A drag queen claims they moved out of Liverpool after having their face cut open.
Danny Beard, who is originally from Halewood, appeared on the final episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race season four last night (Thursday, November 24). After beating off the competition from twelve other performers, the 29-year-old self-proclaimed “sassy, shady, singing cartoon clown” earned themselves the title of UK’s Next Drag Race Superstar.
But, before viewers watched Danny bring home the crown for the city, the Scouser opened up about a traumatic experience they went through as a child.
READ MORE: Trans lives 'at risk' in Liverpool, say support group claims
Speaking to head judge RuPaul alongside Michelle Visage, they said: “When I was younger, I was really bullied. I just wasn’t me. In year eight, I’m not sure how old you are (then), but this guy made knuckle dusters with pins and cut my face up. My mum and dad moved me from Liverpool to the Wirral and my mum sat me down and said ‘This is a fresh start, you can be anyone and anything you want to be now’.”
The performer went on to explain how they took it as an opportunity to start living life as their true authentic self.
They added: “I went into school in year nine and the first kid that said to me ‘Hey are you gay?’, I went ‘Yeah, and what?’ and that's where my confidence started to grow and not being afraid to be flamboyant.”
The remainder of the episode saw the four finalist queens tasked with one last challenge. Black Peppa, Jonbers Blonde, Cheddar Gorgeous, and Danny Beard were asked to show off their dancing and lip-synching in their last sprint towards the crown. Whilst the judges deliberated their fate, the queens returned to the “werk room”, to find the previous winners of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, including Liverpool’s The Vivienne, waiting to hold court with them.
In the final showdown, Danny Beard delivered a performance that “did not leave a dry eye in the house” to This is My Life by Dame Shirley Bassey, before being made the second-ever Liverpudlian to with the BBC Three competition.
Wielding their crown and sceptre, Danny said: “Honestly thank you for believing in me. I’ve had the wildest dream here, meeting the most amazing people. I never thought anyone that did drag like me could be a Ru Girl. So, this is for all the kids out there who are different so, thank you. I can’t believe I am the winner. I just can’t for the world to see what Danny Beard is all about! I’m just made up!”
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