer’s Austin Powers and Mo Heart as Billy Porter.

Blu and Baga were declared the top two of the week, with the pair battling it out and the Northern Irish queen being crowned the winner (baby).

However, it was Pangina who failed to impress, being sent home by Blu just a week after she won a challenge.

Blu said: ‘Well it’s at that point in the competition, where any misstep can send you home.

‘We’re all strong, we’re all representing our own countries – and this is important to all of us. I have loved and followed this person’s career for years and they’ve inspired me right up to this moment. But tonight I’m sending home Pangina.’

Pangina, representing Thailand said: ‘I want to say sorry to all the Thai people that I did not go all the way. I feel really devastated. I am heartbroken. This is a shock to me that Blu decided to choose me to go home. Maybe because I’m a threat. But this is how it is. This is the game. I love you Thailand.’

She left a message in the mirror in lipstick saying: ‘I love you all from the bottom of my heart.’ And then in Thai: ‘Thank you very much everyone, love Pan.’

Drag Race UK Vs The World returns next Tuesday at 9pm on BBC Three and is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

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RuPaul has recalled the devastating moment on Drag Race UK Vs The World when fan-favourite Pangina Heals was given the chop, sending shockwaves across the fandom.

On the latest episode of the BBC Three series, the final decision over who would be eliminated came down to Blu Hydrangea, after she won the lip sync against fellow top queen Baga Chipz.

With the other four remaining queens all at risk of going home, Blu astounded everyone on the main stage and behind the judges’ panel when she pulled out the lipstick bearing Pangina’s name, despite the Drag Race Thailand star having been a top contender up to that point.

Speaking on tonight’s Graham Norton Show, RuPaul recollected the tears that Pangina’s departure prompted, as the queen could be heard continuing to cry off-camera after bidding her farewell.

‘I remember the crying – it was tragic because the girls have their hopes up real high. It is gut wrenching when it happens – they have made it this far only to be slashed (from the show) by one of their sisters,’ Ru said.

Describing Drag Race UK Vs The World as the ‘Olympics of drag’, the head judge explained that he had just returned from New Zealand filming another spin-off series of the franchise.

The judge said that the queens Down Under are ‘different’, adding: ‘A bit more (nurse) Ratched, which is great, and they have a great sense of humour. That is what it is all about and we have so much fun.’

Ru has been a famous drag queen for decades, having released his debut album, Supermodel of the World, in 1993 after gaining renown on the club scene in New York.

However, he admitted that he no longer does drag for fun, as it ‘became a job’.

When asked whether he ever does drag for fun nowadays, he replied: ‘No. When I started my friends, and I would go out and party all night long – New York City in the 80s was crazy. Then when I got famous all that ended, and it became a job.’

Following Pangina’s exit from Drag Race UK Vs The World, the queen urged people on Twitter not to send any hate in Blu’s direction for her decision.

Speaking to Metro.co.uk and other press and how she would recommend dealing with trolls, Pangina said: ‘From my experience of getting so much of it, what I would say to them is nothing. I would only use the block button, because there’s no reason to reason with someone who cannot be reasoned with.’

Addressing Blu’s choice, she added: ‘We all signed up for this, so literally one person has to go home. It happened to be me. Maybe she thought that I was the worst in the challenge then I go home – it has nothing to do with track record, so c’est la vie!’

The Graham Norton Show airs tonight at 10.35pm on BBC One.

Drag Race UK Vs The World returns next Tuesday at 9pm on BBC Three and is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

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After three seasons of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, 14 seasons of the US version and numerous spin-offs, drag has become more mainstream than ever.

We now have drag queens fronting fashion campaigns, appearing on catwalks and sitting front row at fashion weeks around the world.

It’s incredible to see gender diversity and non-conformity being given such a prominent platform and I absolutely love seeing my friends and contemporaries succeeding and going boldly where no drag queen has gone before.

That said, like a lash that isn’t quite glued down, something’s been nagging at me.

Almost across the board, there is a ‘type’ of queen that achieves this mainstream fashion success – namely those who are young, skinny and have a ‘natural beauty’. 

There’s no doubt they’re also all incredibly talented and are certainly deserving, but these external qualities seem to factor into their success just much as their talent does.

