Cheryl Hole: Drag star calls out abuse for Celebrity MasterChef appearance

Cheryl Hole said abuse she received for being on the BBC show proved her point about hate towards the LGBTQ+ community

Drag artist Cheryl Hole said the online abuse she had received for appearing on Celebrity MasterChef highlighted the "hate" directed at LGBTQ+ people.

Earlier this week, she told the BBC in an interview that representation on high-profile TV shows was important.

She has since posted on X, formerly Twitter, that people have claimed her drag name and act was misogynistic and spoke of other abuse.

The BBC said MasterChef was "proud of its diverse and inclusive cast".

A spokesperson for Cheryl said drag had "a long successful history in British mainstream entertainment".

Speaking to the BBC ahead of Wednesday's show, Cheryl, who rose to fame on RuPaul's Drag Race UK, said participating in shows like MasterChef was a way to "have our voices and stories heard and show we're nothing to be feared".

She said it felt like "the movement is going a bit backwards" and pointed to a homophobic stabbing in Clapham on Sunday and bans on drag performers in parts of the US.

'Women shaped me'

After being targeted with abusive comments, Cheryl, from Essex, said on X: "All I will say is people clearly don't understand the art form of drag and it's a celebration of women.

"Women shaped me into the person I am today either through music, their words of wisdom or support."

She said people could "hurl abuse" but it all "stemmed from me speaking up and using my platform on the hate that is directed to our community and you've proved everyone right".

She added that Celebrity MasterChef, presented on BBC One by John Torode and Gregg Wallace, was "a light hearted entertainment cooking show. I'm not doing anything other than using a few pots and pans & an oven".

On Instagram, she said the "haters" did not "faze" her.

Cheryl shot into the public eye when she joined the queens in season one of Drag Race UK

The BBC said: "MasterChef is proud of its diverse and inclusive cast across all its series. Drag artists have featured twice before in the Celebrity series."

Kitty Scott Claus came fifth in Celebrity MasterChef 2022 and Baga Chipz appeared on the show in 2020.

Cheryl's spokesperson said: "Having a drag star on the show is nothing newsworthy in 2023.

"Drag has always appeared on prime-time family television as both Dame Edna and Lily Savage's careers show.

"Drag has a long successful history in British mainstream entertainment, so any attempt to whip up controversy around this appearance is another effort to create an unnecessary culture war."

Watch Celebrity MasterChef on BBC iPlayer.