Cheddar Gorgeous says Mastermind was the ‘the right throne’ to win
Drag superstar Cheddar Gorgeous is embarking on a ‘radical’ new career journey. (Getty/Sarah Morris)
RuPaul’s Drag Race UK star Cheddar Gorgeous has said they were “waiting for the right throne” after winning Celebrity Mastermind.
The drag sensation took home the trophy on Friday (1 December), remarking on social media over the weekend that they had a “fabulous time in the black chair.”
Bringing their niche specialist subject, mythical creatures of the British Isles, they competed against actor Danny O’Carroll, Coach Trip star Brendan Sheerin and comedian Jayde Adams.
“It took a year but she’s a winner, baby. I guess I was just waiting for the right throne,” Cheddar wrote in an Instagram post, in which they thanked host Clive Myrie, BBC One and the team at show producers Hat Trick Productions.
Their chosen charity was We Are Survivors, an organisation based in Greater Manchester supporting males affected by rape, sexual abuse and exploitation, for which they’re an ambassador. “So proud to stand with them in their vital mission to #breakthesilence”, Cheddar added in the Instagram caption.
Accepting the glitzy trophy while dressed in a silver, glittery suit, complete with a matching top hat and cane, they said it was “lovely to actually win something for a change”.
Cheddar finished second in the fourth series of Drag Race UK, behind Danny Beard.
A number of celebrities praised the Mastermind win, with Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies calling it absolutely wonderful.
Fellow Drag Race UK star Kitty Scott-Claus said: “Omg, congratulations. So so good,” while Glow Up judge Val Garland labelled the win “major” (with accompanying fire emojis).
Gorgeous family member Liquorice Black, who styled Cheddar’s suit, playfully joked: “You’re a winner, you finally bring honour back to the family”, adding that they’d let them “back in”.
Elsewhere, fans were similarly delighted, with one saying that they were flicking between channels when they realised that Cheddar was on the show. “I yelled ‘Cheddar Gorgeous, it’s Cheddar’. Then we stayed with the episode to see you win.”
Another fan suggested that, with Cheddar having introduced themself as a “cultural icon” as they sat down in the famous black chair, the label was understated. “Total elegance as always… and such a great charity too”, they wrote.
In September, Cheddar announced that they were returning to academia, writing on Instagram that they had “finally caved [in]to parental pressure and decided to become a grown-up academic” and would be starting a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Manchester.
As part of their research, Cheddar, who already has PhD in anthropology from the university, remarked that they’d be exploring “disability and the use of drag as a form of radical advocacy and collaborative self-expression”.
