Being on Drag Race UK was 'overwhelming in the best way'
Season seven queen Nyongbella describes herself as a "life-sized Bratz doll"
- Published
Start your engines, Ru Paul is looking for the seventh UK drag superstar. But shantay, who stays?
Well, we're closer to finding out.
The hit show sees 12 queens compete to be crowned the country's next drag superstar in challenges including dancing, live comedy and sewing.
Self-proclaimed "life-sized Bratz doll" and "Transerella" drag queen Nyongbella, from this year's cast, says being part of the show has been "overwhelming in the best way possible".
The Cameroonian queen, who lives in London, secured her spot on the biggest drag contest in the world after just one audition.
Nyongbella is the third transgender queen to take part in the UK version and tells BBC Newsbeat it's really important to see diversity in drag, especially for those from places where "being queer isn't the most celebrated".
Nyongbella says she "just fell into drag" through a love of doing photoshoots, "crazy outfits and crazy hair".
Drag Race contestants can spend years and multiple attempts to get on the show, but the 25-year-old says she decided to audition after just two years perfecting her character.
Instead of making her audition tape a big production, she was "very blasé" about the whole thing, she says.
Since being revealed on the line-up, she says she has received many messages from people thanking her and telling her their story.
Nyongbella says fans are inspired that "someone can have a similar circumstance to them and thrive and be themselves, I think it's really important".
The season seven queen says that her central African heritage has shaped her as a person and influenced her act.
"I am very proud of where I come from and I try to embed it into my drag as much as possible."
The number of people reaching out "really does help me put the wig on my head and the gloss on my lips", she says.
Tayris says she hopes to progress through the competition for the chance to meet Tracy Beaker star Dani Harmer
Another queen on the runway this year is Tayris.
The contestant, from Brighton, describes her drag as "a love letter to black female pop culture".
After starting musical theatre at 15, Tayris says she realised drag was "meant to be in my life".
She tells Newsbeat her drag persona is based on "visual references and artistic references" to some of the most celebrated black female artists.
"I think of Janelle Monáe, I think of Janet Jackson," she says.
"Docheii, Megan Thee Stallion I think of Beyoncé."
But the 27-year-old says the main inspiration for her character was a bit closer to home.
Her sister.
"Growing up she was the biggest example I had of a powerful black woman in my life," says Tayris.
Tayris says she spent a lot of her younger years in the care system, which taught her that "every hurdle or lack of privilege you're given in this life is really an opportunity for personal richness and growth".
She tells Newsbeat that she hopes to make it far enough to pair up with Dani Harmer in the Hun makeover challenge week.
The actress played Tracy Beaker in the popular CBBC programme set in a children's care home, and Tayris says it "blew her mind" to see the star on the line-up.
Who will stay, who will sashay away as 12 contestants are whittled down?
This will be the first series of the UK Drag Race since its first winner, The Vivian, died at the start of the year.
Tayris says the superstar, who was crowned in 2019, really set the bar for what followed.
"I think no-one set such a precedent for what you can do with this title or what you can do with this industry as The Vivian," she says.
"The Vivian was a presence so much bigger than the show itself... she was doing Drag Race UK before it was cool.”
'I was juggling everything'
Elle Vosque is hoping to bag the £25,000 cash prize given to the winner
Contestant Elle Vosque describes her time on the show as "a lot of hard work" that is "already feeling worth it".
The Northern Irish queen says it felt "crazy but correct".
The 22-year-old tells Newsbeat that she got the call to be on the show while she was still at uni studying fashion and textiles and "working in a fast food restaurant".
Elle says "juggling everything" was difficult but she just wanted to do "Belfast proud".
"Repping Northern Ireland is really important to me because we have a really close-knit drag community in Belfast especially," she says.
Elle is also hoping to make it to the Hun makeover week and meet Dani Harmer.
"I would love her to tell me to bog off," she says.
Asked if there is another British celebrity she would like to see in the line-up, Elle says TV host Alison Hammond would be her top pick.
"Everything that woman says brings me joy," she says.
"She to me is an ultimate hun."
Drag Race UK airs at 21:00 BST on BBC Three and is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
