Blu Hydrangea | |
|---|---|
 Hydrangea in 2022 | |
| Born | Joshua Cargill 15 February 1996 |
| Occupation | Drag queen |
| Television | RuPaul's Drag Race UK (series 1) RuPaul's Drag Race: UK vs. the World (series 1) |
| Website | www |
Blu Hydrangea (born 15 February 1996) is the stage name of Joshua Cargill, a Northern Irish drag queen from Belfast who is known for competing on the first series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK in 2019 and later winning the first series of RuPaul's Drag Race: UK vs. the World in 2022.
Blu Hydrangea was announced as part of the cast of the first series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK on 21 September 2019 and subsequently finished in fifth place on the series, losing the lip sync to fellow contestant Cheryl Hole.
Outside of Drag Race, Blu Hydrangea is a well-known make-up queen and a part of a group called the Frock Destroyers (with Baga Chipz and Divina de Campo). They also host the BBC web series Strictly Frocked Up, a weekly web series where they and another drag queen watch and review each episode of Strictly Come Dancing.
In January 2022, they were announced as one of the nine contestants on the first series of RuPaul's Drag Race: UK vs. the World . [2] On 8 March 2022, Blu Hydrangea was announced as the winner of the series, becoming the first Northern Irish queen to win across the franchise. [3] In December 2023, they were announced as competing on the seventh season of the Irish version of Dancing with the Stars , premiering in January 2024, where they finished as runner-up. [4] They broke the record of receiving the most perfect scores in any series, with 5, and the most 10s of any contestant (along with Aoibhín Garrihy and Nina Carberry), with 18.
Cargill grew up in Royal Hillsborough but later moved to live in Belfast. [5] [6] [7] He has dated Johnson Orr since 2014. [8]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | RuPaul's Drag Race UK | Herself | Contestant (5th Place); Series 1 |
| 2021–2022 | Stitch, Please! [9] | Herself | Host |
| 2021 | Be Here, Be Queer | Herself | Netflix special [10] |
| 2022 | RuPaul's Drag Race: UK vs. the World | Herself | Contestant (Winner); Series 1 |
| Queens for the Night | Mentor | One-off special [11] | |
| 2023 | RuPaul's Drag Race UK | Herself | Special guest; Series 5 |
| 2024 | Dancing with the Stars | Herself | Contestant [4] |
| Celeb Cooking School | Herself | Contestant (Winner) | |
| RuPaul's Drag Race: UK vs. the World | Herself | Special guest; Series 2 |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | God Shave the Queens | Herself | Produced by World of Wonder [12] |
| Strictly Frocked Up | Herself (Host) | BBC iPlayer | |
| The X Change Rate | Herself | Produced by BUILD Series [13] | |
| Strictly Frocked Up! | Herself | Produced by BBC Three [14] | |
| Cosmo Queens UK | Herself | Produced by Cosmopolitan UK [15] | |
| 2021 | I Like to Watch UK | Herself | Produced by Netflix [16] |
| 2022 | Frockumentary | Herself | WOWPresents+ Original [17] |
| EW News Flash | Herself | Produced by Entertainment Weekly [18] | |
| Drag Us Weekly | Herself | Produced by Us Weekly [19] | |
| Bestie Test | Herself | With Cheryl Hole, Produced by Glamour Magazine UK [20] | |
| Bring Back My Girls | Herself | Produced by World of Wonder [21] | |
| 2023 | Binge Queens: UK5 | Herself (Host) | With Cheryl Hole, Produced by World of Wonder [22] |
| Year | Title | Artist | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | "Always" | Waze & Odyssey | [23] |
| 2020 | "Her Majesty" | Frock Destroyers (Herself, Baga Chipz & Divina de Campo) | [24] |
| 2021 | "My House" | Jodie Harsh | [25] |
| Year | Song | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | "Champion (Ru x Blu)" (with RuPaul) | Non-album single |
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK [26] | US Elec. [27] | |||
| "Break Up (Bye Bye)" [28] (RuPaul featuring the cast of RuPaul's Drag Race UK, season 1) | 2019 | 35 | 45 | Non-album single |
| "Living My Life in London" (Cast Version) (RuPaul featuring the cast of RuPaul's Drag Race UK vs. The World, season 1) [29] | 2022 | – | – | |
I Like to Watch is a 2019 American web series hosted by drag queens Trixie Mattel and Katya Zamolodchikova. The series was created by Netflix, and streams on the company's YouTube channel. I Like to Watch films its hosts as they view and react to various Netflix Original Programming and licensed films streaming on Netflix. The first season aired from November 21, 2019, to March 21, 2020. A second season, recorded in the duo's homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, premiered on May 23, 2020. The third season, still recorded from home but with the hosts together in person before moving to a new set, premiered on February 20, 2021. The series won a People's Voice Webby Award in 2022. In 2023 the series won a Bronze Anthem Award in the Awareness & Media categories for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.
