Queens for the Night line-up: Meet all the celebs taking part
Meet all of the famous faces taking part in the one-off ITV special Queens for the Night.
Calling all Drag Race fans – ITV’s Queens for the Night airs this weekend and it looks set to be fabulously fun.
Hosted by self-confessed drag super fan Lorraine Kelly, the one-off special will see famous faces transform into drag queens and embrace their inner diva.
After they’ve had their big makeover, the stars will be mentored by an established Drag Queen as they learn the ropes to the art of drag – with varying degrees of success.
Viewers will follow along their drag journey as each of the celebrities learn to walk in heels and hone their drag skills – which include everything from drag magic to lip syncing.
As each of the queens take it in turn to perform in front of a studio audience, it’s over to the judging panel to have their say on how they’ve done. The panel is made up of Spice Girl Melanie C, comedian Rob Beckett, World famous Drag artist Courtney Act and West End hit Everybody's Talking About Jamie actor Layton Williams.
After hearing the panel’s feedback, the studio audience will cast their votes - but who has what it takes to beat their competition and be crowned the ultimate Queen?
Meet the stars vying for the crown below – plus what unique skills they’ll be bringing to the table.
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Queens for the Night line-up
Simon Gregson
Age: 48
Job: Actor
Drag mentor: Myra DuBois
Drag name: Bidet Bardot
Drag skill: Comedy
Simon, best known as Coronation Street's Steve McDonald, is swapping the Cobbles for drag – and he’s feeling the nerves.
The star, who also appeared on last year’s I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!, said: "I have been known to don some ladies' clothes in the past for a bit of a giggle, but I’ve never done anything serious so this is the first time.
"It’s very, very nerve wracking. It’s a new territory for me, so we will see how we get on…"
Mr Motivator
Age: 69
Job: Fitness guru
Instagram: @realmrmotivator
Drag mentor: Asttina Mandella
Drag name: Proteina Turner
Drag skill: Lip Syncing
The iconic fitness instructor, whose real name is Derrick Errol Evans, is used to being flamboyant and fun on our screens after getting the nation fit since the early '90s.
But Queens for the Night takes that to a whole new level – and he loved every second of the experience.
Mr Motivator said: "You know what I’m having the time of my life. When you step out of your comfort zone and you do something you’ve never done and to have the support of Asttina who is great.
"It’s just wonderful especially at my wonderful age of nearly 70!"
Chris Hughes
Age: 29
Job: Reality TV star
Instagram: @chrishughesofficial
Drag mentor: Margo Marshall
Drag name: Orla Feelz
Drag skill: Dance
After being propelled to fame on 2017’s Love Island, Chris has become a familiar face on our screens - but reality fans will see him in a completely different light as he takes on the challenge of finding his inner diva.
Speaking about why he signed up for the extravaganza, Chris explained: "I want to be a drag queen because in this world there’s so much toxic masculinity issues, it’s stigmatised.
"I’m a very emotional person, I cry on camera all the time whenever discussing emotional things. I’m a man and we should be able to cry. It’s great to be able to break that stigma down and people should be able to be themselves.
"If you want to cry, if you want to wear heels, if you want to wear makeup, it doesn’t matter who you are, you should be able to do your thing."
George Shelley
Age: 29
Job: Union J popstar
Instagram: @georgeshelley
Drag mentor: La Voix
Drag name: Dame Shelley Sassy
Drag skill: Singing
George found fame on The X Factor as one quarter of boy band Union J and also starred on I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! in 2015.
However, he says that this show is the "most out of the box thing" he’s ever done in his career.
George continued: "The Drag community is absolutely beautiful. It’s colourful, it’s everything that I want from life. For the first time I’m being part of that.
"I’m able to celebrate being gay and I’m able to celebrate being feminine and being all the parts of myself that I’ve had to keep inside a box for so long."
Adam Woodyatt
Age: 54
Job: Actor
Instagram: @adamwoodyatt
Drag mentor: Kitty Scott-Claus
Drag name: Madame MiMi D’YooYoo
Drag skill: Impressions
Soap fans know him as EastEnders' Ian Beale, but for one night only actor, Adam Woodyatt is taking to the stage in full drag.
Speaking about his nerves ahead of the big performance, Adam said: "What can possibly go wrong?
"Well, I can forget my lines for one. I could trip over the dress. I could trip over my heels and my wig could fall over my eyes. Who knows what could happen on the night!"
Joe Marler
Age: 32
Job: England rugby player
Instagram: @joemarler17
Drag mentor: Blu Hydrangea
Drag name: Trixie Turnover
Drag skill: Magic
Joe has had great success as a rugby player, playing as part of the England team and in the Premiership.
But now, the co-host of The Joe Marler Show podcast alongside Tom Fordyce wants a brand new challenge – and he's certainly got one.
He said: "I want to try something different, get out of my comfort zone and why not try drag. It's great fun.
"There’s lots of different qualities you need to be successful in drag. Strong calves are probably up there, but the main one is the ability to free yourself up, let yourself go and just go with the character as much as you can."
Queens for the Night airs on ITV and the ITV Hub on Saturday 5th November at 8:30pm.
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