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  • The Vivienne shares heartbreaking struggle with party drugs that almost claimed her life

    The Vivienne shares heartbreaking struggle with party drugs that almost claimed her life

    (C) BBC / Guy Lecy – Photographer: Guy Levy

    Last night’s episode of Drag Race UK was a tear jerker as The Vivienne shared her struggle with drugs, admitting that she was a “drug addict” for four years of her life.

    Heartbreakingly the Liverpudlian drag queen revealed that she took party drugs for four years of her life – nearly dying in the process, saying that it was the loneliest part of her life and that she was “killing herself”.

    In a workroom chat with her fellow Drag Race stars the fan favourite revealed,

    “It was constant for me, A lot of my drug use was from boredom, I worked 7 nights a week and in the day I didn’t do anything and it was a habit that caught on a bit too quick and a bit too hard”.

    “When people say you’ve got to hit rock bottom, it sounds so stupid but it’s the truth.

    “I had to get kicked out of the house and told that I was going to be dead by the time I was 30 to actually sort this out”.

    https://twitter.com/WorldOfWonder/status/1192550345731452930

    The revelation will come as a shock for The Vivienne’s family as she revealed that her family didn’t even know about her drug problems.

    revealed that her family didn’t even know about her drug problems.

    Overcoming the drugs

    The Vivienne revealed that she managed to overcome her addiction by moving to Spain to sort her act out. It’s also where she met her partner David.

    Two years free of drugs

    She is now two years free of drugs. Speaking about her recovery, she said,

    “I feel amazing for it. I just want to have that platform to help other people”.

    Drag Race UK continues on BBC Three on Thursdays at 8PM

    Discuss The Vivienne and Drag Race in our forum

  • Drag Race’s The Vivienne hits out at drag queens not impressed enough to audition for season 2

    Drag Race’s The Vivienne hits out at drag queens not impressed enough to audition for season 2

    “We get more than a badge”

    Ⓒ BBC

    It seems as though some drag queens in the UK just aren’t impressed with the prizes of the UK version of Drag Race after it was announced that new season of Drag Race UK had been greenlit for 2020.

    The UK version differs from the US version in that there is no cash prize or sponsored mini prizes, for the mini-challenges set by RuPaul each week, instead, the queens win a “RuPeter badge”.

    The Vivienne – (C) BBC / World of Wonder – Photographer: Guy Levy

    However fan favourite The Vivienne has hit out at drag queens who say they aren’t impressed with winning just a badge – reminding them that there is more than just a badge at stake for anyone who takes part in the show.

    In a tweet she explained that the girls are winning a lot more than a badge, that they are, in fact, winning their “dream careers”.

    She wrote, “‘Im not applying for drag race s2! I want more than a badge’ We get more than a badge, a LOT more than a badge. #dreamcareer

    So true, so true! Dream big gals!

  • This one tweet might have just summed up gay culture

    This one tweet might have just summed up gay culture

    And it uses a Sex in the City analogy, so double points

    The differences between straight people and gay people can feel world’s apart sometimes.

    Despite the fact that the legal and social gaps between gay and straight people are closing year on year, especially in the UK and other Westernised cultures, somethings probably won’t ever change.

    One of the major differences is the way in which gay guys view, have and find sex.

    Anecdotally, it feels as though gay/bi/curious men tend to have many more sexual partners than their straight counterparts.

    So when we discovered this tweet from “Gay-Z” it felt like there could be a smidge of truth to it.

    In the tweet, he wrote,

    “Gay culture is being the Samatha of your straight group, but the Charlotte of your gay one”

    https://twitter.com/FabDambrosio/status/1191995178120306688

    For those not in the know, Samatha in Sex in the City was the far more raunchy, sexualised character – who had many sexual partners and sexual exploits than her friends.

    Charlotte was a lot more reserved.

    Controversial or truth?

    The tweet could be seen as controversial, however, many of the repliers agreed with the statement, with one saying that it was “good” and another adding, “This is 100% accurate”.

    https://twitter.com/JoeThompson_/status/1192418126996148226
    https://twitter.com/andrewdmct/status/1192434109081100291

    What do you think – does this Tweet sum up “gay culture”?

  • Drag Race UK has been renewed for a second series

    Drag Race UK has been renewed for a second series

    Ru herself announced the new series

    Get ready Hunties. RuPaul’s Drag Race UK has been greenlit for a second series for 2020. The new series will again be available on BBC 3 – via the BBC iPlayer.

