Funeral for drag queen who died following illness

Jason Sutton, who performed on stage as Miss Jason, passed away on 22 April

A funeral has been held for a drag queen and pantomime dame.

Jason Sutton, who performed on stage as Miss Jason, passed away on 22 April following an illness.

A private service took place before a wake at Legends nightclub in Brighton, East Sussex, on Thursday.

Friends and former colleagues said Sutton was a joy on and off stage.

David Hill, a friend of more than 20 years, said Sutton was “hilariously funny and engaging” on stage, and off stage was a “joyous, humble, kind and gorgeous human being”.

“We are going to miss him so much,” he said.

A private service took place before a wake at Legends nightclub in Brighton

The 56-year-old was due to play the pantomime dame in a performance of Sleeping Beauty this year.

“Life throws these curveballs, so we’ve got to celebrate his life,” Mr Hill added.

Across a 32-year drag career, Sutton performed at Pride events across the UK, appeared on television shows and made costumes for other drag queens.

Fellow drag queen Dave Lyn performed alongside Miss Jason for more than 10 years.

“He didn’t really tell jokes. He had this ability to talk to the audience like they were in his front room,” he said.

“When you went to see him, you felt his joy and love for his work. And you’d wait for him afterwards, as he was even funnier.”

Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail] or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.