I could just about manage to recall Sinitta’s high camp palm leaf outfit on X Factor, and remember my quiet resentment at how the British music industry did not maximise the career of LGBTQ+ ally Beverly Knight, arguably the best vocalist this country has produced in my lifetime. It’s true: racking my brains for any other examples of Black British gay icons that could reasonably be impersonated by a drag queen. Instead, the show brought the two queens together to talk about why they had both chosen Campbell, and what ensued was a poignant discussion about the dearth of role models and icons for Black British gay people. Blessedly, the show retreated from pitting two black queens against each other, especially when they both chose Naomi Campbell as their British gay icon for the maxi challenge. There was an early moment when Tayce, billed as accomplished dancer, and Asttina, also primarily a dancer, were asked if there was going to be a rivalry between the “dancing queens” – it seemed to be serving as an uncomfortable euphemism for “Black”. Newport queen Tayce, for whom the term Bad Bitch was invented, is my get-go personal favourite of all the contestants. Positively, there are three queens of colour this year. It is a little disappointing though to see that no female or trans masculine queens made the cut this time. In all seriousness, Ginny Lemon and Bimini Bon Boulash are out as nonbinary.
#DRAG RACE UK SEASON 2 SERIES#
If you were worried about more marginalised groups being left behind this series then fear not: Tia Kofi is a Clapham Gay (an identity which I suppose is less about being materially downtrodden and more about being spiritually impoverished).
#DRAG RACE UK SEASON 2 FULL#
The Drag Race franchise continues to attract criticism from drag artists themselves for its unwillingness to embrace the full richness and diversity of real life drag scenes with its preference for cis men (occasionally allowing nonbinary people and, in America, the odd trans woman to slip through the net, typically by implying they’re men anyway). “Joe Black just shows us the kind of personality you only get in the UK cabaret circuit” Joe Black just shows us, it’s the kind of personality you only get in the UK cabaret circuit. Joe Black was weird, retro, and grandiose: even kooky American queens like Sharon Needles have to explain to us that they’re weird and different.
The truth, is you just don’t get queens like Joe Black, Lawrence Chaney, or Ginny Lemon in the US: Ginny and Lawrence, for example, are evidently meticulous and highly controlled performers, who can masquerade as erratic fiascos. Darlington gothic queen Cherry Valentine cheerily informed us she was a drag queen, a Botox aesthetician, and a mental health nurse, which means that even if she doesn’t win this show I want to hire her on retainer. While there were some exceptional queens on series one, it was clear last night that the general talent level this year is higher from the very beginning. The first series, if we are being honest, struggled to get all the best queens – many working the current circuit were nervous about how the show would be received and decided to wait for the second series to audition. Last night’s premiere was the best first episode of any Drag Race season I’ve seen in years.
The ‘Wimbled’Hun’ mini-challenge saw the queens pose for celebrity photographer Kevin McDaid who, it was explained, has photographed Cheryl, Rita Ora, and Jessie J (poor man! Who’s next? Jess Glynne?). The British cultural references are littered throughout in an off-handed, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it way. But enough about that: what about the gowns?ĭrag Race UK remains the grubby little runt compared to its older and glossier American sister show, but is all the more charming for it. RuPaul himself is as cool, calm, and undeterred by global disaster as he ever was which is unsurprising, given the news last spring that he allows fracking (a practice somewhat akin to choking Mother Nature until she faints) on his 60,000-acre ranch in Wyoming, all while we hurtle towards unmitigated climate catastrophe. But much like capitalism or Kylie Minogue, the RuPaul industrial complex shows itself able to weather the storm. Hello, hello, hello! Welcome back to RuPaul’s Drag Race UK: since its triumphant first series in winter 2019 the world has, quite emphatically, gone to shit. Warning: this column contains spoilers for Drag Race UK Season Two, Episode One
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