If your engines aren’t started, consider this your ignition: RuPaul’s Drag Race UK roars back on the BBC tomorrow with Girls Aloud icon Nadine Coyle “fearing for her life,” legendary Brits like Tracy Beaker, Charlotte Church, and Denise from EastEnders fully transformed in drag, and a “ridonkulously gag-worthy” lineup of queens, runways — and, blimey, this part is just so unexpected — twists! and! turns!
Reminder incoming: the 12 queens hoping to usurp Kyran Thrax as the UK’s Next Drag Superstar are Bones, Bonnie Ann Clyde, Catrin Feelings, Chai T Grande, Elle Vosque, Nyongbella, Paige Three, Pasty, Sally™, Silllexa Diction, Tayris Mongardi and Viola.
While the cast promise that season seven will deliver all the charisma, uniqueness, nerve, talent, and reality-TV shenanigans we’ve come to expect, they emphasise that Drag Race’s impact goes far beyond the werkroom and the runway. In a political climate increasingly hostile towards LGBTQIA+ people — especially trans and non-binary communities — they see the series as a platform to uplift, inspire and “be queer figureheads for our community.” This season isn’t just about entertainment; it’s about celebrating resilience, visibility, and queer joy when it’s needed most.
From inspiring the next generation of queer viewers to subverting Drag Race expectations — and a judge who may or may not have been “punched in the tit” (confirmation pending) — all of this and more is covered in the following interview with the cast of season seven. Disclaimer: 12 drag queens on one call means this conversation has been lovingly condensed for clarity (and shade).
GT: Queens, condragulations on becoming RuGirls with RuPaul’s Drag Race UK season seven! Let’s go back to the beginning: when you first sashayed into the werkroom, what were your initial impressions of one another?
Sally: I was really overstimulated! It felt like The Truman Show. I’m a Rolodex diva, so I knew these people before they knew me. I knew Bones was Queen Soho. I knew Paige was dippy dancing about on the West End. I knew Tayris had won Brighton’s big drag pageant. I’d even seen Catrin’s TikToks before I came in. Then they all came in and I was like, ‘What are they good at? What will I be able to beat them in?’ Of course, Silllexa came in and I was like, ‘Shit, there’s my competition — the seamstress!’ I really enjoyed it… while simultaneously shitting myself.
Patsy: You don’t see anything until you literally walk in and then [production are] like, ‘You need to hit this mark.’ It’s such a blur!
Silllexa: It was such an early start. I was jittering. It was chaos. I should not have had four Red Bulls.
Patsy: My breast plate was just [starts jiggling her tig ol’ biddies]! I did them in.
Tayris: Everyone was good at representing their drag from the moment they walked in. I think the only person I completely misread… I thought Elle Vosque was a cis woman. She came in and I was like, ‘Oh diva!’ She got out of drag and I was like, ‘Who is that?’
Viola: The majority of us thought Elle was cis, and it was a big revelation. But walking into that workroom, the excitement levels were crazy. I was feeling very confident walking in, but as soon as I turned around and saw the girls, terror flooded the basement. I dunno what it is about the hamster cage, but it just makes you so on edge and so terrified.
Paige: Overstimulation at its absolute finest. But I was really reveling in the fact that I was there. Walking around that corner, they don’t really give you a warning. They go, ‘Okay, off you go!’ It was like, ‘Mama… I’m on Drag Race, honey.’
Patsy: You get to see everything that you don’t usually see when you watch the show, which is weird.
Elle: It’s also weirdly like watching the show. I turned the corner and literally was like, ‘Oh my god, I’m in an episode of Drag Race.’ It didn’t feel that different?
Chai: Being met by that wall of cameras and a group of queens, you forget how to do the simplest things. What could go wrong? Turns out… quite a lot could go wrong. You could pass your mark, bubble your line, fall over.
Bonnie: The initial impression was how visually different everyone was. Every single person here is bringing something unique to the show. Everyone’s going to have their favourite because we’re all so different.
