Everyone seems to have an opinion about Lawrence Chaney.
The RuPaul’s Drag Race UK winner was lambasted for their argument with fellow Scots queen Ellie Diamond during the show at the start of the year, then for winning and for their weight.
It led to them quitting Twitter in March.
But they’re back with a fantastic autobiography, Drag Queen of Scots, and will travel next week – for the first time abroad – to America to make a podcast as part of their win.
During RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, Lawrence, 24, (who asked us to use the they/them pronoun) admitted: “It always hurts seeing what people say about you.”
The Helensburgh-born star has often been mercilessly trolled about their weight and is keen to do a documentary about size equalling health to counter the toxicity of shows like Superfat vs Superskinny, Gillian McKeith’s You Are What You Eat or Embarrassing Bodies.
They said: “It’s been deeply ingrained into our psyche from a young age that being fat or being too thin is a problem.
“You’re a junkie if you’re too thin and obsessed with cake if you’re too fat. I hate that idea. Let people be people.
“If someone has a mole on their a***, who cares? It’s that person’s body. It so doesn’t matter.”
Most recently, the chatter has been about Adele’s weight loss, with some wondering if her songs will be any good now she’s thinner or if larger-sized fans will still buy her music.
An exasperated Lawrence argued: “I only care about Adele if it’s a good song. If it’s good, I’m listening to it. If it’s not, I don’t. I don’t care about her weight.
“As long as she’s losing weight for the right reason, and not because she’s pressurised. Fair enough. More power to her.”
Such was the sometimes relentless online barrage that they quit Twitter for a time in March.
The Drag Race experience, as a huge fan, was almost tarnished over the argument they had with Dundee’s Ellie Diamond – a friend before the show – over the running order for the stand-up challenge.
Lawrence said: “If you think I’m a bad drag queen or shouldn’t have won, that’s fair enough. It’s a talent competition.
“It’s when people start trying to talk about your intent. When I had the argument with Ellie, people were calling me a horrible human being.
“I couldn’t understand it. I had an argument with a friend. You are allowed to have arguments with people. We live in a world where reality TV rewards badly behaved people.
“But people find it funny when Tiffany Pollard in Big Brother let loose on Gemma Collins or Kim Woodburn argues with everyone but when I have an argument with Ellie, it’s too much.
“I hate when people weaponise my intent. You don’t know my intent.”
When the third series of Drag Race UK was aired, Lawrence tweeted “Let’s not cyber bully this season of queens shall we”.
They added: “I want people to lay off the queens on social media. But I know they won’t. Sadly, we want the followers we get and have to put up with the slagging we get online.”
Much of this year’s anger has been directed at Victoria Scone for being the show’s first cisgender female contestant.
Lawrence said: “Drag should be open to anyone. I’ve seen people making remarks about whether she’s valid or even allowed to do drag.
“If you are good at make-up, if you make costumes, are flamboyant and funny and if you have a voice – why can’t you use it?
“I want people just to admit they are misogynist and hate women, because there’s no weight to their arguments.”
Lawrence is feisty, opinionated and an advocate for the drag community – determined to see queens get paid more for their work.
Their book is funny but also a self-help book for those struggling, queen or not.
The family moved to England when Lawrence was nine and the bullying began.
They were called Fat B****** from Austin Powers, Susan Boyle and Shrek – all famous Scots at the time.
They said: “Recalling those stories, I didn’t realise how much trauma was created from that.
“Writing was like therapy. I can process everything a bit better. It happened but let’s move on. I was bullied but I came out of it in a good way. I’ve learnt from it.”
Dedicated to their gran Mary, who always used to wear purple, Lawrence admitted their mum Phyllis has read the book but not the dating chapter about hook-ups.
Lawrence laughed: “Who wants their mum to read that? This book is honest, talks about the drag culture and how we grow up and get to be intimate.
“But I don’t think it’s mum appropriate. When she does, I think I’ll be getting a stern phone call.”
Finding they could make people laugh, an early love of dressing up (check out the photo of Lawrence in their sister’s school uniform dress and mum’s high heels) and a desire to be noticed saw Lawrence taking the surname of silent horror star Lon Chaney and becoming a face on the Glasgow drag scene.
With their win Lawrence is flying the flag for Scotland and takes their first plane abroad next week to Los Angeles for three weeks to make a podcast.
They said: “I hope it pushes me into America but firstly I want to lighten the mood. It’s been a rough time – politically, socially and with hate crime going up. We need the laughter back.”
They also may find love.
Lawrence revealed they have had offers since winning the show but can spot someone interested in their fame.
They said: “I can smell someone a mile off. Glasgow queer scene is so small, we know each other already.
“Anyone that’s shown me interest after winning Drag Race, I’ve been, ‘You were not interested before the show, so sit down and shut up’.”
RuPaul and Michelle Visage have been there for advice but it’s been Lorraine Kelly who has been Lawrence’s biggest support.
They said: “I love, love her. I used to watch her before I went to school and now she’s inviting me to her home for drinks and giving me advice.”
Lawrence would love to host a chat show and they’d like to enter Eurovision for real. They were one of the United Kingdoll’s on Drag Race who came up with “UK, Hun?”.
“Eurovision is perfect for drag. We would love to bring that campy craziness and could do better than nul points.”
●Drag Queen of Scots: The Do’s and Don’ts of a Drag Superstar is out now.
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