As drag goes more mainstream, it is perhaps inevitable that the artists that find the greatest commercial success tend to conform to existing beauty standards.

The queens from Drag Race who are the most followed on Instagram aren’t always the winners – but often, they’re the queens with the smallest waists and the prettiest faces. 

If you were looking at the fashion industry and music videos, you’d think they were looking to cast as many drag artists as possible. In actuality, it feels as though they’re looking for people who can sell gender diversion in a palatable way.

Ideally, without needing the corsetry or pads or the other tricks and staples of drag to look good in women’s clothes. 

To re-iterate, it’s great to see gender non-conforming people being given a spotlight and I’m sure this is providing much-needed visibility for young queer people.

However, it seems more and more that the new gold standard for drag is becoming about commercial appeal, which I think misses a lot of the point and beauty of the art form. 

When I first started, part of the draw of drag was the ability to transform into someone new, and the promise that anyone could do it and have value and worth.

This idea was reinforced in queer venues, where people of all shapes, ages and backgrounds took the stage and were celebrated for their artistry, humour, creativity or skill. 

Drag Race, to a degree, furthered this idea. While the franchise still has a way to go towards true representation of the drag community (Drag Kings and more women who do drag please!), it does feel like it celebrates a diversity among styles of drag.

Cast lists tend to reflect a variety of approaches to the art form, and not every winner has been a skinny fashion queen – far from it. Winners aren’t just beautiful, they’re beautiful freaks like Sharon Needles, or beautiful weirdos like Jinkx Monsoon, or beautiful clowns like Bianca Del Rio.

I think, for me, a lot of the appeal of drag is about accessing a feeling of beauty or desirability that you have otherwise been denied. A lot of drag’s beginnings have roots in playing pretend – pretending you’re more successful, palatable, beautiful than you really are.

This play acting is powerful, making marginalised voices feel heard and giving everyone a chance to feel like a movie star or runway model.

But with drag going more mainstream, we need to remember these roots and not let our art form become gatekept and divided by a capitalist system that we used to be on the outside of.

Drag, at its best, is a huge melting pot of different skill sets, talents and approaches – I don’t want to see this diluted by fashion brands excluding the wonderful range of artists our community has to offer.

Where are the plus sized queens on the catwalk? I’d love to see undisputed fashion queens like Kandy Muse getting the same success as their skinnier contemporaries.

And Lawrence Chaney, the winner of Drag Race UK Season 2, is obviously booked and blessed, but doesn’t seem to have the same corporate endorsement as others from her season.

I think our art form and queerness in general would be more uplifted by showcasing this diversity. As it stands, we might be being used to sell a lot of the same old beauty standards that many of us got into drag to rail against.

I think as, drag artists, we need to be careful that our craft isn’t reinforcing the same gender norms and systems (cistems) that we should be fighting against.

I recognise that I have benefited from a lot of privilege myself – I have worked with fashion and makeup brands, done corporate appearances and events, and sold my image.

And of course, some of these opportunities will be because of how I look rather than my artistry, and it can be an easy trap to fall into to base your worth on how much commercial demand you have.

That is always going to be a losing game – time marches on. To quote Showgirls, ‘there’s always someone younger and hungrier coming down the stairs after you’. 

How long can your appeal last when you’re participating in an industry that puts the emphasis on the shallowest parts of yourself?

So, I want to say to corporations and brands looking to get on board with the drag boom, please consider expanding your ideas about the art form – there’s more to it than skinny (mostly white) boys!

While I love seeing the platforming of gender non-conforming people, I would love even more to see a much fuller representation of our community.

And a message to all the drag artists that aren’t always feeling beautiful enough, skinny enough, young enough, successful enough – remember why you got into this in the first place.

I personally think the key to finding fulfilment in the art form (and I try to remind myself of this regularly!) is about creating exciting and meaningful work (whatever that means to you), not external validation.

It might not be in the mainstream, but there will always be a space for you in drag. 

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing jess.austin@metro.co.uk. 

Share your views in the comments below.

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Grimes and Elon Musk secretly welcomed a second baby together recently, all while the world thought their relationship was somewhat over.

The billionaire Tesla mogul confirmed that he had ‘semi-separated’ from the singer late last year, but they remained on ‘great terms’ after going public in 2018.