Chai: I mean, look at us now, for example.
Sally: Speak for yourself!
GT: Fans have gotten to know you through your promos and Meet the Queens videos, but what’s one thing about your artistry or persona that might surprise them this season?
Tayris: How much heart and vulnerability I display. Especially when you see a drag queen or a drag artist, it’s big, it’s bold, and it almost feels like a highly decorative object. Sometimes, even the fans and people at our gigs forget that we’re people underneath it. So much of what I do at my core is political. It’s a celebration of my queerness, my blackness. I knew walking into the workroom that this was a platform not only to entertain, but because Drag Race is such a part of the mainstream queer zeitgeist, it’s really an opportunity to inspire the people who need to see themselves in us.
I said to myself: I’ll do the fierce drag, I’ll be the c**ty boots and all that too, but I need to make sure that everything I do rings true to all my experiences, all my heart, and all my vulnerability. I want to be an emblem for blackness, and I know that is what I did on that platform.
Sally: Similar sentiments to Tayris. For me, it’s about being an artist at the forefront. Also, a lot of people might see my look and think, ‘Oh, she’s a bit cold, a bit intimidating.’ But when you get to know me, I’m just a lovely person. Just like everyone from the North, know what I mean?
Catrin: That I’m actually a man! I’m just a bit of an open box, truth be told. I feel like, because people see me as sort of a camp cow, they probably think that I can’t do certain things. But those certain things… You’ll have to find out on the show. RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, Thursday nights at 9 p.m. on BBC iPlayer.
GT: Shameless plug.
Chai: She’s buying time.
Bones: For me, I think I come from a drag family that is infamously known for their opinions.
[A moment of silence, as everyone on the call expected Bones to continue.]
Patsy: … and that’s it.
Nyongbella: End sentence!
Bones: We’re quite known for our opinions, even when people haven’t asked for them. Going in, people might think I’m there to cause trouble. But I have a very motherly energy that the girls got to see. I am very opinionated, but it always comes from a place of love.
Viola: I would say my age. Everybody thinks I’m 40. I dunno why. I filmed the show when I was 22. I’m the second youngest on the cast, and every one of these girls thought I was in my thirties at least. And this isn’t just in drag, this is out of drag as well.
Paige: No, no, not out of drag!
Catrin: You look younger out of drag.
Viola: I obviously paint very big. I think my makeup is quite ageless. But I put on the updos, I wear glamorous gowns, and I don’t really do bodysuits.
Paige: And your vocals, Viola! Your vocals!
Elle: Lady Vi!
Viola: There’s a lot of bravado.
Paige: [Impersonating Viola] ‘Oh my goodness!’
Viola: ‘Hello, darlings!’
Paige: You could play an 86-year-old.
Viola: Because of the singing as well, most people expect that I won’t be able to perform through lip-sync. But darling, a performer is a performer, whether they’re singing or lip syncing or not.
Catrin: And she’s good with her mouth.
Viola: Oh, exactly!
Patsy: In the promo my personality comes off as very stupid. I think when you watch the show, you’ll see how stupid my drag can actually go in terms of looks and the things I do. Also, people might be surprised that I can look pretty sometimes.
Viola: No!
Silllexa: Don’t say that!
Patsy: No, not like that. I don’t just do stupid camp stuff all the time.
Viola: I saw it when you walked into the workroom, babe, that you were gorgeous.
Patsy: Thank you, babe.
Nyongbella: I dunno. I feel like I show off every facet of myself pretty much. I can look gorgeous. I can be crazy cuckoo cu – oh, I can’t say that word.
GT: You bloody well can.
Nyongbella: Oh, I can say c**t?! Perfect! Finally!
Patsy: She’s been told off all afternoon.
Nyongbella: Literally. It’s on my necklace still…
GT: Disclaimer: you can all say c**t as much as you want. We’re all British here.
