Drag Race UK’s La Voix says she’s making history on Strictly: ‘It’s so exciting’
La Voix is set to waltz on to the Strictly dancefloor this autumn. (Kate Green/Getty Images)
La Voix is set to waltz on to the Strictly dancefloor this autumn. (Kate Green/Getty Images)
RuPaul’s Drag Race UK‘s La Voix is confident that she’s breaking boundaries when it comes to Strictly Come Dancing.
The diva from Drag Race UK series six joined the Strictly cast last week. She’ll be taking to the dance floor alongside the likes of EastEnders star Balvinder Sopal, Love Island winner Dani Dyer, and Doctor Who‘s Alex Kingston.
“It’s so exciting,” the larger than life entertainer tells PinkNews one week on from that announcement. Though she’s quick to follow up, “It’s petrifying. It’s everything that you can imagine doing something like this is.” And with an impressive resumé, having also competed on Britain’s Got Talent and Queen of the Universe, La Voix isn’t anxious about being in front of a live audience of millions, but has never had to do that and Paso Doble, for example.
“I’ve never done that in my life! It’s a completely new a ball game for me.” But, like a true star La Voix knows she has to throw herself at it, indeed it excites her. “To push myself out that comfort zone and to learn all these new skills is going to be… well, it’s going to be one of two things: it’s either going to be a disaster, or it’s going to be phenomenal, either way.”
“Big energy, big sparkles”
And when it comes to meeting the challenges of Strictly, we’re fairly confident La Voix has the skills she needs, being a seasoned performer. She agrees. “I’m going to channel the spectacle and the performance I’m known for,” she adds. “Big energy, big sparkles.”
Then she lays out just why her turn on Strictly is a first for the long-running reality series, now on its 23rd series. “I might be the only person ever going on Strictly that’s going to be dressing down for the live shows, let’s be honest. I wear sequins on a daily basis.”
La Voix doesn’t know who her partner is yet (“place your bets now!”) but is hoping for someone who can match her. “For me, this is the biggest entertainment show on the BBC, if not across all TV networks. And I want to bring that performance level, sparkle, and glitz. And if I can fast forward to me holding a glitter ball trophy, then I’ve made it. That’s what I’m going to bring to Strictly.”
As if preparing for Strictly wasn’t enough, La Voix was already preparing for her latest UK tour, The Show Isn’t Over. Starting in Mold, Wales in September, the tour will see the “Dance That Man Away” singer stop in Glasgow, Manchester, Cornwall, Stockton, Portsmouth, Brighton, as well as London’s Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.
“It’s either going to be the most unforgettable spectacle of the night, or I’ll be wheeled on for a Q&A with my foot in a foot spar, depending how exhausted I am from Strictly,” the performer jests.
As well as songs and jokes, La Voix promises a reprise of her showstopping turn as Liza Minelli from Drag Race UK as well as her takes on Judy Garland, Shirley Bassey, Madonna, and Cher among others. She has also written a bespoke song for each stop of the tour. And with large screens and pyrotechnics, “it’ll be like seeing Tina Turner or Judy Garland live with the bands there behind her.”
The show, La Voix explains, is inspired by the divas she listened to growing up. The same can be said for her performances, it’s all thanks to her father’s impressive sounding record collection.
Hearing Donna Summer, Barbra Streisand, Tina Turner and more blasting through the house inspired her own sense of herself as a diva. “I just think that’s why I’ve got my love for this level of Diva from,” La Voix tells PinkNews. “So, it’s quite nostalgic for me. It’s something that inspired my whole career, and each one of those divas, they’re not just in there because the songs are great and everyone loves them. They’re in there because I genuinely have a connection to them when I perform.”
And as if all that wasn’t enough, La Voix also has pantomime season to look forward to at the end of the year. She’ll be returning to the Wycombe Swan for Jack and the Beanstalk alongside BBC Radio 2’s Scott Mills where she’ll be playing Dame Trot though she jokes, “I think they might need to change it to Dame Foxtrot.”
Panto is special for La Voix, who’s performed in them for 25 years at this point. “I adore kids coming and dressing up as the characters,” she explains. “I adore the families, it’s such a cross generational art form, I love it. It’s where so many kids see theatre for the first time.”
Kids like her. She can trace her love of theatre and performance back to annual panto trips. “I remember growing up in the North East going to see shows and back then people from Neighbours had started flying over, it was amazing. You also had the baddie you could boo and the goodie you could cheer and all the songs you could sing along, I loved the song sheet at the end when it dropped in and everyone would sing along.”
There are many fond memories La Voix has from such an iconic institution of British performance art. “You’ll never forget that memory of ‘Oh, do you remember when we used to go and see that’.” It’s a lovely thing to do.”
La Voix’s The Show Isn’t Over tour runs from 17 September to 5 November. Get tickets here. You can also catch La Voix in Jack and the Beanstalk at Wycombe Swan this Christmas. Get tickets here.
