I am the Queen of Hillsborough

We have to talk about your overall look. Your looks are so iconic, is there whole process whenever you are piecing an outfit together with makeup and hair. I am not sure how you work artistically, do you sit down and say this is what I foresee or is it a case of, I know what I am wearing so this is what am I doing. How does it work for you?

I mean my style is all over the place. I don’t know when I look good or when I don’t. But one thing I will say is that everything comes from my own ideas. I will find inspiration from maybe a keyring, a painting, something online or someone has drawn something but I will take it and I will draw exactly how I want it to look send it to the designers and the wig stylists. It has always been the biggest part of drag for me because whenever I worked in Boom Box I felt like there was only so far that I could get a platform for myself in Belfast so I had to go on social media and do my makeup looks, create crazy things and do lots of videos to get my name out there, and

I was shocked to hear there was no prize money - scandalous, I am guessing you all knew that on entering ?

Yes, they did tell us that. Again, that was when Drag Race was really good and everyone wanted a piece of it because we were all stuck in the house during lockdown and everyone wanted to support us in any way they could. It was a cool time to be on Drag Race. I don’t really know what to say, of course I would have loved prize money, but I am not bitter about it and let’s be honest some of these girls need the prize money now more than I did.

It really opened so many doors for you, what has been the weirdest thing and most exciting opportunities pitched to you?

I love taking the weird gigs and I remember I think it was Bianca Del Rio who said you should never turn down a gig without serious thought. I think the weirdest thing that I have been offered is one of those SAS shows, where you are on a deserted island and have to fend for yourself. I went for the meeting which was just before Covid, so I am

Has it helped improve your own drag performance? Do you incorporate more movement into your themes?

Yeah, well I am not like that kinda dance queen anyway but I can do a wee trick here and there. I am taking up dance lessons, there is a guy Adam in Belfast who is doing dance lessons every Friday and I am looking forward to starting them this week. So I will definitely be keeping it up.

What’s one thing you can take away from the show? What are you most proud of?

Just that I was able to do it. 10 to 11 weeks, a new dance every week, and all of the nerves - I am a very nervous person, I get crazy stage fright - however I was able to step out every week and perform.

If you asked me on week one how far do you think I would have got I would have said maybe week 3, but to make it to the final that is the thing I am most proud of. Also that I was able to reach out to people who had never seen a drag queen before. I was getting lots of people stopping me in the street saying how much they loved me which meant a lot to me because obviously on national television in Ireland you would very rarely see a drag queen in that capacity. I felt very proud.

You are working with Garnier, how did that come about? It’s bound to be so surreal seeing your face on products when out shopping? They are honestly the best brand that I have ever worked with. I did a wee advert for them during lockdown and I had to tidy up my room to make it look Garnier approved and they loved it, they loved the content. Then about a year later they asked me to do their Pride campaign and they asked me to attend New York Pride and I just got so close with the team and ever since they have just been looking after me and can’t do enough for me. As far as I am concerned I will work for them until I am an old lady. Maybe it will be me dying the grey out of my wigs! I will be the new Davina McCall.

Since you have been in the industry what would you say have been the changes in terms of performance and perception?

Well, currently I think the queens are having quite a hard time because of the current economic climate. No-one has the spare money to go to a show so things are getting cancelled left, right and centre which is such a shame and hopefully that doesn’t last for much longer, however it is understandable. But the Arts is always the first thing to suffer because it is an expense that doesn’t have to be made, however on the good side I do think that drag is becoming more mainstream which is good to see. I am loving seeing drag queens on television and on stage and rightfully so. I mean people don’t bat an eyelid at comedians who have been around for years, drag queens have been around for just as long and deserve this mainstream spotlight, especially after the rumours that drag queens were groomers which was absolutely awful and horrible. But I am glad to see that hasn’t stopped them - if anything it has made them louder and prouder which is great to see.

Social media can be soul destroying, How do you handle negative comments or criticism? I definitely get that, especially after the whole eliminating pangina thing. It was a big thing that people didn’t really think that I should have won and I still get that to this day, like death threats. But one person who really inspired me with that is Baga Chipz - she gets it from all sides. She does not bat an eyelid, does not let it deter her from what she is doing and it really inspired me to take it with a grain of salt and make a joke about it and move on. I think realistically these people are just terminally online, they live their lives online and it is like a whole other world that they are in with no reality. If they knew me in person they would know that I am just a normal person trying to get on with life and I am not some evil monster like they are making out.

Do you ever read the negative comments? Or do you think this is a load of bulls***, I am not even reading it?

I do read the comments, maybe I am a glutton for punishment. If there is a genuine point to made I would rather know it than not know it. For example, we are in a society today where you can’t say things that you could have said 10 years ago and if I do say something that is out of place I would like to be told rather than continue to do it, but that is very rarely the case when people are sending hate messages and I do end up blocking and deleting them.

You’ve had your fair share of competitions/ reality shows, any more on the horizon or bucket list?

I’ve got a few actually, I did Celebrity Cooking School and I loved it. I could never cook before and now I adore cooking, so I would love to do Bake Off of course. It would be so much fun, I love decorating cakes and things and I was the desert queen on Cooking School. I would really like to do Big Brother, because I feel that I just get along with anyone that I talk to, and I would love to meet new people and just go crazy in the Big Brother house. I would really like to do I’m A Celeb because I think that I could eat bulls testicles, it would just be another Saturday night for me, you know. Lol.

Are you going to apply for any of those shows? I always ask to be put forward. My dream would have been Strictly, but now that I have done Dancing with the Stars I don’t think that I can do Strictly. But who knows.

Does that automatically rule you out then? I think so. I met with Michelle Visage recently and she tried to get on Dancing with the Stars in America after she had done Strictly but they said no. But still, who knows? I didn’t win. I would even do the Christmas Special as I really enjoy dancing.

So you’ve already conquered the world, what is next for you, any projects you can share? This year I have some great Pride gigs coming up.

I have Mother in Dublin and that is on Dublin Pride day. I did it before just coming out of lockdown and it was fabulous. It is a massive stage with loads of visuals, Sasha Belair is going to be there, Cobra, all of these amazing artists that I really look up to, so that is next month. I will be at Drag Con LA which is incredible. I always love Drag Con, it is so amazing to me, I get to meet all of the queens from the show and all of the people Stateside who love us because they always love the British Queens - I think we are their favourite!

Americans in general are so so much more louder and flamboyant in general… Yes, well most of them are apparently Irish, that’s all I get “My family are Irish” and they do not look Irish at all, they have got a tan! Lol.

It’s pride month and this is our pride issue - in 2024 do you think Pride is needed?

Absolutely yes! However, not everything is perfect for the LGBT community. People who are Trans have to wait nearly 8 years for life changing surgeries and there is still hate in the world against people who are queer. So until the day of acceptance comes then no-one can ask why there is a Pride. I also think it is just a beautiful day where we all just get to have fun and hold our partners hand in the street.

What is your view on labels, are they needed or outdated?

I am not a massive label person to be honest. I do consider myself non-binary, but I don’t really mind what people call me because I am very confident in who I am and what I am. But I do understand why we have them and I do understand why people have the need to find their place if labels help them do that. So yes, I will accept you as you are and call you by whatever pronouns you want. I think that is the right way to be in life, why should I project how I feel unto someone else.

Do you have any final words?

Thank you for having me. Anyone that is reading this, just continue to ‘Do you’ and your dreams can come true. If I can do it, anyone can.

Thanks so much for taking the time to chat.

Interview with Daniel May www.instagram.com/bluhydrangea_