Paige: Ready, girls? One, two, three…
The cast of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK season 7: C**T!
Bonnie: And scene!
GT: Back to business…
Nyongbella: So, I like to be that crazy cuckoo – c**t! I like to do all kinds of things. I’m very ‘what you see is what you get.’ I can be nice if I want to be nice, and if I want to be a bitch, I could be a bitch. I have no qualms about cussing someone out or doing whatever. As I said in my ‘Meet the Queens: “If you don’t like that, if you have thoughts, suck your mum.”
Elle: I would actually say that people don’t know a lot about me. Unlike a lot of the other queens, they had more of an online presence before the race, whereas I feel like the audience won’t really know what to expect from me — period. I think that’s the answer.
Paige: Catrin, can I just ask… Are you cleaning your teeth out with your nails?
Catrin: No, I’m picking my nose.
Bonnie: Alright, show us Catrin.
Catrin: Pardon?
Patsy: Catrin, are you finished picking your nose?
Catrin: All clean!
Paige: I’m probably most known for being a stage performer. I think it’s important, like a lot of the other girls have said, to show that there’s a person behind it, a human, and there’s a lot of reason why I do things and why I love what I do. I want to try and highlight the humanity side of being a stage performer. I’m actually a bit nuts. I probably should be locked up and put away. I mean, the bus journey home [from set], girl…
Sally: She’s cuckoo bananas!
Catrin: Honestly, if you’ve seen Paige have a drink…
Elle: Paige doesn’t need a drink.
Paige: I don’t need a drink.
Chai: People think Vi is older, but people tend to think I’m younger, which is a little humble brag, I’ll admit! Whereas Vi is giving those classical references, I very much engage with LaBuBu culture and dress in that sort of style. People always expect the oldest queen to be a battleaxe — that staple on every Drag Race cast! I might surprise people in that way. Like Elle, I’m fairly unknown compared to the rest of the cast. I’m known in a very specific niche, East London circle where I competed in a competition, but I wasn’t that well known until recently. That’s a bit of a superpower.
Bonnie: I’m a bit of the opposite. I’ve been doing drag for so long and have been quite international — performing in Dublin, Gran Canaria, Manchester and all across the UK. So, there’s an expectation for me to do well. People are going to be surprised by the crazy, cuckoo things I come up with and how I present them in the Drag Race capsule.
Silllexa: I’m very visual. If you come to watch me, you’re not going to see me throwing myself around — well, maybe a few splits! – but people expect me to be quite hard, moody and miserable. Which I am, but I’m also really stupid! All the girls know I’m not afraid to take the piss out of myself and look like an idiot. Ultimately, I’m still the 13-year-old boy who just wanted to go out, have fun, be flamboyant, and live my life. I just have tits now. I’m quite nice and really humble… oh, and gorgeous!
GT: With all of this in mind, let’s play a very original and groundbreaking game of, ‘Who’s most likely to…’
Paige: This is fun! We haven’t done this.
Viola: I love this.
GT: Who is most likely to sob on the main stage?
Catrin, Elle, Viola, Sally and Pasty: Tayris!
Tayris: I’m an Aries sun with a Leo rising! I feel!
GT: Most likely to throw shade on the main stage?
Catrin and Bones: Viola.
Viola: Catrin!
Tayris: Nyongbella.
Silllexa: I’d say Catrin or Nyongbella, to be honest.
Elle: I’d say Catrin too.
Sally: Yeah, I’d say Catrin.
Catrin: Who did I shade on the main stage?
[Awkward silence and laughter.]
Patsy: You’re just shady!
Catrin: I am.
Paige: Shady fun, though. Shady fun.
GT: Oh wow, is this going to be a… moment? Catrin, will you be attacking the judges?
Catrin: I won’t!
Tayris: Not verbally, physically.
Sally: Yeah, she punched Michelle Visage in the tit.
Chai: Through her heel!
GT: I’ve got my headline, then?
