Darren James was approaching his 40th birthday and battling depression - but just months later headlined the iconic San Francisco Pride event after becoming a drag queen to tackle his mental health issues.
Darren James, aka ‘Glitzy Von Jagger’, was born in Wakefield before moving to north London, and he always considered turning to drag. After seeing an online contest to find the UK’s next iconic Drag Star he decided to take the plunge.
Organised by Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Atlantic, in partnership with San Francisco Travel and San Francisco International Airport, entrants were invited to perform the airline's cabin crew safety demonstration, in addition to sharing their story and explaining why they deserved to win the prize.