As any TV star will tell you, fame can sometimes be a bit of a drag.
But the cast of Emmerdale got to experience it quite literally as they filmed the soap’s first ever Pride episode with RuPaul’s Drag Race star The Vivienne.
The ITV soap’s Anna Nightingale, Natalie Ann Jamieson, Kevin Mathurin and Emile John were thrilled to share the screen with the drag-show winner.
Natalie, who plays Amy Wyatt, told how she “almost screamed the house down” when she found out The Vivienne was going to appear in the Yorkshire soap.
She said: “My boyfriend and I go mad for watching RuPaul. He was so excited for me. I couldn’t believe it when I realised I was going to be in a scene with The Vivienne. In fact, I was a bit star-struck when I first saw her.”
The People was given exclusive behind-the-scenes access to Emmerdale, which will make history on Wednesday when the village holds its first Pride event.
Kevin, who plays vicar Charles Anderson, said of The Vivienne: “She’s stunning – an absolute icon.You almost forget it was work, the day of Pride. I did have a ‘moment’ when I saw everyone taking photos with her.”
In the special, Andrea Tate – played by Anna – goes all out at the Pride event to impress her new beau, vicar Charles, by booking The Vivienne.
Actress Anna – a self-confessed “fan girl” of the drag performer, said: “I took it upon myself to go up and say ‘I love you’ to her.
“I was star-struck – I love everything about the drag world. I can’t imagine how the viewers are not going to love this episode.”
The Vivienne, the alter-ego of Welsh-born drag star James Lee Williams, was the inspiration behind the iconic leopard skin dress worn by Emmerdale’s Mandy Dingle at her ill-fated wedding earlier this year.
The drag star, who married David Ludford 18 months ago at London’s Heaven nightclub, revealed: “Mandy Dingle is my favourite soap character. She’s just an absolute style icon. I want to be Mandy when I’m older.”
She said of this week’s ground-breaking Emmerdale special: “We’re making that little bit of history. It’s an hour to make sure the LGBTQ+ community has a voice in soaps.
“Bringing Pride into people’s living rooms who might not normally go to one is brilliant.”
For both Emile and Kevin, filming the Pride episode was a chance to meet some of their other co-stars, after joining the soap during the pandemic last autumn.
Emile, who plays the vicar’s gay son Ethan, said: “I haven’t been able to touch anyone or hug my screen dad on Emmerdale yet. When I started in October I got used to working with three people on set.
“Suddenly, for Pride, we had 30 of us. When I got up to make my speech for the festivities, my nerves were genuinely all over the place.”
Anna says romantic scenes with clergyman Charles had been “surreal” as they cannot even hold hands due to Covid regulations. She said: “Kevin and I have had phone conversations about how we play out their feelings for each other
“I decided to take a reference from Fleabag in which she is obsessed with a priest. And so, as Charles is a vicar, I had a thing with Andrea where she kept having naughty thoughts.”
Anna hopes the episode will get viewers talking about Pride at home.
She said: “It’s amazing to cover an issue and bring it into people’s living rooms so people can have conversations. Some people still, in 2021, see it as an issue.
“They can’t be accepting of those relationships and it’s a real issue for people who aren’t accepted. It makes them get to the point of not wanting to be here any more.
“I hope our Pride event in Emmerdale will open people’s minds and hearts.”
The actress, who lives in London with her partner Daren, says she has tried to prepare daughter Autumn, three, for the curveballs that may be thrown at her as a mixed-race child in future.
She said: “We’ve met children in the park who have two dads and I’ve been having those conversations with her ever since she could comprehend what grown-ups are. For me, people can be raised by different grown-ups. It’s also important that I have the conversations with her because she is mixed-race.
“I hope she won’t face challenges but she’s very aware she is half-white, half-black. To me, Pride is the same conversation. I see it as our family job to help her have the best coping mechanisms for later in life, regardless if it’s about her race or sexuality.”
Emile agrees: “The Emmerdale Pride event is really important for my character. It’s great the soap is celebrating ‘love who you want to’.
“I’ve had a lot of DMs on social media from viewers saying how good it is to see a black gay man on screen. There can still be a stigma for black homosexuals, so representation in a soap is important.”
Emile also got a chance to show off his twerking skills on set. He said: “It felt like a real festival when everyone was dancing.
“As soon as I relaxed, I thought I’d give people what they wanted so I started twerking.
“We haven’t been able to go to raves so that was my opportunity to let out what has been pent up for a year.”
Social distancing rules mean it is still down to the cast to do their hair and make-up.
Natalie reveals she had to Google how to create a rainbow effect around her eyes.
She said: “Amy is an absolute Wonder Woman rainbow. But she ends up getting drunk when she realises she’s the only one who has gone the whole hog.
“I had to Google how to do it but I didn’t mind – it’s not lost on me how lucky we are to work at the moment.”
As well as rainbows, she also admits to having stars in her eyes – and would love The Vivienne to become a permanent fixture. She said: “I think The Viv would love it… she brings a whole new level of camp.”
- The Pride episode airs this Wednesday at 7pm and will be on ITV’s Hub from Monday
