The countdown for season three of RuPaul's Drag Race UK is officially on, and we cannot wait to be introduced to this year's queens on screen. This third season of the UK edition, which is set to kick off in September, comes just six months after the second series [1] started in January, which saw Scottish queen Lawrence Chaney [2] take the crown.
The second season was also largely impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, one that unfortunately saw contestant Veronica Green leave the competition due to her illness. Green was thankfully invited back to compete for series three, and we're seriously looking forward to seeing her give Drag Race another go. That said, fans of the show have been disappointed by the lack of diversity in this year's cast, and we must admit that we too expected to see more visibility for POC queens.
After the last instalment of the show introduced us to the likes of East London royalty Bimini Bon Boulash [3], Heinz lover Tayce [4], and the queen of kindness Tia Kofi [5], we must ask ourselves: what sort of queen could possibly top it? It's time to find out . . .
Keep reading to discover all of the contestants competing on the third season of RuPaul's Drag Race UK.
29-Year-Old Elektra Fence From Burnley
Twenty-nine--year-old Elektra Fence [6] hails from Burnley in Lancashire. She describes herself as "death defying, electrifying and just up for a good time" and claims that she likes to "shock people with [her] killer dance moves". The name itself comes from the fact that she's "full of energy and millions of people have seen me be stupid, when a film of me went viral. A friend filmed me as I accidentally electrocuted myself on an electric fence."
In terms of her inspiration, Fence says that she's inspired by "northern warrior-women like Bet Lynch and Jane McDonald — hence my obsession with leopard print! But also by strong, glamorous ladies, like Miley Cyrus [7], Kris Jenner and Madonna [8]!"
35-Year-Old Veronica Green From Lochdale
Veronica Green [9] is a name you may recognise if you tuned in to series two of RuPaul's Drag Race UK. She unfortunately caught COVID-19 during filming and wasn't able to return, but she's ready for a second chance this September.
Since her time on the show, it appears that a lot has happened. "It's been mad! I've been overwhelmed by the love and support. I've done a song with Myleene Klass on the piano and she's going to collaborate on my second song. I also got a DM from Ariana Grande [10]'s brother! And Boy George, my Drag Race UK gay idol — who I paid homage to in one of my runway looks — invited me to be in his music video! It's been a blast," she told BBC.
24-Year-Old Charity Kase From Lancashire
Charity Kase [11] is a 24-year-old queen from Lancashire who has "a reputation for really outlandish crazy looks. I like to play on the darkness in beauty, break beauty stereotypes and create a fantasy from another dimension".
In terms of her epic name, she told BBC that it "comes from my ability to craft stuff on a very low budget and transform the grotesque to glamorous and maybe be both at the same time!"
29-Year-Old Kitty Scott-Claus From Birmingham
Kitty Scott-Claus [12] comes from Birmingham and describes herself as "all singing, all dancing". She went to drama school to study music theatre and has always been drawn to the "busty blondes" of the stage like Chicago's Roxy Hart, Wicked's Glinda, and Legally Blonde's Elle Woods. When she graduated, Claus began to do pantomimes all over the country and eventually joined a drag group with Drag Race alumnus Cheryl Hole.
Fun fact: her name was almost Madonna [13] Kebab, Chelsea Bun, and Burger Queen, but eventually Claus realised that "I have a large array of funny catch phrases and funny
voices — and I realised that whenever someone was being a bit catty, I always used to say 'ooh saucer of milk . . . This kitty's got claws!'"
26-Year-Old Scarlett Harlett From East London
East London queen Scarlett Harlett [14] describes herself as "a beautiful woman with movie star looks" and equates herself to Danny Dyer in drag. We're already sold.
"I'm really proud of my roots and I embrace my working class and cockney heritage in my drag," Harlett told BBC. "I was born and raised in East London, I am EastEnders personified! I'm real, I'm the best thing to come out the Isle of Dogs since . . . Henry VIII!"
