A Liverpool drag queen started singing and performing at the age of 10 before discovering drag during lockdown.
Ben Mee, originally from Runcorn, recently performed at The Cavern Restaurant on Mathew Street, singing hits from the likes of Sia, Lady Gaga and Radiohead.
The hair stylist, 20, said it was a moment they will never forget.
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They told the ECHO : “The Cavern [Restaurant] started a drag show in October where we do bottomless drinks, a meal, host games, and cabaret."
They added: “So, I sang a collection of gay classics and pop hits, and the audience loved it The room is always filled with so much love and energy, which I believe shows a lot more progress for LGBTQIA+ acceptance in Liverpool.”
The former Grange Academy student started doing drag during lockdown when they needed another source of income during the pandemic.
Ben was doing live performances online in Facebook groups where they would sing and DJ all night long from their shed. At one point, they attracted over 1,000 viewers despite only doing it a handful of times.
When restrictions lifted, Ben built up the courage to go out in public in drag as Isabelle for the first time to Bongo’s Bingo. There, they met a group of other queens who helped shape their alter ego.
Now, Isabella has a regularly hosting gig at ICON, Stanley Street.
They said: “Originally, I started as a shot girl and worked my way up to a hostess, I get paid to get drunk with people basically. It’s the best job anyone could ask for.
“I still have a while to go to get where I want to be in the drag world, but I've definitely been making moves.
Ben says singing live at The Cavern Restaurant is one of their biggest achievements in drag to date.
They added: “I’ve sang in front of people since I was about 10, maybe even earlier. I used to do Lady Gaga concerts in the back garden on the decking, which was my stage, and I’d make all my family watch.
“I had a tea towel on my head and you couldn’t tell me it wasn’t a wig. So when I sang in The Cavern [Restaurant], it was such a cool feeling, it felt like I had made it. The whole room just lit up and it was a big deal for me and a big step for progression.”
Through the art of drag, Ben learnt that they were non-binary.
Having always felt uncomfortable with the expectation of masculinity placed upon young men growing up, Ben had a feeling they couldn’t ignore.
They added: “I originally would come home and not want to take the makeup off, I slept in it a few times. I thought I was a woman and that I wanted to transition, until I realised, I was happy with my body, but loved that in drag, I was celebrated for being feminine.
“So, what am I? I'm right in the middle, I guess? So, I'm non-binary, I don't want to conform to society's' expectations of what a man is, and I wanted to carry more of Isabelle's femininity into Ben's life too.
“I finally have a label to explain how I feel, which made me feel more like I know who I am. It was hard to come to terms with, because growing up in a smaller town, it was the whole 'there's only two genders' situation and that's what I was always taught.
“It was a battle of 'are you a man or a woman?' I can be both, or, neither. I know not everyone will understand that, and I didn't either until I was experiencing it myself.”
Isabelle will be back performing at The Cavern Restaurant on Wednesday, March 2.
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