Lucky Roy Singh on making Drag Race UK history, activism and the drama between the queens in series 8 (EXCLUSIVE)
"The viewers can expect some chaos, some culture and a lot of feistiness. There are twists and turns as well this season. So let’s see how the public react to that," Singh tells Attitude
By Aaron Sugg
Lucky Roy Singh is making history as the first Sikh South Asian queen to compete on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK. They are one of 12 queens competing for the title of the UK’s Next Drag Race Superstar on series 8 of the BBC show. But beyond their cultural breakthrough and drag career, Lucky’s work goes far beyond the glitz and glam of the runway.
Lucky was honoured at the Attitude Pride Awards in 2019 for their advocacy and campaigning for greater education and safeguards for survivors of domestic abuse. They tell Attitude the award was the “catalyst” for their journey as an ambassador, which has since seen them educate “101 police officers on honour-based abuse, domestic violence and queer people of colour inclusivity.”
Since they last spoke with Attitude, Lucky says they’ve had their “fingers in so many pies”, from working with the UK Government on forced marriage protection orders, to hosting the first-ever Queer Asian Takeover at Manchester Pride in 2023, becoming the mother of South Asian and Middle Eastern artist hub House of Spice and, of course, being cast on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK series 8.
Here, Lucky gives readers an update on their work as an award-winning domestic abuse ambassador, spills on a dramatic Drag Race series and reflects on a recent Drag Queen Story Time that left them lost for words.
Attitude: How does it feel to be the first Sikh South Asian queen to compete on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK?
Lucky Roy Singh: I think being the first Sikh South Asian Queen on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK is insanely honourable for me to have got that title and to get on there. It feels surreal. It feels great, it feels correct. I think the viewers will learn about my background, our heritage, our culture, a bit more about our history.
Is there anything in particular you hope viewers will take away from your appearance on the show?
I hope they learn that there are different brown people in the world, to be honest, and we come from different parts of the world, our history, our culture, our fashion, some meaningful elements from our culture that the British have taken, stuff like that. I’m excited for the world to be educated.
What can viewers expect from Season 8 of Drag Race UK?
The viewers can expect some chaos, some culture and a lot of feistiness. There are twists and turns as well this season. So let’s see how the public react to that.
I hear there’s a lot of drama this season. Who’s bringing the drama?
I think the people bringing the drama will be myself, KY Kelly, Paris Baby, Flesh. You know, we all got into it. Some people like to throw a stone and hide their hand, but at the end of the day, I was onto them.
Were you in touch with the queens prior to the season? Did you know of them? Were there any queens that you were friends with or maybe had beef with outside of the show?
No, I didn’t know anybody apart from Tequila Thirst, who I’ve booked for a couple of my shows. But yeah, I didn’t really know the girls. We have kept in contact, but you know, there’s stuff that goes on behind the scenes, which we’ve addressed. But you’ll have to wait and see how it pans out, to be honest. There’s a lot of stuff that happens and it was important for us to showcase stories and elements through our drag to have those important conversations. There was stuff in there that we had to acknowledge in order to have those conversations brought to the forefront. It’s just an exciting time for these conversations to happen. It’s an exciting time for all of our cast to just be feisty and be drag queens.
I can’t wait for the reunion. And obviously, coming from a Sikh South Asian background, is there a history of cross-dressing in your culture?
I wouldn’t call it cross-dressing. We have a lot of our community that takes references and there are people from the Hijra community, there are people who are intersex, et cetera. It’s not widely known from my community that people cross-dress and stuff like that. But I don’t initially see me as a cross-dresser. I see me as a drag queen that is portraying art. And through that, I’m educating the nation.
How have your family reacted to your drag career?
They were a bit hesitant at the beginning, but you know, showcasing what I’ve achieved and the work that I’ve done in the community, they’re really happy about me. And you know, it’s important to have that relationship by educating people and educating your parents about what drag is, what queer people of colour are and why we do what we do. Having that relationship with my family has really blossomed into something magical.
