RuPaul gives Helen Mirren and Jack Whitehall their own drag names
Guests on this week’s episode of The Graham Norton Show (BBC)
RuPaul is preparing to kick off Drag Race UK on BBC Three, and to promote the new venture, he will appear on tonight’s episode of The Graham Norton Show.
The celebrated drag performer appears on the first episode of the new season alongside Helen Mirren and Jack Whitehall – and he even bestowed them with their own drag names to mark the occasion.
In the hilarious segment, RuPaul names Helen Mirren “Sir Lady Cheek Bones” and names Jack Whitehall “Jackie Black Ball”, Metro reports.
Drag Race UK has ‘same feel’ as US show, RuPaul says.
The 58-year-old drag performer also touched on some of the differences between the UK and US versions RuPaul’s Drag Race.
He said that England has “a long history of queens” and that the UK version of the show has “the same feel” as the US one.
“It is definitely English, but the two shows are more similar than they are different.”
RuPaul names Helen Mirren ‘Sir Lady Cheek Bones’ and names Jack Whitehall ‘Jackie Black Ball’.
Elsewhere on the show, Helen Mirren spoke about taking her husband’s two sons to a drag pub in London.
“There’s a real historic tradition of drag in London and I was growing up and first came to London on a Friday night there was often a drag show,” Mirren said.
She spoke about taking her husband’s sons to the Royal Vauxhall Tavern to show them “something of the real London”.
“These poor kids were slightly in shock but they certainly remember it as being very cool. It was cool, and I love my London.”
RuPaul’s Drag Race was called out for a lack of diversity at the Emmys.
Last weekend, RuPaul picked up his sixth Emmy award for Best Reality-Competition Program.
However, things became awkward in the press room afterwards when Essence writer Danielle Young suggested that there was a lack of diversity in his team.
“I have a question about the hot-button term diversity that always gets thrown around. We’re looking at your team and I don’t see a lot of diversity,” she said.
“I’m curious about how you feel, especially as someone who represents so strongly for the LGBT+ community… Do you feel like it’s important for that to be represented behind the scenes as well?”
RuPaul replied: “First of all, the host of our show is black, gay and a drag queen, so check, check and check.
“But we’re pretty diverse, there are lots of different types of people here. But is it important? Absolutely.”