Catrin: If I get RuPaul ringing me up, it’s on you Sam!
GT: Who’s most likely to make RuPaul unleash his signature cackle?
Catrin: Paige.
Viola: Ella.
Bones: I was going to say Sally.
Elle: I’m going to say Bonnie.
Catrin: Yeah, Bonnie is very witty.
Bonnie: I’m gonna say myself.
GT: And most likely to embrace their inner Ginny Lemon and just… leave?
Everyone: Bella!
Nyongbella: 100 per cent, me.
GT: I would love to continue with this game but I fear retribution from the powers-that-BBC-be. So let’s turn to something more pressing: outside of Drag Race, the world feels increasingly dire, with escalating attacks on the LGBTQIA+ community – especially our trans brothers and sisters. What does it mean to you to step into the werkroom and make your Drag Race debut right now?
Viola: It offers an escape. It’s a place where you can live in a fantasy world, where Drag Race *is* the world. You know you’re going to be loved, accepted and supported in whatever you do, because that’s what our community is known for.
Sally: We all have different lived experiences as artists within this microcosm of queerness. Drag Race is a platform where people can find pillars of community, people who are the positive within the negative. We see so much hatred toward our trans sisters and brothers, toward Black people, and POC, especially with what’s going on in politics right now, not just in the UK. America coughs, and we catch a cold. It’s so important that we as individuals are visible, so people don’t look at the news and think, ‘That is the future.’ We are the future. We are pillars of the community. We are here to fight, make our voices heard, and ensure everyone, no matter what they identify as, has someone to look up to and say, ‘I want to be like them.’
Silllexa: Sally for president.
Tayris: Yeah, I think Sally hit it on the head. Drag is inherently about entertainment, but it’s also political, and in today’s world, being visible as a queer person — especially as a person of colour — comes with responsibility. Walking into the workroom, I asked myself: do I have the skills to succeed in the challenges? I hoped so, but more than that, I wanted to exemplify strength, richness and the understanding I’ve gained as a queer person of colour, while acknowledging my privileges.
The world is becoming increasingly dangerous for our trans+ siblings – not just in the UK, but globally. I know how much our work can connect with people. I meet young queer folks who’ve had to move just to be themselves, and I realised I needed to show fight, fire, and vibrance for them… People we didn’t see growing up. There will be highs and lows, drama and competition, but at its core, Drag Race is a celebration. It shows that queer people can and should thrive in the mainstream. We’re artists, but we’re also human beings who deserve to be loved, safe and celebrated. I feel lucky to have this platform, and I trust every member of this cast to not only entertain, but to be queer figureheads for our community.
Elle: I’m representing Northern Ireland, and I’m very honoured to be doing so. The world at the minute is quite messed up, and it’s really heartbreaking and sad. On a local level, this year, Ballymena, a town close to Belfast, had its first-ever Pride, and there were huge protests. Slurry was actually spread across the road to make it impossible for people to enjoy the parade.
It just highlights how important it is for us to show up, support these events, and live life authentically. People like that are winning at the minute, but we have to make sure we’re visible. Being gay, a drag queen, and queer, and coming from Northern Ireland, I feel a huge responsibility. Representing Northern Ireland on such a great show, which is historic for LGBTQIA+ representation, is an honour, and I don’t take the opportunity lightly.
Patsy: I agree with Elle. I’m from Cornwall originally, and over the last few years, they’ve started doing Cornwall Pride, but because Cornwall’s so big, they do lots of mini Prides. Just last month, a few of them actually got canceled because of underfunding. It’s tiring at the minute to even look at the news, because as queer people, we’re just pawns in a game of chess in politics. We’re used as cannon fodder to push these horrible rhetorics. As Elle said about Northern Ireland, I hope that people from Cornwall get to see that. I’ve had people reach out on Instagram already saying that seeing someone from Cornwall on the show is very empowering. I don’t take that lightly.