How has that changed since you landed on the cast of Drag Race?
My mum has always sent me the cast: “It’s the cast, it’s the cast, girl, what are you doing?” I’m like, “I’m trying, I’m trying.” But yeah, they were very excited. A lot of them helped me with a lot of stuff to get ready, you know, packing and funding. They were hands-on and I appreciate them. I think it’s important to acknowledge and to say thank you to them because it’s not easy having somebody as a child like me that wants to pursue this, that wants to go down this avenue. So props to them at the end of the day and I appreciate them very much.
How has drag impacted your journey as a non-binary person?
I think drag has impacted me as a non-binary person by just being able to express who I am as a non-binary person. A lot of people in our community like to place themselves in boxes and other people do that as well initially, and I think that’s where it’s come from. But I’m just me, I’m Lucky Roy Singh at the end of the day and I’m doing what I’m doing. I’m fierce, I slay and I own it.
You’re an award-winning advocate for survivors of domestic abuse. Talk to me about your journey as an ambassador.
Yeah, so I’m an advocate and ambassador for a couple of various topics that I’ve personally faced. You know, but I think it’s important to acknowledge the work that’s gone into it. I’ve been educating police forces nationally. I’ve educated 101 police officers on honour-based abuse, domestic violence and queer people of colour inclusivity. I’ve worked with social workers across the nation, basically to put on education conferences and the NHS and stuff like that. I think it’s really important to understand people’s personal experiences, but turn it around into a positive note.
And I’ve had a lot of support, various charities that I work alongside, you know, Carmen Nirvana. I’ve worked alongside the Home Office. The government’s really, really been — it’s been something that’s been really close to my heart and I’m glad I got to achieve that and make a difference, basically. And it’s such important work and I’m glad I’ve been able to showcase that.
There are different scenarios which do take place. You’re able to help somebody escape or survive something and I think that is really, really personal and it’s a personal journey. But yeah, I’ve triumphed in that and I feel like I have actually saved lives, which is quite good.
You were honoured with an Attitude Pride Award in 2019. How has your life changed since then?
So getting the Attitude Award in 2019 was amazing. You know, it’s helped me – it’s helped me make a name in that field for doing more education. So I do think it was a foundation that was laid by getting that. And I do appreciate Attitude for doing that because there were not a lot of people doing what I was doing and being able to help many, many people across the nation. I feel like it was a catalyst. Really, really well. So thank you so much.
Where has your career taken you?
I have been doing so much. I don’t know where I should start from. I’ve got my fingers in so many pies and you know, I think making real change with the government is a main topic, forced marriage protection orders and just being in places where those conversations need to be had.
Personal milestones, getting on Drag Race, what can I say? Hosting the Queer Asian Takeover, making history, touring all the Prides. It’s been insane, and being the mother of House of Spice, which is a North African, Middle Eastern house where we perform. Just creating spaces, making change, being visible, so much. There’s so much I could go [on about]. Basically, Google me.
You recently took part in Drag Queen Story Time with Lucky Roy Singh, reading to children. Was there one moment that particularly touched you?
Yeah, so we did a drag queen story time and that was produced by Darren Pritchard, who’s the mother of all mothers, by the way, and it was by Failsworth Inclusion.
Yeah, there was a moment in that. Basically, in my personal life, I worked at the hospital. I don’t know if I can say this, but I worked at the hospital and my role was to take care of patients, children when they were admitted to have surgery.
And there was a child who had cancer and it was a full-circle moment because she was sat there beside me and I recognised the mum. And then she was like, “My God, you helped us so much.” And it was a full-circle moment to see you be in drag and be here now reading to my daughter. So, it was a full-circle moment.
And if I could put it into words how I felt at that time, I really, really would. But the emotions got the better of me. And I think what you put out into the world is what you receive back. And I’m all about love. I’m all about leading with love. And that’s why I win, baby.
RuPaul’s Drag Race UK series 8 will premiere on 3 September 2026 on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer.