Drag Race UK series 5 queens ‘very proud’ of regional representation: ‘It’s about time’
Exclusive: “I don't think I've ever seen as much northern representation”
The queens of Drag Race UK series 5 have praised the beloved BBC show for showcasing drag artists from up and down the country.
The 10 queens, who will compete to be crowned the UK’s Next Drag Race Superstar, hail from Cornwall to County Durham.
Amongst the queens are several contestants hailing from the north of England, who are all buzzing to be a part of this year’s line-up.
Ahead of the series 5 premiere on Thursday (28 September), all the contestants sat down with Attitude for a much-needed debrief.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen as much northern representation” – Naomi Carter
The cast have all made clear how excited they are to represent places that don’t usually get showcased on the programme.
The diva of Doncaster, Naomi Carter told us she thinks it’s “lovely” to have representation of northern queens. She told us: “I come from a little mining village myself, a small town. It’s nice to be the representation that you don’t really see that much.
“It’s quite special for us northern queens that are all on together. I don’t think I’ve ever seen as much northern representation. We’ve all got each other and whenever I hear a northern accent similar to mine, it just warms me up.”
Michael Marouli, who is a proud Geordie, weighed in: “It’s amazing. It’s about time. We need some representation. We’ve got the three of us from the northeast, Vicki [Vivacious] is the first Cornish girl as well. We’ve also got someone from America, someone from Poland, it’s like, it’s just incredible to get this representation.”
Kate Butch also agreed: “Yeah, it’s really exciting to show off our small towns. A lot of us now live in big cities, but you’ve got to start somewhere. It’s just nice to put those places on the map.
“As well as the northern thing, we’ve got two queens that weren’t born in the UK. Cara and Alexis are from overseas, and emigrated here. It’s just a great representation of what British drag and British culture in general can be,” the Buxton-based queen pointed out.
“It’s amazing. It’s about time” – Michael Marouli
She’s even heard from “the one other Buxton celebrity”, singer Lucy Spraggan: “I’m also thrilled to announce Lucy Spraggan has sent me some emojis she knows I exist.”
Unfortunately Kate Bush hasn’t been in contact yet: “I think she lives in the woods somewhere. She’s got no idea what’s going on.”
Cara Mell and Alexis Saint Pete are originally from the US and Poland respectively, but have definitely paid their dues to be part of the UK line-up.
Cara admits it was “really nerve wracking” to join the queens on The BBC show, telling us: “I thought to myself, ‘Are they going to think, why is she here? She’s an American girl,’ but I’ve lived in London for eight years now.
“I studied here, went to the London College of Fashion and my drag bred from here. I was already thinking my head, you can’t touch me on that bit, and I have paid my dues in the London and UK drag scene!”
Whereas Alexis’s homeland of Poland remains one of the worst among the European Union countries when it comes to LGBTQ+ rights, according to ILGA-Europe’s 2023 report.
“Sometimes when we are in a country where is better with the LGBTQ rights, we sometimes forget, and sometimes don’t really look out for what’s happening in other countries.”
“I’ve got a heavy bag on my shoulders but I’m gonna carry it and make sure that I enjoy it as much as I can” – Alexis Saint Pete
She reminded us just how difficult it can be to be openly LGBTQ+ around the world, continuing: “It’s not all pink and bubbly like Barbie. There are people that are literally in my country can’t even enter restaurants if you’re part of LGBTQ community.
“Being able to represent my LGBTQ people on such a big platform because, let’s be honest, the UK is one of the biggest platforms you can get in the world. It’s just surreal to me. I’ve got a heavy bag on my shoulders but I’m gonna carry it and make sure that I enjoy it as much as I can.
“It’s not just dancing and fashion and clothes, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity that I can do something really important for my people and even for people here [in the UK] because they can see that not every blonde Barbie is stupid!”
The topic of regional representation is one of the major talking points from all 10 queens, who clearly feel very positively about being able to showcase their hometowns.
It comes after judge Michelle Visage previously responded to criticism about the lack of queens from other parts of the UK.
Season one alumni Blu Hydrangea, who is from Belfast, said after the Ru-veal: “Love the UK5 cast, but 5 seasons with only two Irish queens.”
“You ask them!” she told Digital Spy when quizzed on why we won’t be seeing queens from outside of England.
“They have to audition. You can’t pick from the sky. If they don’t audition, or if they’re not on the level they need to be quite yet but I do believe they’ll all get there, that’s the way the cookie crumbles,” she continued.
But she went on to confirm there’s a very strong series on the way, ahead of its premiere this week.
“We’d love to represent all of the UK. Regional drag is everywhere. It’s all about the audition, but this series [is] gonna knock your socks off,” she teased.
Drag Race UK premieres tomorrow (Thursday, 28 September) on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer at 9pm