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RuPaul visits Barry every year, says Drag Race star

Getty Images A composite image of RuPaul in front of another image of Barry Island beach including the big wheel and beach hutsGetty Images
RuPaul visits Barry in south Wales every year, according to a Welsh queen from the new series of Drag Race UK

A drag queen from the new series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK has said that RuPaul visits the south Wales town of Barry every year.

“I discovered about Ru – she visits Barry fairly often,” Marmalade, from Cardiff, told Behnaz Akhgar on BBC Radio Wales.

“She’s got a friend in Barry and she visits every year. Maybe she visits for the log flume – I have no idea. But she visits Wales… I was surprised at least. I didn’t expect it.”

Marmalade sashayed onto the sixth series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK on Thursday night alongside fellow Welsh queen Actavia – the first time the show has starred two queens from Wales.

A drag queen wearing ostentatious gold dress and white feather boa.
Marmalade, 24 from Cardiff, represents south Wales in RuPaul's Drag Race UK

Actavia, from Bala in Gwynedd, is the only drag queen from her north Wales town, while Marmalade is part of the more vibrant Cardiff drag scene.

“Before I went, I was like ‘I better be the only Welsh queen. It can only be me, it better only be me’,” said Marmalade, 24.

“I remember turning and seeing Actavia and just thinking, like, they could not have picked a more perfect Welsh cohort to share this with me. Truly, I was so glad she was there. I’ll say it now – she’s easily my best friend from the season.”

A drag queen wearing shiny, black leather-look clothes with dramatic makeup.
Actavia, 21 from Bala, says she was "buzzing" to find there were two Welsh queens on the series

“It’s so nice to have someone who gets where you’re from and knows a bit about you already. It’s just a comfort. I think what is really special is the fact that she’s north Wales, I’m south Wales. She’s Welsh-speaking, I try my best.”

Although Actavia and Marmalade are from opposite ends of Wales, it turned out they had met before.

“When I seen her walk in, I genuinely, and I do mean this hand on heart, was so happy to see her,” said Actavia, 21.

“There’s a competition called The Crown – Marmalade won it in London and then I did the one in Manchester. So, because Marmalade had won previously, she actually, funny enough, judged me in my final, which I then won. So, that’s how I briefly knew Marmalade. So, it was a really weird, full-circle moment.

“I was excited in general as well because it’s the first time Drag Race has had two Welsh queens, so for it to be Marmalade, I was just buzzing.”

Episode one of the new series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK is available to watch on BBC iPlayer. Episode two will air on BBC Three at 21:00 BST on Thursday 3 October.