First trans Drag Race winner announces that she’s quit drag 7 years after winning show
The historic Drag Race winner is leaving her career behind. (World of Wonder)
Drag Race Thailand winner Angele Anang has announced that she has quit drag, seven years after becoming the first out transgender woman to win any season of the Drag Race franchise.
The model and actress, 31, confirmed that she was leaving her drag career behind in a post on Instagram yesterday (25 February). She shared a carousel of photos, including several of herself standing in farmland, smiling and holding a mug.
“Read my bio,” she wrote in the post’s caption. Angele Anang’s updated Instagram bio now reads “Yes, I quit drag,” alongside a smiling emoji.
Angele is a prolific poster on Instagram, though the bulk of her most recent posts show her in nature, surrounded by farm animals, hanging out among trees and admiring the sky.
The former drag performer made history twice during her appearance on Drag Race Thailand season two in 2019. In addition to becoming the first out trans woman to win any season of Drag Race internationally, she became the first contestant to win six challenges in a single season.
To this day, she remains the only contestant on any Drag Race franchise to have achieved this feat.
In 2021, Kylie Sonique Love became the first out trans contestant to win a US-based franchise of Drag Race, after being crowned the winner of All Stars 6.
After Angele’s win, Drag Race Thailand was rested for five years, before making a return for season three in 2024, on which Angele made a special guest appearance. In 2022, she appeared as a model on Project Runway Thailand, and in 2023 cropped up in the music video for Troye Sivan’s single “Got Me Started”, which was shot in Bangkok, Thailand.
Angele Anang is far from the first Drag Race star to leave their drag career behind. Former contestants including Tamisha Iman and Ongina have previously announced their intention to park their drag careers, as did fan-favourite queen LaLa Ri in 2024, before making a comeback just a few months later.
Angele is the second Drag Race winner to quit their drag career, after Tyra Sanchez left the profession behind following a slew of controversies. However the performer, born James William Ross IV, returned to drag in 2022 under the stage name King Tyra.
Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.
