Irish mechanic Alfie Parker had no idea when he responded to his favourite pizza shop's message that he would be exchanging brake pads and rigs for makeup and wigs.
The 38-year-old was one of several loyal customers contacted by Four Star Pizza as they searched for the right person to launch their new pizzas, including the Pepperoni Extravaganza, BBQ Meat Feast and the Smokey Joe.
The Irishman responded to the message and showed he was destined to become Ireland’s next drag queen, Anita Pizza.
Brian Clarke, Director of Four Star Pizza, explained how the idea came about.
He said, “We wanted to do something a bit different for the launch of our new pizzas; everyone knows how amazing our pizzas are, it wasn’t about that, we just wanted to stop our Irish customers in their tracks with something surprising that would put a smile on their faces during Pride month.”
He added: “The word extravaganza immediately transported us to the fabulous world of drag artists.
“So, we enlisted the help of Trudy Scrumptious, a stalwart of the drag scene in Ireland, to help us create new drag queen, Anita Pizza. We just needed the right man for the job.”
Alfie Parker, aka Anita Pizza, said: “I didn’t think my love of Four Star Pizza would lead me down this path, and in heels, but my outlook on life is that you only live once, so after discussing it with my wife, Isobel, and daughter Brianna, I decided to give it a go.”
He added: "Walking in heels was incredibly hard and I have a newfound respect for anyone who wears them.
“Once the fake eyelashes went on, I was surprised at how heavy they felt and at how long it takes to actually apply makeup.
“Once the tights, underwear, dress, shoes and wig were on, I was finally able to look in the mirror. I just couldn’t believe my eyes and I even got a wolf whistle during the photoshoot.
Alfie admitted that he hasn't told any of his family or friends about his new venture but expects they will get quite a shock when they see the video.
He said: “Becoming Anita Pizza was hard work, but Trudy Scrumptious was brilliant and made the whole process hilarious. The things you do for the love of pizza, eh!”
Trudy Scrumptious, aka Gordon Crawford, said: “Transforming a very butch, pizza-loving man into a lady was one of the biggest challenges of my drag career.
“I must be honest, my first reaction when I saw Alfie was, ‘have I bitten off more pizza than I could chew’, and that ‘he might be a two-man job’!
“However, he was so relaxed and up for it that it went like a dream. And the transformation was just show-stopping!”
