Olympic swimmer makes a splash on RuPaul's Drag Race runway

Olympic swimmer Daniel Jervis is no stranger to a challenge, and his latest was to step out of the pool and onto the RuPaul's Drag Race mainstage.

Daniel underwent a head-to-toe drag transformation, after being paired with US drag queen Mariah Balenciaga, whilst appearing on the BBC series RuPaul's Drag Race UK vs the World.

The long distance swimmer from Neath, who came out as gay in 2022, told the show that he was hesitant to announce his sexuality publicly until he was 26 years old.

"You can sometimes feel like you're being told you can't be Christian and be gay," Daniel said on the show.

"[But] I was very blessed when I came out. My church didn't change towards me. For me, that's acceptance."

"I understand how privileged I was to have that," he added.

"I've seen the other side of that. Not with me personally but I've seen someone very close to me come out in a church setting and it's gone really bad for them," he added.

Daniel said his "life did turn upside down" after he came out "but it turned the right way around".

"Honestly it's the best thing I've ever done," he added.

Daniel said he wanted to share his experience because he "knew the show would be seen by millions of people" and "some viewers of the show might not be out to their own families".

He hoped his words could offer some "comfort" to them.

Before deciding whether to go on the show, Daniel spoke to his dad who told him "only do it if you're going to give it 100%".

"It was fun but hard work because I wanted to make Mariah proud and as well as the drag community," he said.

"I've never felt so included and comfortable around a group of people in my life. They were from all around the world and so welcoming to us.

"I've stayed in touch with Mariah and thanked her for the experience. I've never done anything like this before, it was a new world that she opened my eyes to."

Greg Rutherford, Shanaze Reade, Molly Thompson-Smith and Celia Quansah, who were also featured in the episode, were paired with the other semi finalists but it was Mariah and Daniel who were the winners of the week.

The pair received rave reviews from the judges, with celebrity guest judge and singer Anastacia admitting she couldn't tell who the Olympian was.

RuPaul asked Daniel what was his favourite part of the transformation was, which he replied "the heels".

"I wanted to go method," he said.

"I have so much respect for these queens and I know if they were coming into my world, I'd want them to give it 100% and respect what I do.

"It's the other way around, I'm going into their world and I want to give 100% and respect what they do."