30-Year-Old Choriza May From Newcastle
Choriza May [15] (which is already our favourite drag name that we've ever heard) is a Spanish-born queen who now lives in Newcastle. She told BBC that "As an immigrant queen, I'm someone with a slightly different background to the other queens in the competition, but my drag was born in the UK. There are millions of European immigrants in the UK, and I'm so happy to be representing them as drag queen of the immigrants!"
In terms of what inspired her to do drag, she said that "There were so many artistic things that, as a boy, I didn't dare to do, but then I realised I didn't have to fit a standard. I was going to do what I wanted to do — and drag would be my tool."
27-Year-Old Victoria Scone From Cardiff
Victoria Scone [16] is a "camp, Cardiff, cabaret, disco diva, with a lot of spunk", and we're already very excited to meet her. Originally born in Portsmouth, Scone moved to Cardiff in order to firmly establish her drag career.
She's the first cisgender woman on the show, and she believes that "It feels right! I definitely didn't invent the art of drag for women. I am not the first and I certainly won't be the last. But I feel very capable and proud to have made it through the application process and be the first on Drag Race UK."
19-Year-Old Anubis From Brighton
Brighton-born Anubis [17] is one of the youngest contestants on this year's Drag Race UK, along with fellow 19-year-old Krystal Versace.
"I chose the name Anubis because I wanted something that referenced my Egyptian heritage," she told BBC, adding that "My dad was Egyptian and when he passed away about three years ago, I wanted a name that paid homage to him — Anubis is the Egyptian god of the afterlife. It's my tribute to him."
19-Year-Old Krystal Versace From Kent
Krystal Versace [18] describes herself as a sex goddess. "She is the supreme. She is a god. It's the legs, the body, the hips, the waist. High, feminine glam. Super fierce. She is just the ultimate moment," she told BBC.
Having done drag since the tender age of 17, she's pretty much a seasoned professional at this stage and believes that "I may only be 19, but I'm an unexpected surprise. My drag is refined and polished. I'm the full package."
29-Year-Old Vanity Milan From South London
South London royalty Vanity Milan [19] has been doing drag for just a year, but believes that she's gone from 0 to 100 very quickly. She describes herself as "sophisticated, sexy, and savage" and she's here "serving unapologetic Blackness".
In terms of what inspired her drag name, Milan said that "I inspired my drag name! From a very young age my mum would always catch me looking in the mirror. One day, she said to me, 'look, you're always stuck in the mirror, you might as well just call yourself Vanity!' That has always stuck with me, and then later I added 'Milan' because I always serve fashion!"
22-Year-Old River Medway From Kent
River Medway [20] describes herself as "50% white British, 50% Singaporean, and 100% a cross dresser" and explained that "Because there's so little drag in Kent, there's no specific style. And because of that it's allowed me to do what I want. And here I am — a beautiful butterfly!"
In terms of her drag-spiration, she said that "I love Hannah Montana. I've always been obsessed with her and now when I think about it I loved the transformation. By day, she was a schoolgirl, living a completely normal life, and then by night she's a pop star, with wigs, make up. and outfits. That's drag ! And that's how I feel in drag." She added that her mum and sister were also her inspirations. "Growing up with them, they were such glam divas! My mum never left the house without a full face of makeup."
32-Year-Old Ella Vaday From Essex
Ella Vaday [21] is an Essex queen from Dagenham. She describes herself as "the drag Beast from the East. I'm like a desperate housewife of Dagenham. A yummy mummy — a bit garish, a bit classy, a bit Essex-y. I'm very sarcastic and dry."
Her name is inspired by her past life working in the West End and she said that "I'd be running around all day, and then when I'd go to work I would say, 'it's been a hell of a day!' It's very me — very British and a little bit moany. I used to call myself Ella Vanass, but everyone thought I was saying Elephant Ass, so I scrapped that!"