Irish drag queen Panti Bliss is getting her own TV show

Drag queen Panti Bliss is getting her own TV show.

In 2014, a heartwarming speech given by the drag artist about the oppression that gay people face went viral, and was even sampled as part of a Pet Shop Boys track.

Panti Bliss has since become a household name in Ireland, speaking out for gay rights and same-sex marriage and releasing her own autobiography.

The drag star and gay bar owner, real name Rory O’Neill, became the unlikely face of the Yes campaign in Ireland’s same-sex marriage referendum.

The Irish Independent reports that the rights to O’Neill’s memoir ‘Woman in the Making’ have been acquired by a US production company, who are developing it into a TV show.

He said: “It is fictional-ish.

“It is a comedy drama. I will be Panti in it and draw on my vast back catalogue of embarrassing stories.

“The TV series is not actually about the book but they are locking all that stuff off so that no one else can use it.

““We are still working it all out… they are a big impressive company they have the money to say let’s just go and do it. It’s a new thing for me writing for TV. It’s exciting.”

O’Neill was at the centre of a controversy n 2014 when she labelled Catholic lobbying group the Iona Institute ‘homophobes’ on an Irish talk show.

After a lawsuit, state broadcaster RTE awarded a payout of over €85,000 (£70,000) to the group and associated journalists.

Panti Bliss previously received an honorary degree for services to LGBT activism.

The drag artist received an honorary degree from Trinity College, Dublin (the University of Dublin)

• Dec 01 2023

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