Airline Inthyrath, known by her stage name Jujubee, is an American drag queen, reality television personality, and recording artist from Lowell, Massachusetts. She first rose to prominence in 2010 as a contestant on the second season of RuPaul's Drag Race, and later returned to compete on the first and fifth seasons of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, and the first series of RuPaul's Drag Race: UK vs. the World (2022), becoming one of the most popular queens from the franchise. She has the unique distinction of being the only contestant to reach the finale of the competition four times. Additionally, she was a main cast member on the makeover television series RuPaul's Drag U (2010–2012), Dragnificent (2019–2020), and RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race (2022). In 2021, she competed in the first season of Paramount+ singing competition Queen of the Universe.
Mo Heart, formerly Monique Heart, is the stage name of Kevin Leandrew Richardson, an American drag queen, reality television personality, and recording artist best known for competing on the tenth season of RuPaul's Drag Race (2018), the fourth season of RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars (2018–2019), and the first series of RuPaul's Drag Race: UK vs. the World (2022). Since first appearing on Drag Race in 2018, Mo Heart has appeared in a number of web series produced by World of Wonder, including a starring role in Manic Moments With Monique Heart, and hosted her own podcast, Ace of Hearts with Monique Heart. In January 2019, she released her debut single "Brown Cow Stunning", and later released her debut extended play Beloved SoS 6.3 in 2020.
RuPaul's Drag Race UK is a British reality competition television series based on the American television series of the same name. The television series, a collaboration between the BBC and World of Wonder, premiered on 3 October 2019. The show is the fourth installment of the Drag Race franchise, and the second fronted by RuPaul. The show documents RuPaul and a panel of judges' search for "the United Kingdom's next drag superstar", the first series title dubbed "UK's First Drag Superstar". RuPaul plays several roles on the show including host, mentor and head judge for the series, as the contestants are given different challenges to participate in each week. The show also employs a panel of judges: RuPaul, Michelle Visage, Alan Carr, and Graham Norton.
Rebecca More is an English pornographic actress and model. More began her pornographic career in 2010, and went on to appear in an array of films for various different studios until her retirement from mainstream pornography in 2023. She found internet fame in October 2018 after she and fellow porn star Sophie Anderson, who branded themselves "The Cock Destroyers", posted a video that went viral. Both her and Anderson's videos have become memes and the pair have subsequently been regarded as "gay icons".
Leo Loren, better known by the stage name Baga Chipz, is an English drag queen known for competing on the first series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK (2019) and later the first series of RuPaul's Drag Race: UK vs. the World (2022). Baga Chipz also appeared in the fifth series of the Channel 4 school drama series Ackley Bridge (2022).
Cheryl Hole is the stage name of Luke Underwood-Bleach, an English drag queen from Chelmsford in Essex who is known for being one of the first contestants on RuPaul's Drag Race UK (2019) and later the first series of RuPaul's Drag Race: UK vs. the World (2022). Cheryl Hole's act is based on former Girls Aloud singer Cheryl Cole.
Owen Richard Farrow, known professionally as Divina de Campo, is an English drag queen, singer, and actor, best known for competing in the first series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK, eventually finishing as runner-up.
James Lee Williams, better known by the stage name The Vivienne, is a drag queen, known for being appointed the first UK RuPaul's Drag Race ambassador in 2015, winning the first series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK in 2019, and later returning to compete in the seventh season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars in 2022. As part of her victory, she was awarded her own online television series, later titled The Vivienne Takes on Hollywood. The series premiered on 9 April 2020 on BBC Three and follows her trip to Hollywood to produce her own music video.