    Taking to Twitter Ru said,

    “YES! #DragRaceUK Sashays Back To @BBCThree For A 2nd Season”

    When will Drag Race UK season 2 start?

    When will Drag Race UK season 2 start?

    Although the brand new series has only just been announced its likely that it will broadcast/stream at around the same time of year that series 1 commenced. Meaning that Season 2 of Drag Race UK should start in late September. This hasn’t been confirmed by the BBC.

    We will update this page when this information becomes available.

    When will the new queens for Season 2 of Drag Race UK be announced?

    We expect that the new crop of queens for Season 2 of Drag Race UK will be announced in late August next year, this will correspond with the cast announcement for series 1.

    We will update this page when this information becomes available.

  • People are living for Apprentice Ryan-Mark’s terror

    People are living for Apprentice Ryan-Mark’s terror

    “One of the best Apprentice moments”

    Ⓒ BBC

    Fans of The Apprentice were left in hysterics during last night’s show after contestant, Ryan-Mark screamed on the “Saw” rollercoaster from start to finish.

    The Apprentices’ challenge in the episode was to create a rollercoaster for one of the UK’s most famous theme parks, Thorpe Park.

    As part of the research element, Ryan-Mark and co-contestant, Lewis, took a ride on one of the park’s major attractions – however, the ride itself proved too much for Ryan-Mark, who screamed throughout the entire ride.

    Fans of the show were left howling with laughter. One fan on Twitter wrote that he was “five minutes behind” after rewinding and rewatching the scene, calling it “one of the best Apprentice moments”.

    Another described the scene as “pure gold” and another wrote it was the “funniest thing ever”.

    Even Thorpe Park got in on the Twitter action declaring that Ryan-Mark was the “real star” of last night’s show.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat – National Tour

    THEATRE REVIEW | Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat – National Tour

    ★★★ | Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat – National Tour

    Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s well-loved family musical tells the biblical story of Joseph and his eleven brothers. Joseph is favoured by his father and is given a Technicolor coat, which causes his brothers to become so jealous of his favourable treatment that they take him into the desert to kill him. But seizing an unexpected opportunity to make some money, the brothers sell him into slavery instead and Joseph is taken to Egypt where his ability to interpret dreams is put to good use by the Pharaoh.

    The two hour show is jam packed full of songs that you can’t help but know the words to, including “Any Dream Will Do”, “One More Angel In Heaven” and “Close Every Door”. Visually, the show was vibrant, colourful, full of an enthusiastic and energetic cast and some enjoyable choreography.

    Jaymi Hensley (Union J, X-Factor) stars in his first major musical role and provides a mixed performance, sounding wonderful belting out the songs at some points in the show, but completely over-doing the forced and unnecessary vocal gymnastics and operatic trills at others.

    Production wise, as expected, the costumes, set and a particularly effective lighting design were all awash with a variety of colours, and the whole thing came across as a fun and lively production which was professionally put together. Despite being first performed in the late sixties, the music still retains a fresh feel, with an eclectic mix of musical styles, from Country to Rock n Roll, and from Calypso to a parody of French Ballads.

    Overall, Joseph is an evening of pleasant and undemanding entertainment which delivers on many levels, particularly in terms of production, but also in terms of nostalgia (most people of a certain age will remember doing this show as their school play). It’s great family entertainment and is ultimately enjoyable, if fairly cheesy, fun.

    Joseph is currently at Sheffield Theatres until 9th November 2019 before continuing on its national tour

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Jerker, London

    THEATRE REVIEW | Jerker, London

    ★★★★ | Jerker, Kings Head Theatre, London

    (C) Nick Rutter

    It is the mid-1980s in San Francisco and two men enjoy a sexual relationship on phone sex lines in Jerker at The Kings Head Theatre.

    Originally shown in 1986 in Los Angeles, the show involves JR (Tom Joyner) and Bert (Tibu Fortes), chatting on a phone sex line, both lying on separate beds across the stage from each other, scantily dressed as if they were in their own bedrooms. And throughout this 100-minute production they talk dirty talk and bring each other to climax.

    But it’s not just a one-off – they both are enjoying their conversations and soon it becomes more than just sexual – they’re developing feelings for each other, and they also reveal their deepest darkest secrets, as well as recent sexual encounters (Bert tells one so vividly it’s exciting not only for him and JR but also for the audience). But it’s at the height of the AIDS scare and both men are living in the city that was considered ‘ground zero.’

    Their relationship, however, becomes intense, intimate and personal. However, it’s only a matter of time when AIDS strikes too close to home.

