Now you're going to know today's guest, legendary, a legendary drag performer who won Dragways versus the World Series 2. They're also a singer and a podcaster and an activist. And I, for one, have been a fan for years. And I'm delighted to have them on the show today. Welcome to here. Hello, I didn't write that just so we. They did. I didn't. I didn't say all of that. How are you? I'm good, thank you. How are you?

Yeah. I didn't write that just so we... They did. I didn't say all of that. How are you? I'm good, thank you. How are you? Yeah, I'm good. I'm very excited to be chatting to you. I feel like I only ever see you when you're in Dragon, I'm in a suit. It's like the rules have to be... I find that with like entering into this world. Like we only see each other at like events. Yeah, like oh hi. Hey, how's it going? Don't kiss my face. Like very air kiss. Very air kiss. I find those so stressful though. Like awards do's and things. Why? Less so now. But the first time when my season of drag race, the first one aired during lockdown. So suddenly you're going to like the Attitude Awards after you haven't left the house for a year. Yeah, and I also feel like your series was even more massive because everyone was at home. Yeah, very bad. So it was, people were into telly. And we had a very iconic cast as well. Yeah, really good. So it was like quite gripping. so it was very intense sort of getting thrust out of that world. Yes. I wasn't allowed to leave the house and then suddenly I'm sat next to H from steps. Sure. Wild. Absolutely wild. How do you find it now? More chill, especially like, like Attitude Awards is a really good example because the girls from the new series of drag race will often be there. And I feel like a bit of a mother hen being like, please let me introduce you to Miling class. Like I feel more like at home. Because now these are people that I know. Because there always needs to be the go between. Yeah. Between New Drag and Mylene Class. Yeah.

Well, very true. And Mylene does love drag. Oh, really? Yeah. Love. I see that for her. Yeah. Big ally. Love Mylene class. So sometimes get overwhelmed when I'm like socially conversing with Mylene. Sometimes I'm like, oh, well. I've been overwhelmed quite a few times at the Attitude Awards. Really?

I spoke to Jess Gunning, who is in Baby Reindeer.

Yes. I loved her in that. And I've seen her in lots of stuff. She's in the movie Pride, which I love as well. Yeah. But I went over and sort of went, oh, yeah. Are you bored of people telling you how brilliant you are?

She was like, oh, no, and I was like, oh, that's a weird thing to say, but oh, she's just so weird. And then I did a very similar thing with Alex Scott and Leah Williamson, and I thought, oh, God, I hate that on me. This is so embarrassing. Everyone's in the same boat. I fear, I think, that as Tom Allen and I would maybe describe some of them,

none of them are being named, but as like the and I would maybe describe some of them, none of them

are being named, but as like the A-gays that are very cool, who would have been like the calls at school. I'm sort of scared because I think that I become like 14-year-old me and I'm like, please like me. Please like me. I've gone the opposite. When I like sniff or perceive like a gay energy, I'm instantly like, I want nothing to do with you.

Disgusted. Like, I'm like, I know you would have bullied me at school, so this is not for me. And what is the scent of A-Gay? Is it Poppers? Oh, is it pop? That's interesting. I think it's like, for me, a male presenting A-, it's bril cream. Oh, okay. Because I think that's childhood trauma. Boys would use it for their curtains. Yeah, exactly that, or like that very upright Essex Quiff. I was always really jealous of that because I couldn't do that with my hair. But now you feel good that you didn't do it. Oh, great. Not single traumatizing photo of me with like an upright like an upright quiff. Great. Love that for you. Yeah. You're saying Essex Quist. You grew up in Essex. I did. Whereabouts? We moved quite a bit. So I was born in Harlow and then spent a lot of time living in Epping when I was younger, which you may have heard of from the anti-migrant protest. Then moved to Debden where there are a lot of BNP councillors.

Ah.

And then Louten, which we love.

I heard on an interview you say that you hadn't seen another mixed-race person

until you saw Mel from Big Brother.

Is that right?

Yeah.

But that's how white the area was that you lived in. Yeah. That and also

like how undiverse like media was. Oh me. Yeah. Totally. Because I'd seen my sister obviously, but apart

from her. Like it was Mel from the first series of Big Brother where I was too young to be watching

Big Brother at that time. Yeah. But I would like sneak down and like watch it like after my bedtime, which is quite scandalous because I was like way too young to be watching it. I think it was that fascination of like there were queer people on there. Yeah. There was a lesbian skateboarding nun. Yeah. There was mixed race male. Nasty Nick.

Scandals.

In a way, there were things that were sort of people were more understanding of differences,

even though we didn't see an awful lot of it.

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