In a sit-down chat with Vanity Fair, however, Grimes – real name Claire Elise Boucher – gave an update on the status of their romance.

When asked if she and the businessman are still together, the singer replied: ‘Yes. No. What do you mean by “together”?’

The couple join a gang of celebrities with unconventional relationships, revealing: ‘There’s no real word for it. I would probably refer to him as my boyfriend, but we’re very fluid.

‘We live in separate houses. We’re best friends. We see each other all the time. We just have our own thing going on, and I don’t expect other people to understand it.’

Grimes was then asked if the two are happy, replying without hesitation: ‘Yeah, this is the best it’s ever been. We just need to be free.’

She added that they have ‘always wanted at least three or four’ children, which comes after the shocking news that they now share a daughter, whose nickname is Y.

This different style of romance isn’t uncommon in Hollywood, with the likes of Will Smith and Helena Bonham Carter also opting for non-traditional relationships.

It’s all the range now to either live separately to your partner, or have a more relaxed approach to marriage, so let’s take a look at who Grimes and Elon are joining in this club.

Dolly Parton and Carl Dean

Country music icon Dolly Parton have been together for almost 60 years and married for a whopping 55.

Carl has stayed out of the spotlight, but their relationship remains one of the industry’s most successful.

The Jolene singer revealed that the two have a form of open relationship, but they do not have sex with other people.

In Dolly on Dolly, Interviews and Encounters with Dolly Parton, she said: ‘Men are my weakness. Short, fat, bald or skinny – I’ve had crushes on some very unusual men but Carl knows I’ll always come home and I’m not having sex with these people – I’m just flirting and having fun.

‘He’s not jealous and I’m not jealous of him. He knows I flirt. He flirts too.’

She confirmed: ‘Yes, it’s an open relationship, but not sexually and I would kill him if I thought he was doing that. He would shoot me too. At the end of the day, we love each other madly.’

Will and Jada Pinkett-Smith

Will Smith and his wife Jada Pinkett-Smith have made headlines with their relationship confessions.

There has been speculation that the stars have an open marriage, with Jada confirming last year that she had a ‘romantic entanglement’ with musician August Alsina during a period of separation, which the Men in Black star knew about.

The actor confirmed his wife isn’t the only person to hook up with other people, confirming to GQ that they made a decision to ‘rework’ their relationship in 2011.

He said ‘Jada never believed in conventional marriage’ and she ‘had family members that had an unconventional relationship.’

‘We have given each other trust and freedom, with the belief that everybody has to find their own way. And marriage for us can’t be a prison. And I don’t suggest our road for anybody,’ he said.

‘But, the experiences that the freedoms that we’ve given one another and the unconditional support, to me, is the highest definition of love.’

Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton

Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton got together in 2001 and share two children.

However, they did not live together, with Tim buying the house next to Helena’s instead, where they lived happily as neighbours in London.

Their homes were joined, but they kept things separate, with the actress joking to the Telegraph that her house ‘looks like something out of Beatrix Potter, but if you go over to his house, you’re in a totally different place. He’s got slime balls and dead Oompa-Loompas lying around, and skeletons and weird alien lights.’

Helena clarified that the two just wanted their own space and she ‘did not have room to house children’ in her ‘cottage.’

‘What was Tim’s house is basically the family house and I kept my bedroom and my kitchen,’ she said.

The couple went their separate ways romantically in 2014 but still live next door to one another.

RuPaul and Georges LeBar

The Drag Race icon and boyfriend Georges LeBar married in 2017, 20 years after meeting.

RuPaul confirmed to Vanity Fair that they were in an open marriage, but they are still very much in love.

‘The hoax is that monogamy is actually something that can actually happen,’ he told the publication.

‘I wouldn’t want to put restraints on the person that I love the most on this planet. I wouldn’t do that to someone I love, my very best friend.

‘If you get something happening that you cannot resist, and that’s gonna make you happy, go for it. Because the truth is, I know in my heart of hearts, like I’ve never known anything before, that man loves me more than anything else in this world.’

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RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 7 is back, and we cannot wait to meet these Queens (again).

In a twist more dramatic than ever, for the very first time in Drag Race herstory, the cast consists entirely of past winners, all Queens fighting to be crowned the Queen of Queens.

The series will see eight of our favourites strut it out to win the $200,000 (£152,000) grand prize and to reign supreme.

The line-up for this season even includes the first ever UK Queen to compete on a US All Stars Season – that’s right, The Vivienne is back, and she’ll be as sassy as ever.

Lip-syncing against Our Viv, the all-winner cast includes the likes of Raja, Shea Couleé, and Trinity ‘The Tuck’ trying to sashay their way into the Drag Race Hall of Fame.

Here’s everything you need to know about the new series.

When does All Stars 7 start?

The Queens are returning to screens on Friday, May 20 at 8am.

The countdown has begun!

Which Drag Queens are taking part in All Stars 7?

Jaida Essence Hall

Our first Queen competing is Jaida, Season 12 RuPaul’s Drag Race winner, who actually had to accept her crown over Zoom when she won in 2020, a time when the drag queens were lip-syncing remotely over lockdowns.

Jinkx Monsoon

Season 5 winner Jinkx is joining Jaida in the line-up, after touring the world since she won in 2013.

Monet X Change

Monet X Change is on her third RuPaul show, after being named Miss Congeniality in season 10 and winning All Stars 4.

Raja

Taking Drag Race back to 2011, the earliest queen to take part is season 3 winner Raja, who is the only Asian-American queen to have won the show, and has now taken that high-fashion fame to a new level as she presents Fashion Photo RuView with Raven.

Shea Couleé

Shea’s come back from All Stars season 5 to try and steal her next All Stars crown, after already appearing on RuPaul’s Drag Race season 9, where she made it to the final.

The Vivienne

The Welsh queen was the first ever winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK back in 2019, and could now be making herstory as the first non-US queen to compete and win an All Stars series.

Trinity ‘The Tuck’

Trinity will be strutting alongside Monet, her joint champion from All Stars 4. Trinity first appeared on the RuPaul catwalk in season 9, in 2017, where she reached the final.

Yvie Oddly

Last but not least, Yvie Oddly is our final queen. Viewers may remember the season 11 winner for being incredibly flexible on the show in 2019, due to a chronic condition known as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

How to watch All Stars 7 in the UK

The new season will premiere on WOW Presents Plus in the UK, with the first episode dropping on Friday, May 20.

Is there a trailer?

We’re hot on our seats waiting for the official trailer to drop, but there is a Meet the Queens video showing off all the Queens before they battle it out to see who is strutting off with the crown of crowns.

That’s not all!

For behind-the-scenes backstage drama, RuPaul’s Drag Race Untucked will also be available to stream in the UK on WOW Presents Plus, immediately after the new episodes of All Stars 7.

RuPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars Series 7 will premiere on WOW Presents Plus in the UK from Friday, May 20 at 8am.

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RuPaul’s Drag Race UK star Bimini Bon Boulash has revealed they thought about transitioning but it was deciding against it that ultimately made them feel more comfortable in their own body.

The drag performer has been open about their non-binary identity, which they spoke about during a widely-praised moment on the show with co-star Ginny Lemon.

Speaking about whether they ever considered hormone therapy, Bimini explained: ‘There were times when I did think about it; where I did think a lot about whether I wanted to transition or not, if that was part of what I felt was my destiny.

‘But actually, it was when I started kind of rejecting that idea, [that] I was quite comfortable within myself to stay in my body and express both sides of my gender identity…Being able to be fluid, between both,’ they added to GQ.

Bimini also recently opened up to Metro.co.uk about the discussion they and Ginny had on the show, explaining: ‘It’s a real testament to living in the moment.

‘We were doing a design challenge, and I’m not very good at sewing, and I was focusing on that, but then we had that conversation. Obviously I’m always going to listen to someone that’s open to me, so we had that moment.

‘We knew we had the conversation, but we didn’t know what they were going to show – it was a year later. So we got the phone call from the producers just to say, “Just to let you know, this conversation’s coming out, it’s really lovely, you cry, Ginny cries.” It was kind of a game-changing moment I think for a lot of people, especially maybe people that weren’t in the world of that.

‘Like I said, in the east, gender is very fluid and sexuality and people are very fluid, so I never felt like I had to come out, so I was just me. Whereas coming out on national television, I didn’t really think about it like that. But it did, it changed people.

‘People messaged me in their 60s and 70s saying that’s how they feel. That’s incredible that that conversation has touched that many people. I’ve had teachers message me about it… it’s mind-blowing sometimes, because I’m like, I don’t know all the answers to everything.

‘That’s just my experience. But if my experience helps someone or resonates with someone, then that’s what the show’s there for.’

Bimini rose to fame on the second season of Drag Race UK, which Lawrence Chaney won.

They’re also nominated for Virgin Media’s Must-See Moment at this year’s Bafta TV Awards for their verse in the viral song from the series, UK Hun?.

See the full feature in the GQ Style Spring/Summer 2022 issue now available on newsstands.

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Celebrity Bake Off viewers were left less than impressed after contestant Tracy-Ann Oberman repeatedly got one of her hero RuPaul’s most famous sayings wrong. 

The actress, 55, was among the stars taking part in The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer, when they were tasked with making a biscuit likeness of their hero. 

Tracy-Ann chose Drag Race icon RuPaul, 61, for her bake of choice, fashioning the drag queen and presenter out of biscuits and icing. 

While the finished product managed to channel Ru’s sassy energy and huge wig, there was one part of the experience which didn’t go down to well with fans. 

Despite Tracy-Ann decreeing that RuPaul was her hero, she managed to get one of Mama Ru’s most famous sayings wrong every single time. 

A phrase so famous RuPaul has said it in hundreds of episodes of Drag Race…

Attempting to say RuPaul’s famous saying: ‘If you can’t love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else,’ Tracy-Ann managed to make up a phrase of her own. 

Tracy-Ann’s version came out to be ‘if you can’t love yourself, nobody else will love you’ – which didn’t go amiss with viewers. 

They took to Twitter to say: ‘Screaming that ultimate hun Tracey-Ann Oberman just got her hero RuPaul’s most famous quote wrong.’

Others added: ‘“If you don’t love yourself no one else is ever gonna love you” – Rupaul Charles Andre … apparently’ and ‘Remember if you can’t love yourself then others are going to find it difficult to love you or something like that.’

One joked: ‘”If you cant love yourself, nobody else will love you”. Yep that’s totally how that saying goes. 100%.’

Despite her faux-pas with the saying itself, Tracy-Ann’s bake did impress the judges nonetheless. 

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An all-winners season of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars requires an all-winners panel of guest judges, and that’s exactly what we’re getting, including a rare appearance from now-retired Hollywood star, Cameron Diaz.

The season seven trailer has arrived, revealing a star-studded line-up of guests, including Cameron, Nikki Glaser, Tove Lo, Betsey Johnson, Janicza Bravo, Ben Platt and Ronan Farrow.

In a new teaser just released, the actress will be appearing on season seven of Drag Race All Stars, and Cameron, 49, is glowing. 

The iconic Something About Mary star has sashayed (as is the Drag Race way) out of retirement and back into the spotlight for a special appearance on the iconic series. 

She could be seen wearing a striking red top complete with a pearl headpiece and looking years younger than her 49 years, as she gears up to give advice to the talented contestants.

There’ll also be special appearances from supermodel Naomi Campbell, Wheel of Fortune icon Vanna White and Speaker Nancy Pelosi on the new season. 

In the upcoming spinoff season – which sees winners from previous seasons compete – it’s unclear which episode we’ll see her in, but we’re so excited to see her follow in the footsteps of the likes of Gigi Hadid, Lady Gaga and Christina Aguilera.

Fans were thrilled to spot the star in the glitzy guest judging lineup.

‘Cameron Diaz, a guest judge on #AllStars7? Here for it!’ said one.

‘CAMERON DIAZ CAME OUT OF RETIREMENT FOR DRAG RACE IM CRYING,’ said another tweet.

‘They brought Cameron Diaz out retirement? Oh this season about to slap,’ said another Twitter user.

Cameron famously quit acting in 2018, four years after her last movie, the 2014 adaptation of Annie, in which she played Hannigan. She later went on to welcome a daughter, Raddix, in December 2019, with husband, Good Charlotte star Benji Madden.

She revealed to Kevin Hart on his talk show, Hart to Heart that her career on the big screen was preventing her from managing other parts of her life.

Cameron explained: ‘When you do something at a really high level for a long period of time, when you’re the person that is delivering one thing, you’re the person on the screen, all parts of you that isn’t that has to sort of be handed off to other people.’