    And it did strike too close to home as the the playwright – Robert Chesley – died in 1990 of complications from AIDS.

    Jerker is a relic, a warning sign of that time – of things that were to come. It’s also a memento, and a very sad one at that.

    The original title of this play was:
    Jerker or the Helping Hand, A pornographic Elegy with Redeeming Social Value and a Hymn to the Queer Men of San Francisco in 20 Telephone Calls, Many of them Dirty

    Jerker plays at The Kings Head Theatre until 23rd November Book here

  • Piers Morgan cleared by OfCom over gender identity views

    Piers Morgan cleared by OfCom over gender identity views

    (ITV)

    He “has a right to express his views”

    Piers Morgan has been cleared by Ofcom after nearly 1000 complaints were made against him over his views on gender identity.

    The two-spirit penguin, also known as Piers Morgan, who presents ITV’s morning show, Good Morning Britain was ruled to have behaved within guidelines, with the communication’s regulator saying that his remarks about identifying as a penguin “did not raise issues warranting investigation”.

    It added that he had the right to express his strongly held beliefs.

    The regulator did allow, in its initial investigation that some viewers of the early morning show, could be offended by his comments, but that the regular audience of the ITV show would have “clear expectations around his provocative position on the issue”.

    His co-host was singled out for complaint

    His co-host Susanna Reid was criticised by Ofcom for not challenging Piers enough on his views.

    A gleeful Piers said, “The only person singled out for complaint is actually not me… it’s Susanna.”

    Susanna replied, “He gets exonerated and I get criticised!”

    Watch Piers and Susanna discuss the ruling here.

  • Here’s why should be using tantra to practice some self love

    Here’s why should be using tantra to practice some self love

    Tantra is one practical aspect of the Vedas, a large body of knowledge systems originating in India more than 10,000 years ago. This Sanskrit word means ‘to weave’ and it is derived from the root syllable tan ‘to expand’ and tra ‘instrument, technique or practice’. The tantric path is just one of the many ancient practices that weaves various techniques together and when applied expands your awareness, which can lead to liberation. Sadly it is probably the most misrepresented and misunderstood path with some of the wildest misconception that tantra is all about sex. Through the practice of tantra, you embark on an erotic journey to the divine where your physical body alongside the subtler bodies such as your mental, emotional, energetic becomes the vehicle for the expansion of consciousness, transcending the limitations of your body and mind.

    The work of a tantric practitioner becomes more important during this day and age than ever. Today in this technology-driven times, in the age of media and information we face a crisis. Loneliness clearly is the new epidemic of the 21st century. According to an article published in The Telegraph on the 5th of March 2019, Britain is facing a loneliness crisis.

    Figures published by the Jo Cox Commission suggest over 9 million adults in the UK consider themselves ‘always’ or ‘often’ lonely. The impact of this on health is massive. The effect of isolation on mortality is comparable to the risk factors of obesity or cigarette smoking, increasing mortality by around 26 per cent, not even talking about the effect on mental health such as depression and the high risk of suicide.

    Embed from Getty Images

    Can Alexa solve our loneliness?

    Feeling lonely, well talk to ‘Alexa’. Human interaction is replaced by technology and considered suitable company to combat isolation and loneliness. Truly, can artificial intelligence ever become a substitute for human companionship?

    Sadly technology has been largely proven to be ineffective in meeting the needs of those lonely, it can never be a substitute for true love and affection. When we feel lonely, we desire connection. We look for meaningful connections by scrolling down our social media, by sending thumbs up, a smile or heart. We measure love by counting the likes we receive on a post. Social media definitely has brought the world together at the same time has become a trap for social imprisonment.

    Behind the posed smile in front of the most stunning waterfall lurks the shadow of disconnect: the fear of rejection and judgment pushes us to show the world an image that is far removed from the truth of what is really going on deep inside our hearts and souls. The longing for love, intimacy and connection remains locked away safely to mask the underlying fear of loneliness and rejection with a million-dollar smile. We often live in denial of suppressed feelings of anger, disappointment, frustration resulting from shocks and traumatic events, our social conditioning, which have numbed our senses. We shy away from expressing what is really going on. We become rigid and close off even to those nearest to us.

    Our true feelings are frozen in ice out of fear of isolation and alienation, the fear of rejection and judgment, making us more and more miserable and unhappy. This goes against the nature of life, which always moves towards growth and greater levels of happiness. The path of tantra is the path of truth that helps us free our true identity trapped in a rigid block of ice, by freeing ourselves from the limitation of our conditionings so we can live life to its fullest. Our need for love, sensuality, affection and touch has never been greater than now.

