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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Danni Scott

Drag queens discuss backstage disasters - from sofas full of sandwiches to falling over dressed as a lamp

RuPaul, queen of drag, tells her contestants that they "better work" if they want to have a chance of winning the top spot on RuPaul's Drag Race UK. Putting their charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent on the line, the queens compete for the crown.

That doesn't mean they're above letting off a little steam though and having fun throughout the challenges, especially when they spend weeks upon weeks without contacting the outside world.

Mirror reporter Danni Scott went digging beyond the non-disclosure agreements to find out all the behind the scenes gossip from the queens at Drag Con UK 2023.

Mirror reporter Danni Scott asked the queens for their favourite behind the scenes stories (pictured: L to R Danni Scott, Dakota Schiffer) (Owen Goulding / Mirrorpix)

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Up first was Ellie Diamond, who placed fourth on season two of Drag Race UK, who shared an embarrassing moment with none other than mother Ru.

She told the Mirror: "First day when we got there we all stood and did a little bit, then RuPaul came in and did her little bit and I thought she had left the building by that point after they have done her bit. So I turned round and farted.

"When I turned back around she was standing right there and I farted loud so I knew she could hear it."

If RuPaul did hear this unfortunate flatulence, she didn't say anything and instead spoke calmly to Ellie about their similar heights - both a tall 6ft 4.

Ellie wasn't the only one struggling with their gut as season one's Cheryl Hole spilled: "There was one time that a certain cast member on season one had a very, very violent poo in the toilets in the morning, and it was passing the finger of blame who it was.

"To this day, we still don't know who it was but I think I know. I have my suspicions."

Just May confessed about her iconic Let Them Know lipsync (pictured: Just May at Drag Con UK 2023) (Owen Goulding/ Mirrorpix)
Ellie Diamond accidentally let one rip in front of head judge RuPaul (pictured: Ellie Diamond at Drag Con UK 2023) (David Fisher/REX/Shutterstock)

Moving away from toilet based disasters, Just May from season four confessed: "I truly did not know the words to the entirety of Let Them Know. I blame it on the edit that they didn't show how bad I was at lipsyncing because I truly am awful."

When asked if she had got any better, Just May said no, adding: "I still could not do the entirety of Let Them Know and Mabel I hold you accountable."

Sminty was also able to laugh at her own faults as she shared: "When we did our 'Keeping It 100' BBC looks, I got off the runway in my Antiques Roadshow look and we all started walking back to the dressing room, and I immediately tripped over a wire and fell flat on my face. My lampshade came off my head and everyone started laughing at me.

"Baby was right behind me and she's scream howling! I recovered though, I recovered very well. I did the routine, I lasted the duration but that might be why I messed girl group challenge."

"My favourite story is when Sminty in her lampshade fully stacked it," laughed Dakota Schiffer, "And I didn't push her, I promise. She was in front of me and she wears these ridiculous shoes, and she's got all things balancing on her and it genuinely looked like a lamp falling over in an antiques store.

Sminty Drop's BBC Keeping It 100 look caused her some trouble (pictured: Sminty Drop in BBC Keeping It 100 look) (twitter.com/smintyd)
Dakota says she promises she didn't push Sminty (pictured: Dakota Schiffer at Drag Con UK 2023) (David Fisher/REX/Shutterstock)

"It was like a bull in a china shop, it was so funny - I did help her back up I promise. And she was in such a beautiful outfit as well, to see her [fall] I was like 'Nooo, the antique!'"

Dakota added: "She's fine and the outfit was fine. That needs to be put in a museum, that's I think probably one of my favourite outfits in the whole season."

Sminty wasn't the only queen to face outfit dilemmas with Black Peppa frantically painting her feet pink for her Mr Blobby look on the same night - needing a helping hand from Starlet. At least she didn't have to redo her whole look thanks to another queen, unlike Lawrence Chaney.

According to A'Whora, Lawrence had to totally re-do his makeup before going on stage thanks to competitor Tayce accidentally spraying him - even the cameras had to be stopped.

Winner Lawrence Chaney was creating havoc for Ginny Lemon (Duncan McGlynn/BAFTA/REX/Shutterstock)

A'Whora, putting on her best Scottish accent where appropriate, said: "When Tayce did the blood, before she went out she didn't have it on and went 'I want blood' and so she stood there she grabbed this spray bottle and I just hear this voice in the background go 'f***ing hell'. And I turn around Lawrence had been gushed with the blood right before she walked out on the runway.

"She went 'Tayce you're a f***ing b*****d'. She goes off and we had to stop the cameras to let Lawrence redo all her makeup before the runway, just because Tayce gushed her in blood!"

Lawrence went on to win season two of the competition while Tayce ended up in the bottom for that episode, giving an iconic lip sync to Memory by Elaine Paige.

Tayce's iconic blood-soaked look nearly ruined Lawrence Chaney's runway (pictured: Tayce at Drag Con UK 2023) (Brett Cove/SOPA Images/REX/Shutterstock)
Ginny Lemon had a sausage surprise one morning on set (pictured: Ginny Lemon at Drag Con UK 2023) (David Fisher/REX/Shutterstock)

Behind the scenes disasters aside, Lawrence was also creating havoc for the other queens. Ginny Lemon told the Mirror: "In the morning we'd have hot sandwiches and things like that before we get started. Then one day I was sat down on the sofa in the afternoon I put my hand down on the sofa and there was a sausage sandwich down there and I thought that's strange.

"And I put my [hand to the right], there was another sausage sandwich and I thought 'what's going on?'. I put my hand down the back - another sausage sandwich.

"I went out and I said 'girls, I've just found three sausage sandwiches stuffed down the sofa'. Lawrence goes, 'Ah babes, they're mine. I'm keeping them warm for later'."

RuPaul's DragCon UK took place at ExCeL London from 6-8 January 2023. Tickets are on sale for RuPaul's DragCon LA now.

Season 15 of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ is currently available exclusively in the UK via the streamer of all things drag, WOW Presents Plus, with new episodes dropping on Saturdays at 2am GMT. Subscribe at https://uk.wowpresentsplus.com/

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