Manchester’s drag scene has a long and vibrant history - and its latest stars have scooped their own TV show.
Drag SOS, which started on Tuesday, follows Canal Street-based collective The Family Gorgeous, who host monthly club night Cha Cha Boudoir in Cruz 101.
Drag queens Cheddar Gorgeous, Anna Phylactic, TeTe Bang, Lill and Liquorice Black travel round in the Channel 4 show offering makeovers to people in need of a bit of TLC.
They use their expertise to help unlikely Brits unlock their long-lost confidence and become bolder, braver drag-enhanced versions of themselves - all with a generous splash of glitter (think Drag Race meets Queer Eye).
The first episode saw the troupe travel to Dover assisted by dance coach Astina Mandela and invite three tentative guests to their drag lab to teach them how to unleash their inner diva.
The Family Gorgeous aren’t the first acts to make it onto the small screen - 70s stars Frank ‘Foo Foo’ Lammar and Bunny Lewis paved the way for more recent drag stars to break through into the mainstream.
The show’s makeup expert Lill, real name Paddy Redmond, told the Manchester Evening News: “I think drag has made a way to the mainstream in recent years. People can appreciate it more now, which is amazing, I think.
“Lily Savage was my drag education, along with other comedy-based queens. Things have changed in recent years - there is a fusion of comedy, music and performance, which has opened the door for people to get involved in a world that they would not normally take part in.
“Drag isn’t just about comedy anymore.”
A shy youngster, Paddy, who lives in Ancoats, was swept up by the vibrance of the Gay Village after setting foot onto the famous cobbled streets five years ago, and praises the progression of the drag scene in recent years.
“Nowadays there is definitely more queer visibility,” said Paddy.
“That wasn’t the case when I was younger. If it was, it might have made me more comfortable to express myself at that age.
“I was shy as a youngster and did not want to come out of my shell at all. For young people having that queer visibility is so important.
“Some people might think that LGBT is a flavour of the month - it’s not, we have always been here.”
Speaking of how he and the rest of the Family Gorgeous help the budding drag acts on the show, Paddy simply says it’s all about knowing yourself.
“To be a good drag queen you have to understand what it is you’re interested in personally, take that, and run with it.
“I always express myself through art, writing, fashion and photography and drag gives me a platform to do this.”
Drag SOS continues on Tuesday from 10pm on Channel 4.