‘For my personal, spiritual self, I was realising that that one part of me that functioned at a high level wasn’t enough.

Cameron said this included ‘different parts of my life, my home, every aspect, from finance, just the management of me as a human being, not me as Cameron Diaz the machine.’

‘I just looked around and there were so many parts of my life that I wasn’t touching and that I wasn’t managing, and I couldn’t really manage, because everything was so massive.’

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Drag Race winner Blu Hydrangea, 26, on sharking, identifying as non-binary and the best advice from RuPaul.

Congratulations on Stitch, Please! How was it, hosting your own TV show with costume-crazy contestants competing to be crowned Stitch Perfect for their extraordinary outfits?

Nerve-racking, to be honest. I’ve never been on the other side, where I’m not competing. I know what it’s like to feel scared and vulnerable in that position.

I would never want anyone to feel I’m a scary presence in the room. But it was really good. Who better to learn from than RuPaul?

What particular tricks did you learn from her?

She gives a good side-eye so I gave a lot of that. I think they call it ‘sharking’, where you are walking around just silently judging people.

Ru definitely does that. I could do that with both of the candidates because both of them at certain points looked like headless chickens.

In the first show, Katherine is a cosplayer from Surrey who became a recluse when her mum passed away when she was 14 but then discovered manga, which changed everything. Was there a time in your life when you found
it hard to get motivated?

Absolutely, yeah, multiple times in my life I’ve been like that. University was really hard for me because I went off to study animation and thought, ‘This is it. This is my career.’

And then I realised it just wasn’t the place for me. I dropped out, I became depressed, I didn’t have a lane in life to be in. And then I found drag.

I suppose that was then the road to whatever is happening now – the road to being the Queen Of The Mother-Tucking World.

You can never get tired of saying that, surely?

Absolutely not, no, I find a way. If I’m in McDonald’s or Starbucks and they ask you for your name, I say, ‘I’m The Queen Of The Mother-Tucking World!’

Is there someone you turn to if you’re feeling low?

Oh yeah, I have a partner [Johnson]. We’ve been together eight years.

Actually, when I first dropped out of university he was like, ‘You need to do something with this year out.’ He applied for a make-up course for me and from there, one thing led to another.

Drag is a weird thing to want to do and he’s never turned his nose up at it, which is fabulous. He’s kind of my rock.

Ru once said, ‘Years ago I realised that the power available to me in drag is also available to me out of drag.’ Do you feel the same way?

That’s one of the best tips that Ru has ever given me. It’s honestly true.

You think that getting up in all of this regalia kind of gives you an extra confidence but the reality of the situation is you’re still the same person underneath.

You should feel that self-confidence when you’re out of drag.

How has identifying as non-binary changed your life?

It’s kind of allowed me to be a bit more experimental with how I look and not care as much.

If I want to wear eye make-up to the bar or out for dinner that night, I will. I’ve got a mullet now, which is real.

I’m just allowing myself to do things that I would have boxed myself into not doing before because I felt I had to stick to a gender or people were going to judge me. Now I’m just happy being me.

Belfast drag queen Rusty Hinges took you under her wing in the early days. What golden rules did Rusty teach you?

Always smell good, always be nice to the people you work with, wash your tights, make sure that your tracks are less than three minutes because people lose interest.

She taught me how to arrange my numbers so I started strong and then had time to catch my breath and then finish strong. And she just told me what the people of Belfast love.

Entertainment on a microphone is really important over here. We’re all about comedy and relatability.

If we ever did a Drag Race Ireland it would be the most chaotic season ever but it would be the most charming season ever.

I will happily be the Michelle Visage and Panti Bliss can be the RuPaul.

Will you be performing again with Frock Destroyers this summer? I love Fame Whore on the new album. It’s a complete earworm…

Thank you. Yeah, it’s one of my favourites too, actually.

And yes, we are travelling the US this summer. We are going to be at DragCon LA and around the US, and I think we have a few gigs in the UK as well.

I love working with those girls because they are so kind and sweet to me.

Shouldn’t Frock Destroyers enter Eurovision?

Absolutely. I think it’s only a matter of time before a Drag Race girl gets on Eurovision.

Stitch, Please! is on BBC Three on Mondays and on BBC iPlayer

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Warning: Spoilers ahead!

