RuPaul’s Drag Race UK star Sister Sister has opened up about her life and how it has changed since appearing on the show.
The 34-year-old, who is from Maghull, was the second Liverpudlain to appear on the BBC series having followed in the footsteps of The Vivienne who won the first ever series. The performer placed sixth overall and competed against Cherry Valentine who recently died.
Since her stint in the competition, Sister’s life has been a “whirlwind” as it landed her a spot on Celebrity Coach Trip, allowed her to collaborate with The British Museum and finish a sold-out international tour with the rest of the queens from season two.
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She told the ECHO: “I’ve met some of my icons including Dawn French, who was sitting in a cafeteria in Plymouth. Right now I’m currently backpacking across Europe, or as my friends call it, ‘aligning my chakras in a forest somewhere,’ and I can’t figure out which I love more backpacking or meeting Dawn French in that Plymouth cafe.”
However, Sister’s newfound fame hasn’t come without its challenges. After leaving the BBC series, Sister wrote an article for The Guardian which saw her talk about how one troll described how he’d like to see the performer die and how one morning she was already reading her 13th piece of hate mail just after 9:30 am.
Offering advice to queens who are appearing on the show currently, including Liverpool’s own Danny Beard, she said: “There will be trolls as long as there is the internet, so just roll with the punches and learn when to log off because they don’t deserve your time. Nothing is more sacred than your own well-being.”
The drag queen, who grew up in the "sheltered, safe, heterosexual suburbia" of Liverpool, began their career in a London bar making it through to the finals of a drag contest. Before this, they were known by their real name - Philip Doran - and studied interior design.
After graduating, Philip went on to sell antique and mid-century furniture to A-listers and celebrities in Mayfair. She then moved back to the city and performed at a sold-out event for the art gallery, FACT, with an anti-Valentine's viewing of the film, Death Becomes Her.
Now, Sister is “eager” to get back to the UK from her backpacking trip as her brain has been “bursting with creative ideas for drag”. She said: “I’m having fever dreams of outfits and projects to come. It’s mad how ideas can come to you when you least expect them, up a mountain, meditating.”
The queen, who is touring with her “favourite dog in a wig” Ginny Lemon at the start of next year, didn't confirm if there was potential for her to return to our screens but instead joked that “RuPaul changed his number and didn’t tell me”. One thing she does want to see on our screens however is drags kings, who Sister believes, “are an enormous part of our queer community and deserve a major platform to showcase their talents just as much as queens do.”
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