‘Me, visibly queer and being on TV, is not offending these people’ – drag queen Blu Hydrangea surprised by ‘Dancing with the Stars’ support

Dancing With The Stars contestant Blu Hydrangea has spoken about being overwhelmed by the support of the show’s audience – in particular, a new-found older fan base.

Joshua Cargill (27), who performs as the drag queen, said people are now starting to see they are “just a person living their life”, with drag being a “creative outlet” to do that.

“I’ve been so overwhelmed by the amount of people who have reached out and said they’re watching and voting,” the Belfast entertainer, who identifies as non-binary, said.

“We were just having a wee dinner with my partner and a little old lady came up and said, ‘I recognised you as soon as I came in, I loved you doing Barbie and I hope you win’.

“I’m used to being in places that serve the LGBTQ+ community, like Drag Race or queer bars – that’s where I would be safe, in this queer bubble. But since being on the show, the people who’ve stopped me and said, ‘You’re doing great’, are people who are of an older generation, who I didn’t think that I had in my audience before.

“It’s lovely, because that means that what I’m doing is working – me being on TV every week, visibly queer, is not offending these people or making them feel like I’m a menace to society.

“They’re seeing I’m just a person living my life and drag is my creative outlet to do that. That’s exactly why I’m doing the show and I just hope that continues.”

Cargill grew up in Hillsborough and came out as gay to their parents at the age of 18, which “took them aback”.

“More so because they’re just scared for what life could be like for me as a queer person in Northern Ireland.

“My parents have always loved me, but I was raised to be on the more conservative side. I remember my parents saying, ‘You can’t bring home anyone that’s a man or that’s a different religion than you’ – that was a joke that my dad would say.

“I think I’ve broadened their horizons for sure,” said Cargill, who described their parents as their biggest supporters.

When Cargill told them they performed as a drag queen, they remembered their father saying: “As long as you’re making money, as long as you look good, it’s dead-on.”

The drag queen dedicated last week’s paso doble to US drag icon RuPaul, who changed Blu’s life for ever after they won RuPaul’s Drag Race: UK vs the World two years ago.

“I used to just be working five nights a week in a bar in Belfast, performing for very little money,” Cargill said.

“As soon as I got the call, I was on the [RuPaul] show, it came out and since then it’s been 180-degrees change.”

This week, Blu and their professional dance partner Simone Arena will deliver a “hard-hitting” and “powerful” performance – a Viennese waltz to Lose Control by Teddy Swims.

“We’ve been able to spin the meaning of the song to something personal to me.

“It’s about me having so much control and power as Blu and then losing part of that whenever I become Josh.

“And then throughout the dance that will be me trying to regain my power so it’s going to be a very stripped-back version of Blu in something that you haven’t seen quite yet.”

Dancing With The Stars returns to RTÉ One tomorrow at 6.30pm.

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