RuPaul’s Drag Race fans were over the moon as All Stars 7 kicked off with one of the most highly-anticipated challenges of them all: The Snatch Game.

Returning to fight for the crown of crowns, for the first time in herstory, All Stars featured only previous winners, including our own The Vivienne.

For the uninitiated, the Snatch Game, which has been a popular challenge over previous Drag Race seasons, features contestants filling in the blanks as they impersonate celebrities.

The contestants chose some pretty interesting celebs to impersonate this time around with Yvie Oddly going for the Boogeyman, Monet x Change’s Mike Tyson and Trinity the Tuck as Leslie Jordan.

There was one impersonation that stood out from them all, as Jinkx Monsoon went for Judy Garland, and she did not disappoint.

In fact, Jinkx went a step further in her character and cleared Dave Lara (a series five veteran) of his self-professed killing of Judy Garland.

Speaking to the camera, Jinkx confirmed: ‘I want to say, Dave, you’re not responsible darling.’

Considering this season features some Snatch Game champions, with Trinity, Shea Coulee, The Vivienne and Jinkx all winning in their own seasons, it was bound to be hilarious, and indeed it was.

With each queen impersonating two celebs instead of one, the Viv opted to represent our nation, taking on some of the country’s gems: Joanna Lumley and Catherine Tate.

It’s safe to say, fans were loving it.

‘That Snatch Game cleared my skin, forgave my student debt, and exorcised all my demons,’ one viewer joked, with many others branding the challenge ‘the best ever in herstory’.

One person penned: ‘Not to be dramatic but the All Winners snatch game is maybe the best snatch game of all time????’ while another added: ‘Snatch Game literally TOOK MY BREATH AWAY.’

Elsewhere in the first two episodes that dropped, Naomi Campbell and Cameron Diaz made some shocking celebrity appearances, while the queens were left stunned by a special guest making a surprise appearance.

The glamour, sass and style of the first challenges just teased all that’s to come, and we’re so here for it.

RuPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars Series 7 episodes drop every Friday on WOW Presents Plus.

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RuPaul is closer to getting the coveted EGOT status after bagging the top gong at Sunday night’s Tony Awards.

RuPaul’s Drag Race star’s hit Broadway show A Strange Loop won best musical at yesterday’s star-studded ceremony, which took place at New York’s Radio City Music Hall.

The prestigious win means that the star, who already has an Emmy under his belt now needs a Grammy and Oscar to get the exclusive title of EGOT (someone who has won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony) which represents outstanding achievements in television, recording, film, and theatre.

If he manages this, RuPaul – who has collected a string of top awards over the years – will join the small and exclusive group of just 17 recipients of the honour, including, the late Audrey Hepburn, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and, as of last night, Jennifer Hudson.

RuPaul is one of the famous names, including Hudson, credited as a producer on the new Tony Award-winning hit musical.

The play is about a black queer musical theater composer who is writing a musical about a black queer musical composer while working as an usher at The Lion King.

Though the main character, Jaquel Spivey, didn’t get best actor gong, A Strange Loop was the star of the night winning big overall.

In addition to the big award of the night, it received an honour for its writer Michael R. Jackson with a statue for best book of a musical.

The play was Michael’s debut on Broadway.

Before the show became one of theatre’s most-nominated of the season, it also received a string of top awards: Five Drama Desk Awards, two Lucille Lortel Awards, six Outer Critics Circle honors, two Obie awards, one Off-Broadway Alliance Award, and the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Musical after debuting at Playwrights Horizons Theater in 2019.

New EGOT Hudson, who won her first-ever Tony at this year’s ceremony, is now the second black woman in history to achieve the status, following on from Whoopi Goldberg.

The star has two Grammys, first winning for her self-titled album in 2009, and she won an Oscar in 2007 for her role in Dreamgirls.

Last year, Jennifer won an Emmy for lending her voice to animated short Baba Yaga.

She previously addressed her plans to achieve EGOT status, joking: ‘I should get two more dogs.

‘I got a dog and named it Oscar, and then I won my Oscar. And then I got a dog and named it Grammy, and then I won my Grammy.

‘So I think I should get some dogs and name them Emmy and Tony — and it’ll give me good luck, and I’ll win. [They’re] like my good luck charms.’

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