Paige: Yeah, none of us take the opportunity of being part of Drag Race for granted. Most of us, given the average age of the cast, pretty much grew up watching Drag Race. I was probably about 14 when I started watching it, and as someone who was questioning whether it was okay to feel the things I was feeling and experiencing as a young boy, Drag Race allowed me to go, ‘Hmm, I’m not alone here. There are other people who do what I do and make mountains out of something that felt so small inside them.’
I feel very lucky to be part of that for the next generation. I can’t really imagine what it’s like for 14-year-olds now – especially if you’re queer or from a minority in any sense, not knowing where you can go in life or what is okay. So if we can do even half the job that people like Detox and Alyssa Edwards did for me when I was 14, then we’re onto a winner.
Bones: Just as it was for us growing up, it’s a reminder to create a fantasy for queer people. Drag Race is an escape for so many, and as much as it’s important to highlight and use our platform, it’s also really important to provide that escape — the same way Alyssa Edwards and Detox did for us in our bedrooms when we were younger. Face the facts: we are all icons in the making!
Bonnie: In my lifetime, this is the worst it’s ever been politically. The shift to the right has been immense, and for whatever reason, there’s been such a devaluation of human existence and life. People just don’t care anymore about whether others live or die, whether they can exist authentically, or whether their life has any value. Drag Race does something really important: it not only showcases our talents, creativity, runway looks and funny moments, but it also humanises us. Because we’ve moved so far back, it’s crucial that we show who we are underneath all of our drag. Even if we only change a few minds here and there, it’s a start, though it will be a slow process.
Catrin: Going off what Bonnie said — although we are performers, we are still human. One thing I want to highlight is the mirror talks we have this season. I won’t give any spoilers, but one of my favourite parts of being on the show is having the opportunity to talk about issues that affect all of us. Not just within the cast, but across the queer community as well. Even though we all come from different backgrounds, the one thing we share is that we are queer, and throughout our lives, we’ve lived similar experiences in certain ways.
One thing I loved was listening to The Vivienne and Baga Chipz talk about their sobriety, for example. These moments are something people don’t focus on enough. Everyone’s always thinking about the challenges, who’s winning or losing, or the looks. But the mirror chats show us not only as performers, but as queer people who share experiences with the audience watching the show, especially in times like this. Watching the first episode and seeing one of the queens’ mirror chats was so inspiring and uplifting. I just want to thank everyone in the cast who had a mirror chat. It’s honestly such an inspiring group to be with, and I can’t wait for everyone to see it. My sisters, I love you all!
Chai: I totally agree with everything that’s been said. The sociopolitical climate right now is terrifying. Every time I step out the door, even in London — the most multicultural city ever — I feel scared. It’s not as simple as the queer community versus everybody else, because some of the hatred I’ve received comes from within our own community. It’s important to highlight that it’s not just the far right against liberals; there are issues within the queer community too. I wish it were simpler than that.
Patsy: It’s scary, isn’t it? It’s sad.
GT: Thank you all for sharing that – it really highlights just how vital Drag Race feels in this moment. With that in mind, what do you hope the legacy of UK season seven will be within the wider franchise?
Catrin: Don’t quote me on this, I don’t know the stats, but I think we’re one of the youngest casts in UK Drag Race history.
Viola: We are. I did the numbers.
Patsy: Viola double-checked!
Paige: Viola’s like, ‘You keep calling me 40, I have to check if we’re the youngest.’
Catrin: She’s the La Voix of the season! People often talk about casting younger queens and how they might not have as much experience as others who’ve been in the scene for years. But we succeed in what we do. We’re self-critical, sure, but we work on ourselves to be the best performers and people we can be. I think that shows on the season, every single one of us is polished in our own style of drag. We’re a great representation of the next wave of drag, I’d say.
