Drag Race UK finale: Michelle Visage praises show’s Britishness

Michelle and fellow judge Alan Carr reflect on the “rough” and “raw” feel of the first UK series.

***SPOILER WARNING***: This article reveals the winner of RuPaul's Drag Race UK season 1, and some other details from the debut series

"I think audiences fell in love with this show because it's quintessentially British."

RuPaul's Drag Race UK judge Michelle Visage says she knows why the show has connected with the fans.

Michelle, who recently took part in Strictly Come Dancing, told BBC Three: "The audience saw the pure, beautiful, gritty, British ropeyness. Really, the golden hearts of these queens."

The BBC Three show saw drag queens with names like Baga Chipz, Divina De Campo and The Vivienne compete in challenges to be crowned "the UK’s first ever drag superstar".

Now the make-up's been wiped away, the queens have packed up their dresses and wigs - and the winner has been announced.

Liverpudlian drag queen The Vivienne found out RuPaul had picked her, at a BBC Three event in London.

"This has been the most crazy ride we could have wished for," she told the crowd.

"Seeing RuPaul and Michelle celebrate everything we do has been amazing. Every single girl who worked in the Werk Room is a winner in my eyes."

Comedian Alan Carr agreed with fellow judge Michelle, celebrating the Britishness of the series: "It was so British, it was a little bit rough around the edges. The queens were potty-mouthed, they were raw.

"American drag queens survive on their heels but British drag queens survive on their wits, so I think you got a lot of that sass."

Winner The Vivienne, 27, told BBC Three at the finale that her life "has completely changed" since taking part in the show.

She also reflected on the emotional moment in the show when she talked about her history of drug use.

"My parents didn't know before it aired [but] they were great, thank god."

She says she's been flooded with messages from people going through a similar situation.

Runner-up Divina De Campo said: "All I wanted to do this entire time on the show was just to be really true to myself. And I feel like, for the most part, I was."

Divina, 35, made a mark on the show by talking about how, as a teenager, she'd been affected by Section 28 - a law that banned the promotion of homosexuality in schools.

"I think for people of my generation, Section 28 had a really massive impact on our lives because everything about being gay in schools was taken out, so you have no reference.

"There was no anchor point for you to understand what it is that you're thinking or feeling or going through."

Baga Chipz was the second runner up, making it to the final three.

Drag Race UK has been renewed for a second season - and judge Alan Carr thinks it will continue to be popular.

"There's going to be an avalanche of people wanting to be a part of this phenomenon."