Episode 2 of Season 2 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” UK opened with Ru telling the girls that the mini challenge would be flooding the ballot boxes with their votes on four categories:
Secretary of Shade went to A’Whora
Trade Minister (hottest out of drag) went to Tayce
Leader of the house of Lording it up (cockiest) went to Lawrence Chane
Baroness Basic went to Tia Kofi
The maxi challenge involved the queens singing live for what is sure to be the West Ends next smash hit: “Rats, The Rusical.” This is the heart wrenching story of a group of street rats that sing and dance for no apparent reason at all. Since Tia was voted basic, Ru let her assign all the roles while Michelle Visage acted as the vocal coach. The guest judge for the week joining Ru, Michele and Alan Carr, was Sheridan Smith. The Runway category was “Surprise, Surprise” (outfits that change into something else). The winner was Veronica Greene with the bottom two being Tayce and Cherry. Cherry Valentine sashayed away.
It was a pleasure to sit down with Cherry to discuss her time on “Drag Race”:
Q: At what age did drag become an interest of yours, and how did you pick your name?
CV: It has been an interest for as long as I can remember. I remember being at home and watching the women in my family and how fabulous they were. I drew most of my inspiration from them. When I found out it could be a career, I was all in.
My name comes from many places since I had many names before Cherry. I was at a crossroads before I started working in Manchester, and that’s when I decided on my name. I was using a body wash called Cherry something, so that became my first name. Valentine came from my love of Valentine’s Day. I think love is so powerful, so this was the perfect well-rounded name for me.
Q: How exciting was it to be chosen for the second season of “Drag Race” UK?
CV: It was unexpected and overwhelming. I applied to get my name out there. and the next minute I got the call and I screamed. At first, I thought it was a joke [but] from there it was a literal whirlwind.
How hard was it to keep the secret that you were on “Drag Race”?
CV: It was incredibly hard; it was one of the hardest secrets I had to keep in my life. I had to lie to so many people and I hate lying.
Q: Tell us about your “RuPaul’s Drag Race” UK experience?
CV: My “Drag Race” experience was life changing. I heard other girls say that, but for me it really was as it made me put a lot of things into perspective and appreciate where I have come from and who I am as a person. It also made me more confident as an artist.
Is there something you wish you had done differently?
CV: I wish I had not been eliminated and got a chance to showcase what I can really do. The looks I showed were the ones I was least confident with, and some of my others were out of this world. I will eventually show everything to the world. I also wish I would have spoken my truth more. I have grown a lot since filming.
What’s your marital status?
I am currently engaged to my partner. We were supposed to get married last year, but Covid happened. We have been together for eight years.
Who are you closest with from the show?
CV: Obviously, RuPaul…we call each other every day…LOL. I am close with a lot of the cast, we speak all the time. I am especially close with Ginny, Sister and Tayce.
Q: What’s ahead for?
CV: The future holds everything and more; expect the unexpected. I think it’s important as an artist to take yourself seriously and try everything. I want to try music, more TV and much more.
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For more information on Cherry Valentine, follow her on instagram.com/thecherryvalentine. And make sure to check out her website at TheCherryValentine.com.
