Kyran Thrax recalls most ‘surreal’ moment since winning Drag Race UK
Kyran Thrax, winner of Drag Race UK S6, has joined channel 4’s Big Mood (Chaos Karts/Matty Parks
Kyran Thrax, winner of Drag Race UK S6, has joined channel 4's Big Mood (Chaos Karts/Matty Parks
It’s hard to believe that it’s been almost a year since Kyran Thrax was crowned the winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK. And there have been many highlights in that time.
“Time flies when you’re a superstar, I guess,” the drag performer from Chorley, Lancashire, tells PinkNews ahead of hosting the inaugural Glam Prix, at Chaos Karts, a one-night-only go-karting extravaganza taking place during Manchester Pride.
“It’s been absolutely amazing,” Thrax says. “The opportunities that have come my way, the people I’ve got to meet, and just to be celebrated feels so nice. It still feels like a dream. I’ve been pinching myself since last year.”
Having won season six of the show, there have been so many fun moments that it’s almost impossible to pick out, she admits. However, there was getting to perform in Toronto and “something I can’t talk about yet”, she teased.
“[But] the biggest surreal moment was Sasha Velour [the winner of Drag Race season nine] telling me she was a fan. That was at DragCon and I almost cried afterwards. I held it together then she left and I was like: ‘This is wild’.
“To be considered in the same pool as people I’ve looked up to for so many years is the most mind-blowing thing in the world.”
Thrax is speaking not long after the finale to All Stars 10, which ended with Ginger Minj joining the Drag Race Hall of Fame. It was a win that was not without controversy…
It once again stirred the long-running conversation around the enthusiasm of the Drag Race fandom, with Drag Race UK‘s River Medway posting on X/Twitter afterwards she was “never going back”, blaming, in part, the “insufferable” fan base.
“I love the Drag Race fandom,” Thrax says. “They have done everything for me.” But she is careful to make a distinction between those she sees as genuine fans and those she believes to be trolls. “I don’t really consider the people being horrible [to be] fans. So, when I say the Drag Race fandom, I’m talking about the fandom, and they’re wonderful.”
She is particularly thankful to one group, saying: “The lesbians in the fandom are everything to me and to a lot of queens.”
And she has advice for people annoyed by situations such as the result All Stars 10. “If your favourite person didn’t get the flowers they should have, go and support them. There [are] always ways to uplift people without having to tear somebody else down.”
Turning to The Glam Prix, where Sophia Stardust, Yshee Black, Dahliah Rivers, Big Dee, Arrow and Kobrah will race against one another, Thrax says: “I have never been so excited about anything in my life. Watching drag queens compete in Chaos Karts is going to be a chaotic mess in the best way possible.”
The event is being held in partnership with The Proud Trust, a Manchester-based LGBTQ+ youth charity with proceeds going to support young queer people across the UK. Describing the event as “a riot, full of colour, personality and pride,” Neil Dolan, the managing director of Little Lion Entertainment, says: “We couldn’t really miss this opportunity to give back in a fun, exciting and very us way.”
Chaos Karts, the UK’s first live-action video game karting experience, is also running a Pride-themed competition on social media between Thursday (13 August) and Monday (18 August), offering three people the chance to win two tickets each to race against the drag queens. Entrants need to comment here answering the question: what does Pride mean to you?
As for what the queens will be wearing, the lewks will combine glamour with practicality, Thrax promises.
“All the queens are going to commit the cardinal sin and be in their trainers. Maybe people will look at them and internally deduct points. We can’t physically force them to go-kart in heels, sadly.”
Kyran Thrax was speaking ahead of The Glam Prix at Chaos Karts, Manchester’s first drag queen drag race, which takes place on Wednesday 20 August.
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