Drag Race UK’s Sminty Drop wants to prove homophobic bullies wrong and be an ‘idol’ to queer kids
Sminty Drop. (BBC/World of Wonder/Guy Levy)
RuPaul’s Drag Race UK season four contestant Sminty Drop says she wants to inspire young, queer kids in her hometown, after being a victim of bullies when she was growing up.
The 23-year-old “sexy cyberpunk” drag queen comes from a small town in the Lancashire countryside called Clitheroe.
She sailed through the first week of the new season, but says her journey to life as a Ru-girl has been a long-time from her rural beginnings – and wants LGBTQ+ youth in her hometown to look to her as inspiration.
“I come from a very small town in the middle of the countryside.” She told PinkNews and other media.
“I don’t think anybody where I’m from thinks that somebody here can be big, you live and die here. Very few people venture out from here.
“I want other queer kids in my hometown to look at me and be an idol for them to think, ‘OK, I can get out of here. I’m in school and being bullied.”
YOUR CHAOTIC QUEEN IS HITTING THE BIG SCREEN !!!!!
can’t believe this is real life 😭🤍 pic.twitter.com/z3x91qh26y— SMINTY (@smintyd) September 7, 2022
Sminty Drop says she’s on a mission to prove that it’s not just queens from cities who can make it big on the UK drag scene – and beyond.
“I’m not from a big city with all of these resources and knowledge and education on loads of different things. I can still be someone from literally the depths of the pig trough.
“Also I want my bullies to be able to see me on the BBC and in my own trailers and on billboards and think, ‘Is she from our school? Oh wow.’ It will just be a little ‘hah!’ to them from me.”
But Drag Race UK isn’t Sminty’s only claim to fame – she also features in Duran Duran’s latest music video for 8.3 seconds and counting.
Speaking about her experience on set she said: “The experience was kind of crazy because we were in this massive castle. And there was just loads of celebrity lookalikes.
And while she met all the Duran Duran members, she didn’t get to properly chat.
“There was a lot of stop starting but it was crazy to see famous people that may mum and dad liked.”
RuPaul’s Drag Race UK season four airs every Thursday at 9pm on BBC Three and is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
