Drag queen Danny Beard is “still dreaming” after winning RuPaul’s Drag Race UK.
The 29-year-old self-proclaimed “sassy, shady, singing cartoon clown”, originally from Halewood, took home the crown from the series for the second time for Liverpool.
The performer beat off the competition from twelve other performers and earned themselves the title of UK’s Next Drag Race Superstar - something which Danny said “felt right” in their “heart of hearts”.
READ MORE: Drag queen moved out of Liverpool after having face 'cut open'
In disbelief, Danny told the ECHO : “What is going on? I can’t believe it. I am loving life right now, the experience has just been amazing... It's a very alien experience, we're taken away and we just got thrown into this bubble and it becomes our whole world."
The finale episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK saw Danny Beard and Manchester’s Cheddar Gorgeous make it through to the final showdown. The two delivered a performance that “did not leave a dry eye in the house” to This is My Life by Dame Shirley Bassey before it was announced that Danny was the second-ever Liverpudlian to with the BBC Three competition.
Wielding their crown and sceptre, Danny, who impersonated Cilla Black on the show , said: “Honestly thank you for believing in me. I’ve had the wildest dream here, meeting the most amazing people. I never thought anyone that did drag like me could be a Ru Girl. So, this is for all the kids out there who are different so, thank you. I can’t believe I am the winner. I just can’t for the world to see what Danny Beard is all about. I’m just made up.”
The podcast host is no stranger to reality competitions having found fame on Britain’s Got Talent. The drag queen reached the semi-finals of series 10 of the ITV talent show having entertained the judges with their own rendition of a classic from The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Asked how the two experiences compare, Danny said “they don’t.” They added: “Britain's Got Talent is a machine. It's massive. You're in and you're out. It's a great show and I'll always be grateful for it because that changed my life. It taught me a lot about TV and a lot about the people that work in TV. It wasn't a bad thing but Drag Race is just something different.”
RuPaul’s Drag Race season five has already opened its auditions and Danny offered some advice for the Scouse drag queens who fancied their luck at the show. They said: “Liverpool's got some of the best drag in the country. As Scousers, we aren't afraid to take the piss out of ourselves and it is what sets us apart from the rest of the country. There are a lot of people that can't do that. We're born to be drag queens.
"Half the girls in the Concert Square could be drag queens - we like to be dolled up, throw the tan on, and we liked to look fab and be fab. Liverpool is the best place in the country for that. Liverpool drag queens have nothing to worry about. Just keep applying and keep working on the areas that you know are your weakest points.”
If Danny has it their way, fans won't have to wait too long to see them again. They hope to make a career for themselves as a TV presenter, but that doesn’t mean they would say no to the likes of I’m a Celebrity..Get Me Out Of Here as “money talks”.
Danny Beard is coming to Liverpool's Empire Theatre along with the rest of the season four queens next year.
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