RuPaul’s Drag Race UK crowns sixth queen

RuPaul has crowned the UK’s next drag superstar.

Queens La Voix, Kyran Thrax, Marmalade and Rileasa Slaves went head to head in a bid to snatch the crown in Thursday’s grand finale.

The sixth series of the UK version of RuPaul’s Drag Race made herstory as the first time queens could win a cash prize – a fixture of the US series – of £25,000.

The winner told BBC Newsbeat they felt “so grateful” to have won the show.

Warning: This article contains spoilers for the final below

After 10 episodes, Kyran Thrax was crowned the winner, describing it as “the ride of my life”.

“There have been highs and lows, and I’m very proud of this season.

“And of every single person that was a part of creating the season, because it’s magic.”

And on a personal level, it was a significant season for Kyran.

At the end of each episode, RuPaul asks the queens: “If you can’t love yourself, how the hell are you gonna love someone else?”

And in episode five Kyran opened up about how they hadn’t always felt that way, and how hard loving themselves had been after being groomed online.

Their abuser, who posed as a teenager and targeted a 13-year-old Kyran shortly after they came out, was sent to prison but Kyran said the ordeal “made me despise myself”.

“I hated myself so much because I saw everything falling apart around me.”

But their confidence started to grow after their mum told them “to look in the mirror and tell myself I loved myself”.

“I did it every day before school… and I didn’t believe it and I hated it and then I slowly started to believe it, and that’s where this confidence comes from

Kyran says the reaction has been “so overwhelming in the most amazing way”.

“I wanted to show people that you can go through something like that and it doesn’t need to destroy you.

“The moment I started talking, I feel like I’m showing everyone I’m human.”

One of the series’ standout moments was when La Voix’s dad Richard joined her for the family resemblance challenge, where the queens are tasked with putting a loved one in drag.

Richard, who’s 78, brought judge Michelle Visage to tears when, transformed into Voila, he described realising “it’s a privilege being gay”.

“Of all the hard work and effort people go through in this world, it’s tremendous, and I give praise to everybody,” he said.

“I hope I’m setting an example to other parents who should equally love their child – irrespective of gender or anything.”

The moment was shared widely online and La Voix, 44, says “that wisdom and guidance was incredible”.

“He’s an absolute legend.

“The love and support he’s had from the community and he just wants to keep giving back.”

At the start of the competition, Rileasa Slaves sat down with BBC Newsbeat and said how she wanted to reference historical enslavement of Caribbean people by the British and some other European countries with her drag name.

“I think it’s a very important conversation,” she said at the time.

“It’s about shedding light on a part of history. It’s in my ancestry, it’s all tied in.”

But during the episodes, RuPaul never used her full name, instead calling her Rileasa Lisa.

Rileasa says there was a scene that didn’t air with a discussion on the subject, but says as a drag queen it will always be “Rileasa Slaves”.

“I think the amazing thing about my name is the power behind it.”

But she clarified that as she’s moving into music, she will be known as “Rileasa”.

Looking ahead, as the first UK winner to get a cash prize, Kyran says the money will be invested “back into my drag”.

“I want to give the biggest and best shows ever.

“I’m not going to disappoint.”

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