Sally: To echo Catrin, I feel like this is the most unique cast Drag Race has had. There are multifaceted talents that haven’t been represented before. Usually, when the “Meet the Queens” comes out, people make comparisons, but I feel like the legacy of season seven will be an onslaught of inspiration. Every time I go on social media, someone’s rooting for a different queen, and that’s amazing. That’s the talent of a strong cast. People will be inspired by Bones, Bonnie, Paige, and so many others.
Bones: There’s a lot of well-branded queens, I think.
Sally: It’s like a Pinterest board of inspiration. Personally, I wanted my representation to show that the dream doesn’t die for alternative and creative queens. My drag isn’t the typical Drag Race style, and I hope my legacy inspires others to say, ‘She’s fierce and I want to be like her.’
Silllexa: I think they will.
Catrin: Maybe next season people will say, ‘Oh, she looks like Catrin Feelings’ or ‘she looks like Chai.’ It’s an endless cycle. I get compared to Lawrence Chaney, and in five seasons, someone might say, ‘Oh, she looks like Catrin.’
Patsy: Well, we’re twins, people say.
Catrin: Yeah, basically. I’m actually Patsy!
Paige: One thing I love is when people say a queen looks like someone who started drag after them.
Patsy: Our season is real fun energy when we’re all together. There’s so much banter, but the legacy of this season is going to be queer joy. Right now, in the current climate, it’s like a bubble of what community can be — queer people meeting up and enjoying themselves. Are you picking your nose again, Catrin?
Catrin: No. Fuck off.
Patsy: See? That’s the joy of the season. With the world the way it is, it’s nice to have a little bubble like this. We all love each other.
Bonnie: There’s no clear frontrunner for the crown. People have been predicting who’ll be on top, ranking our promo looks, but everyone brings something unique in personality and aesthetic. So people will pick their favourites, and everyone will be #TeamSomeone because we’re all amazing.
GT: Finally, I know you can’t give too much away. So, spoiler-free: how much of a gag is this season? Exaggerated adjectives encouraged.
Viola: Ridonkulously gag-worthy. Gagatrongery! Twists and turns left, right, center… everywhere. I can’t even remember half the stuff that happened.
Paige: If the girls on the show were gagged left, right, and center… the audience will be too. I was gagged the whole time. I was like, ‘Wait, what?’
Tayris: I’ve already said this offline, but I’ll say it here… the best collection of runways this show has ever seen.
Everyone: Yes!
Sally: Fierce is drag, fierce is gag, you know what I mean?
Patsy: With what Bonnie was saying earlier, the fact that we’re all so unique but so good at what we do… you never know where the season’s going to go.
Catrin: It’s very unexpected. Even filming we were like, ‘Did that actually just happen?’
Paige: Exactly. Moments of silence in Untucked. That’s a giveaway, where we’re all just looking at each other, like, ‘What just happened?’
Viola: Pretty much every week when the girls came back from the stage into Untucked, you wouldn’t know who’s top or bottom. Everyone’s so strong, it’s really down to the tiniest details.
Bonnie: I truly think we have All Stars-level talent and looks on this season. It’s an All Stars-level Drag Race, brought to a regular season. You don’t need to wait for us to come back. We’re already bringing it.
Chai: That should be the quote. The headline.
Viola: “You don’t need to bring any of us back [for All Stars]”.
Bonnie: We should do it all over again. Bring us back. One more time.
Catrin: All will be revealed soon. Thursdays at 9pm on BBC iPlayer.
Patsy: I can’t wait for people to watch it.
Bonnie: It’s really funny too. We’re all really funny.
Nyongbella: It’s true.
Tayris: And we’re all really shady! Every person said something that made me go, ‘Ooh?’
Catrin: But we love each other nonetheless.
GT: Okay – who’s claiming the final word? How should we wrap this up?
Bonnie: Go on, Catrin. You know you want to.
Catrin: Oh… I’m on the spot now.
Patsy: Should we all just yell it again?
GT: Alright then. One, two, three…
Everyone: C**T!
RuPaul’s Drag Race UK season 7 premieres 25 September on BBC iPlayer.