    Probably easier said than done. Essentially we know love is unbounded, yet we experience love as isolated, limited to a person or object or being, coupled with the experience of pain and disappointment but not happiness. The cultivation of self-love could be your first step on your tantric journey. This might trigger an image of longhaired, OM chanting and tree hugging hippies in floral pants, but in essence self-love is essential for our overall physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.

    Here are a few things you can do to cultivate self-love:

    • Plan a weekly date with yourself where you have a warm bath before going to bed or a sensual Ayurvedic self-massage with warm, floral-scented oil.
    • Activate your energetic body by paying attention to how light self-touch can bring you pleasure. By pleasure, I don’t necessarily mean erotic or sexual pleasure but more so healing and nurturing pleasure.
    • Cultivate the practice of increased self-awareness: pay attention to how you feel, acknowledge these feelings, positive or negative but try to avoid the mind going into the if’s but’s how’s and why’s. Simply be present of how you feel use your breath in locating the feeling in your body, e.g. does it make your heart expand or shrink, do you feel restriction in your throat, or is there a knot like feeling in your solar plexus region.
    • Start listening to your gut feelings.
    • Be compassionate with yourself and practice forgiveness for things that you might not be so proud of.
    • Treat yourself with kindness. In the next article, I will further explore how Tantra can be a means towards a more fulfilling relationship.
  • THEATRE REVIEW | Ghost Quartet, London

    THEATRE REVIEW | Ghost Quartet, London

    ★★★★★ | Ghost Quartet, Boulevard Theatre, London

    Ghost Quartet review

    It’s not what I was expecting, but Ghost Quarter is simply superb.

    The first show in the brand new Boulevard Theatre in the area of Soho that used to house porn shops, a gay cinema, and all things seedy (it’s Walkers Court), Ghost Quartet is a great and auspicious debut for the theatre. While I was expecting something a bit more risqué in keeping with the theme of the neighbourhood, Ghost Quartet is a musical experience I recommend you don’t miss!

    The Boulevards circular two-level theatre is perfect for this, or any other kind of show. The musical quartet (Carly Bawden, Niccolo Curradi, Maimuna Memon, and Zubin Varla) all sing and perform many musical instruments in 23 songs in a 90-minute show. The thread of these songs relate to the telling stories of life, loss, ghosts and death. The shows interwoven songs are performed by the four musicians who each play four different characters, all reminiscing about a deceased woman named Rose. Memon has a blissful yet haunting voice while Bawden has the most poignant song to sing – ‘Midnight’ – with the final words ‘let the dead stay dead’ in the shows second to last song.

    Varla is very good on the piano while Curradi excels on other instruments. But it’s the women’s vocal that stay with you – especially Memon’s.

    Ghost Quartet has to be seen. It’s an excellent show in a fantastic new theatre that’s an amazing and radical addition to this neighbourhood.

    Ghost Quartet plays at the Boulevard Theatre until the 4th January. Book Here

  • CAR REVIEW | Alfa Stelvio Quadrifoglio 2.9 V6 Bi-Turbo Q4 

    CAR REVIEW | Alfa Stelvio Quadrifoglio 2.9 V6 Bi-Turbo Q4 

    Release The Beast

    This review is going to be a little bit different. If you want to know what the Alfa Romeo Stelvio is like, then I can direct you to the Alfa Romeo Stelvio 2.0 Turbo 280hp Q4 we had in late last year.

    So what have I got this time? From the outside, you don’t much to go on. It’s as big and as bold as before and you get an alloy wheel on each corner.

    What you notice about these alloys is that they cage the “Monster brake system” with their £595 optional bright yellow brake calipers all round. And you’ll learn to appreciate these bright appliances very quickly on your test drive.

    You also get a 4 leaf clover symbol on the front wings as is the historic tradition of Alfa Romeo and these in their big triangular shape let others know that this isn’t any Stelvio. This is the Quadrifoglio. This IS the beast.

    From the moment you start up, the 2.9 V6 Bi-Turbo exhaust ‘snarles’ at you and the neighbourhood. It lets you know it has been woken. It’s not fully awake because it has things to do first. And that is get warm. And there is a reason why it needs to get warm which is why it won’t let you select ‘RACE’ mode from cold.