"Break Up (Bye Bye)" is a song recorded by British drag girl group the Frock Destroyers for the Girl Group Battle Royale challenge during their stint on the first series of the reality television competition, RuPaul's Drag Race UK. During the episode the contestants had to create girl groups to participate in the challenge; there were two versions of the song released, the first being by Divina de Campo, Baga Chipz and Blu Hydrangea. The alternate version was released by Filth Harmony, consisting of Drag Race UK winner The Vivienne, Cheryl Hole and Crystal, however the latter did not chart. The song was released on 31 October 2019. The song was also included in the band's debut album, Frock4Life, which was released 11 December 2020. The song was primarily written by Leland, with De Campo, Chipzs and Hydrangea writing the lyrics for their individual verses.
RuPaul's DragCon UK is an fan convention and expo of drag culture held in London, UK. The convention debuted on 18 January 2020. It is based on the successful RuPaul's DragCon LA and NYC, which are related to the popular television show: RuPaul's Drag Race.
Digital Drag Fest was a digital drag concert series hosted by Producer Entertainment Group. Beginning on March 27, 2020, it was originally supposed to be a limited engagement until April 12 but, due to overwhelming demand, the series was extended to May 30. The aim of the series is to allow drag and LGBT performers who have had shows cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic a chance to perform for their fans. 50 percent of the proceeds from the event's merchandise would be donated to GLAAD, and several performers from the event also pledged a portion of their ticket sales to the organization.
God Shave the Queens is a documentary streaming television series about the tour following each series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK. The show originally premiered internationally on 10 September 2020 on WOW Presents Plus internationally, and BBC iPlayer on 15 November 2020 in the United Kingdom.
The Frock Destroyers are a musical group with RuPaul's Drag Race UK contestants Baga Chipz, Blu Hydrangea, and Divina de Campo. They made the UK Top 40 in 2019 with "Break Up Bye Bye", which charted at number 35 on the UK Singles Chart. There was a campaign to have the Frock Destroyers represent the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020. The group's name is a pun on the pornographic double act, the Cock Destroyers.
Frock4Life is the debut studio album by the Frock Destroyers, released by World of Wonder Records on 11 December 2020. It includes "Break Up Bye Bye", which was performed by group members Baga Chipz, Blu Hydrangea and Divina de Campo as contestants on the first series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK. The song was a commercial success, peaking at number 35 on the UK Singles Chart and number 44 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart, with it leading to the recording of the album. Leland served as executive producer and the main songwriter. "Her Majesty" and "Big Ben" served as singles for Frock4Life in 2020; the former also received a music video.
George Ward, better known by the stage name Cherry Valentine, was an English drag queen and mental health nurse who competed in the second series of the television show RuPaul's Drag Race UK. Raised in a Romanichal community, Ward has been credited as the first contestant on the Drag Race franchise to acknowledge his Romani heritage. In 2022, he addressed his background in the BBC documentary film Cherry Valentine: Gypsy Queen and Proud, and in an episode of the documentary series God Shave the Queens. Following Ward's suicide in 2022, a memorial concert and fundraiser was held at London's Clapham Grand.
"UK Hun?" is a song recorded by British drag girl group United Kingdolls for The RuRuvision Song Contest challenge during their stint on the second series of reality television competition, RuPaul's Drag Race UK. The episode has contestants participate in a Eurovision-style performance. The song was released on February 11, 2021. It was primarily written by Leland, with Lawrence Chaney, Bimini Bon-Boulash, A'Whora and Tayce writing the lyrics for their individual verses.
The second series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK began airing on 14 January 2021 on the BBC Three section of BBC iPlayer and WOW Presents Plus streaming service. The series was confirmed and casting was closed on 15 November 2019. Production was suspended mid 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic but resumed late 2020. The cast of 12 new queens was announced on 16 December 2020 and the series premiered on 14 January 2021. It was also announced a special episode RuPaul's Drag Race UK: Queens on Lockdown would air, following the queens during the first lockdown. This special episode was released on 12 February.
RuPaul's Drag Race: UK vs. the World is an international all-stars series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK and its franchise. The all-stars series premiered on 1 February 2022, through BBC Three and WOW Presents Plus. RuPaul acts as the host, head judge, and executive producer of the series.
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