Kyran Thrax Crowned Winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Sixth Series

RuPaul has named the United Kingdom’s newest drag superstar. Queens La Voix, Kyran Thrax, Marmalade, and Rileasa Slaves competed for the crown in Thursday’s grand finale. This sixth series of the UK edition of RuPaul’s Drag Race marked a significant milestone, introducing a cash prize of £25,000 for the first time, a feature previously exclusive to the US series. Speaking to BBC Newsbeat, the victor expressed feeling “so grateful” for winning the competition. Warning: This article contains spoilers for the final below Following 10 episodes, Kyran Thrax was declared the winner, characterizing the experience as “the ride of my life”. “There have been highs and lows, and I’m very proud of this season.” “And of every single person that was a part of creating the season, because it’s magic.” Personally, this season held considerable importance for Kyran. In every episode’s conclusion, RuPaul poses the question to the queens: “If you can’t love yourself, how the hell are you gonna love someone else?” During episode five, Kyran shared their past struggles with self-love, detailing the difficulty following an experience of online grooming. Kyran’s abuser, who impersonated a teenager and targeted a 13-year-old Kyran soon after they came out, was incarcerated; however, Kyran stated the experience “made me despise myself”. “I hated myself so much because I saw everything falling apart around me.” Nevertheless, their self-assurance began to develop after their mother advised them “to look in the mirror and tell myself I loved myself”. “I did it every day before school… and I didn’t believe it and I hated it and then I slowly started to believe it, and that’s where this confidence comes from” Kyran described the public response as “so overwhelming in the most amazing way”. “I wanted to show people that you can go through something like that and it doesn’t need to destroy you.” “The moment I started talking, I feel like I’m showing everyone I’m human.” A memorable highlight of the series occurred when La Voix’s father, Richard, participated in the family resemblance challenge, which requires queens to transform a loved one into drag. Richard, aged 78, moved judge Michelle Visage to tears after his transformation into Voix La, as he spoke of his realization that “it’s a privilege being gay”. “Of all the hard work and effort people go through in this world, it’s tremendous, and I give praise to everybody,” he stated. “I hope I’m setting an example to other parents who should equally love their child – irrespective of gender or anything.” This particular moment gained widespread attention online, and La Voix, 44, remarked that “that wisdom and guidance was incredible”. “He’s an absolute legend.” “The love and support he’s had from the community and he just wants to keep giving back.” Earlier in the competition, Rileasa Slaves informed BBC Newsbeat of her intention to use her drag name to allude to the historical enslavement of Caribbean people by the British and certain other European nations. “I think it’s a very important conversation,” she commented then. “It’s about shedding light on a part of history. It’s in my ancestry, it’s all tied in.” However, throughout the episodes, RuPaul consistently referred to her as Rileasa Lisa, rather than her full drag name. Rileasa mentioned an unaired scene that included a discussion on the topic, but affirmed that as a drag queen, she will always be “Rileasa Slaves”. “I think the amazing thing about my name is the power behind it.” She further clarified that for her ventures into music, she will adopt the name “Rileasa”. Regarding future plans, Kyran, as the first UK winner to receive a cash prize, stated the funds would be invested “back into my drag”. “I want to give the biggest and best shows ever.” “I’m not going to disappoint.” For those affected by the subjects discussed in this article, assistance and support can be found through BBC Action Line. Newsbeat is broadcast live at 12:45 and 17:45 on weekdays, and past episodes are available for listening. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for content on external websites. Information regarding its external linking policy is available.