    So while we wait for the magic to happen, let’s look around the cockpit. For a starting price of £69,510, it’s a bit of a disappointment. One thing Alfa Romeo just can’t get right at the moment is the interiors. Quality and build are good. The tactility of the touchy bits was nice and the controls fall to hand in a logical fashion. Why others don’t fit start-stop buttons on the steering wheel is a puzzler. It feels right.

    Sadly the infotainment screen is just too small to be of any use. The speed in which it responds to the central dial in the centre console works well, maps however are just too small to be taken quickly at a visual glance.

    Being the Quadrifoglio, there is an abundance of carbon fibre trim. Not to my liking but this is a sports model so I’lll accept it and the £3,250 Sparco carbonshell bucket seats. They are contoured and easily adjustable to suit most shapes.

    So here we are and the engine is still cold. So we set off and for a large car on wide 20” diameter alloys, the ride is surprisingly supple. The car is set in NORMAL mode. The SDC (Synaptic Dynamic Control) suspension set to its softest. Thankfully when DYNAMIC is selected, you can opt for the soft ride though you’ll be hard pressed to notice any difference over the ridges in the road.

    It behaves a bit more monstrous when in dynamic. Throttle responses are sharper,  gears changing further up the rev range. But still the Stelvio is pleasant to drive. Put your foot down, and I’ll grant you, the 600Nm of torque will shove you back a bit in your seat but it’s still nicely balanced and surefooted. 

    This is where is runs its Jekyll and Hyde. It’ll reward you with rapid progress and communicating steering. It will make you feel great while making you feel a little reserved and at the same time sing to you with a vocal exhaust note. Pushed too hard and the front will let go. When it does, you have to take responsibility for your actions because you will be pushing it hard. The level of adhesion is immense with a 50-50 weight distribution front and back and the Ackerman steering geometry set up isn’t for show.

    The wait is over and the engine is hot. Never has “Boiling” been so apt for an engine temperature because now you can select the DNA switch to RACE and then you are screaming like Umberto of Angera was when he slain the human eating serpent that roamed the streets of Milan.

    Suddenly you appreciate those yellow brakes on all 4 corners slowing down the fun as the visuals your brain took in catches up with the sound of the engine. And as you come to a stop, you can hear your screams catch up too. 3.8 seconds to 60 is quick and with the grip from all 4 wheels planting the power down, it does take some getting used to. Or not as is the case with myself. You can still hear my screams in various pockets of road as you drive around my village.

    The Stelvio Quadrifoglio isn’t just about 0-60 times and going fast in a straight line. When set in race mode, it also needs to be able to go around corners. This is where you really learn what the car is all about.

    All driver aids are switched off. There is no traction control, you are suddenly going head-to-head in a RuPaul lip-sync so don’t fuck it up! And here is the thing, you find that you can’t. You discover that all of those driver aids have actually held the Stelvio back. 

    Attack your favourite B road and roundabouts and you can have a lot of fun. The back end, quiet and sedated before, becomes angry and shouty like Mr Hyde. Blip the throttle and drop a cog or 2 in the 8 speed auto gear box and you are rewarded by a rear end that is easy to control as it steps out sideways. Doesn’t always step out enough but you find it rewarding all the same. And all this is set to an even more fruity musical tune from the exhausts. 

    Admittedly, in a wet, it will light up the rear axle with ferociousness and you start to respect the sheer power this Stelvio has to offer because it’s there, all the time, it never goes away. Never goes away that is until you run out of fuel. 

    The quoted 24.6 MPG might as well be 2.46. In race mode, it’s a thirsty beast. You can suddenly find yourself in the red side of the fuel gauge. You know what you’ve done, you failed the lip-sync.

    The Alfa Romeo’s Strelvio is a good car so the big question is, is it worth the £30,000 more for this engine, for this sheer amount of power and for lining the pockets of Opec? There are nine people in my family, I’ve put a kidney from each member up for sale. They don’t need two but what I need is a Stelvio Quadrifolglio. 

    Love

    Vocal exhaust note

    Comfort in all drive modes

    Exhilarating 

    Loathe

    Cheap cabin

    Infotainment screen size

    Fuel economy

    The Lowdown

    Car –  Alfa Stelvio Quadrifoglio 2.9 V6 Bi-Turbo Q4 

    Price – £77,955 (as tested)

    MPG – 24.6 mpg (WLTP combined)

    Power – 510 bhp

    0-62mph –  3.8 seconds

    Top Speed –  176 mph

    Co2 – 222 (g/km)

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