RuPaul’s Drag Race UK crowns its first champion

The Vivienne has been named winner of the first series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK.

The queen, 29, from Liverpool, donned a crown and sceptre after beating runner-up Divina De Campo, 35, in a lip-sync battle to I’m Your Man by Wham!

Baga Chipz, 29, placed third after failing to keep up in the final two challenges.

The Vivienne said: “I’m made up. I’ve just won the first ever season of Drag Race UK.

“This is nuts. That crown is going to look gorgeous. I can see me there washing the dishes in it.”

She also won an all expenses paid trip to Hollywood to create a digital series with the producers of Drag Race UK.

Show creator RuPaul said The Vivienne was “a perfect example of the 21st century British queen”, while judge Alan Carr hailed her “trademark wit”.

Michelle Visage, who was eliminated from Strictly Come Dancing last week, said The Vivienne had been “selling it with her face, she was selling it with her body” throughout the eight-week contest.

The seven eliminated queens also returned for the final, before the panel of RuPaul, Visage, Carr and Graham Norton made their final decision.

The final maxi challenge saw them dance and sing to RuPaul’s track Rock It (To The Moon), which usually closes each episode.

They were asked to compose a solo verse and learn extra choreography from Strictly Come Dancing professional AJ Pritchard and his brother, Love Island star Curtis.

After the brothers demonstrated some moves, The Vivienne said: “I’m not going to lie. This is impossible. I am never going to do Strictly.”

The final catwalk challenge of the series was themed Final Three Eleganza Extravaganza, a term meaning something is extremely elegant.

Finally, The Vivienne, Divina De Campo and Baga Chipz had to pitch to the judges why they deserved to be crowned the winner.

The Vivienne described herself as “a strong queen, a hell of an entertainer, and a really funny person”.

She added: “I eat, sleep and breathe drag, it’s what I do, it’s what I love to do more than anything else and that’s why I should be the UK’s first drag race superstar.”

Guest judges this series have included Jade Thirlwall, Maisie Williams, Geri Horner, Cheryl, Twiggy, Stacey Dooley and Lorraine Kelly.

Drag Race’s debut UK series has drawn nearly 10 million requests in iPlayer, with two-thirds of the audience aged between 16 and 34.

It is the most popular BBC Three entertainment programme since the channel moved online in 2016.

Earlier this month, the BBC announced the show would return for a second series.