Pop Cult Digest

Misty Monique is an award-winning Gloucestershire based drag queen and one of the biggest, if not the biggest, drag stars in the county. Yet, she performs all around the UK and has built herself a reputation as a hard working drag businesswoman. Gloucestershire is the only county in the UK without a designated queer venue which leaves the LGBTQ+ community without a safe space to meet like-minded people and be their true authentic selves without the fear of negativity. The last gay bar was The Westgate in Gloucester, which shut down in 2015; this was a recurring theme throughout the UK as LGBTQ+ venues have seen a steady decline.

However, despite the lack of safe spaces in her hometown of Cheltenham, Misty Monique has created her very own as she's been at the very heart of what I call the new age for Gloucestershire's LGBTQ+ scene. She has rebuilt a queer scene and a drag community as she hosts and performs at her regular drag shows, Oh My Drag! and Drag Wars. These are the only significant regular drag events in the county and they're getting bigger every single year. Drag Wars is a competition for all drag artists which attracts talent, new and seasoned, from all over the world. Hear all about Drag Wars from Misty and why this year is bigger and better than ever before.

Yasmine Gazzal is one of the first contestants on the new BBC Three and BBC Northern Ireland TV show Stitch, Please! hosted by Drag Race UK vs The World winner, Blu Hydrangea. The competition show sees contestants compete against one another to create garments inspired by the hottest looks in pop culture.

Each episode introduces viewers to a new pair of stitchers who put their sewing skills to the test, and explore their personal stories and passion for costume design.

The stitchers have 12 hours and a £100 budget to create looks inspired by the works of some world-renowned costume and fashion designers before going head-to-head and modelling their outfits on the runway.

In episode one the theme is The Hunger Games and Yasmine is joined by Katherine as they get plenty of inspiration from the extravagant garments worn by characters who feature in the films and books.

Their different approaches to this challenge provided Blu, and Emmy and BAFTA award-winning guest judge Michele Clapton, with plenty to think about when it comes to deciding who is the winner.

You'll hear Yasmine spill all the gossip on the show and her own journey. She's an actor, dancer, singer, writer, cosplayer and of course a dress maker. She's multi talented to say the least. So let's hear all about her journey into the creative world.

Drag Race Holland Season 2 brought us some stand out stars with an entertaining and gripping season. Vanessa Van Cartier came out on top and took the crown home, but her success doesn't end at Drag Race. As the first transgender winner of Drag Race Holland, she is an inspiration to the transgender community as she proves anything and everything is possible, despite the obstacles you may face. Her warmth and integrity touches the hearts of fans around the world, with her international success leading her to win both titles of Miss Continental 2019 and Miss Europe Continental 2019. Although her reputation and success is at an all time high, the journey that has taken her here has been long and challenging. Listen now to hear her inspirational story as Vanessa opens up like never before...

If you're a theatre fan then this episode is right up your street, I'm joined by the West End Star, Djalenga Scott. Djalenga is an established stage & screen actress, who has become best known for starring in numerous leading roles in West End and number one UK productions. She's done all the classics in theatre; we're talking Cats, Annie, Grease, West Side Story, The Rocky Horror Show and that's just to name a few. Djalenga is currently starring as the iconic Velma Kelly in Chicago, on the UK & international tour. A live jazz band, strong vocals and stunning choreography. Not to mention Sheila Ferguson and Faye Brookes, the cast itself is so impressive. Djalenga really stands out as Velma Kelly and the audience regularly agree that she embodies this role.

Listen now to hear Djalenga's West End story...

If you're a fan of the Netflix reality show Selling Sunset, then you're going to love this episode. We're joined by the OG member of the Oppenheim Group, Maya Vander. If you don't know Maya or Selling Sunset, it is one of the most successful reality shows on Netflix and Maya is one of the fan favourite agents. Watching the show, we follow the glamorous lives of elite real estate brokers and agents as they sell luxurious multi-million dollar homes to their affluent buyers in Los Angeles. With an abundance of rich and famous clients, we get to see how the other half live. Of course, the cut throat industry brings competition and with that comes the fights and the high drama.

However, Maya somehow finds a way to remain civil with everyone. She loves her family more than anything and her children have always come first, which is why the devastating news of her still birth was completely heartbreaking. Through the difficulties she has had to face, Maya has become an inspiration to many as she used her experiences and platform to help other families with the same grief. I had the pleasure of talking to Maya, listen now to hear what she had to say.

Drag Race Italia season 1 has just ended, but the domination of Enorma Jean has only just begun. Enorma describes herself as an old, rich Milanese woman who is unmistakable for her selfish, careless behaviour. Are you not intrigued? Well she certainly kept us entertained on Drag Race with her brutal honesty, smart humour and fascinating stories. Her experiences and art have inspired people in Italy and across the world. Enorma faced some online backlash where she was labelled the 'villain' of the season, but has gone on to prove herself as a drag race icon and her love and support isn't going anywhere. What does the queen have to say on all this? Listen now to find out...

She was just announced as one of the cast of the upcoming season 14 of RuPaul's Drag Race US, but she's already a superstar. Of course, it's San Francisco's British Queen, Lady Camden. She is now a Ru Girl who we're about to see all over our TV screens as she takes on the biggest drag competition in the world. Out of drag, she is known as Rex Wheeler, who comes from the world of professional ballet. A fascinating queen, and person, Lady Camden/Rex has so many interesting and inspiring stories to tell. Listen to hear them now!

Divorced. Beheaded. Died. Divorced. Beheaded. Live! Hear about one of the biggest musicals in the world right now, straight from the star herself, Lauren Drew. Lauren is playing the role of Catherine of Aragon in 'Six the Musical', a modern retelling of the lives of the six wives of Henry VIII, presented as a pop concert. If Little Mix were to teach history, this would be how they do it. Lauren is a superstar of the stage and has starred in classics including: 'Ghost', 'Kinky Boots', 'Heathers' and so many more. She was also a semi-finalist in the tenth series of 'The Voice UK'. With so much talent and experience behind her, how has Lauren found her newest role, and more importantly, how does she find time to relax? Listen now to hear it all...

Happy Halloween! In this extra special episode, join me as I chat with British television's first lady of the paranormal and presenter of 'Most Haunted', Yvette Fielding. Yvette has seen and experienced everything and anything you could imagine in the world of paranormal and her gripping stories never disappoint. We discuss her newest book 'The House In The Woods', the best tips for paranormal investigating and the scariest stories from Yvette's career. We also discuss the inspirations behind the characters in her book, her love for animals and the scary moments that made her resign from 'Most Haunted'. Listen now to hear Yvette's fascinating tales...

This episode we have an extra special interview with one of the UK's most loved entertainers. Who else could it be but Julian Clary?

Julian began working on the cabaret and alternative comedy scene in the 1980s, although he was known back then as Gillian Pieface and later as The Joan Collins Fan club. Ever since then he has worked himself into one of comedy's biggest names, undertaking many successful tours and other projects which has given him a very impressive portfolio of work. He's an actor, an author, a best selling novelist, a comedian and a radio and TV host. And that's just to name a few achievements of his.

And he hasn't stopped there. You'll hear all about Julian's upcoming projects and his new role in the widely celebrated play 'The Dresser'. Listen now!