02x01 - Cherry Valentine

[bunniefuu]

(air whooshing)

(upbeat music)

- Hello, governor!

(audience cheering)

- You are about to take
the ride of your life.

(upbeat music)

(startled shouting)

- [RuPaul] The UK's
next Drag Race superstar

is Lawrence Chaney

(excited cheering)

- [Bimini] I do feel like we've
got a lot to look forward to

and just gotta try and have a PMA.

- The f*ck's a PMA?

- Positive mental attitude.
- Get f*cked.

(amused laughing)

(dramatic music)
(indistinct chatter)

(vocalizing loudly)
(indistinct chatter)

(excited shouting)
(indistinct singing)

- I hate drag queens, I hate them.

(vocalizing loudly)
(amused chuckling)

(dramatic music)

- [Announcer] Welcome everyone

to the RuPaul's Drag
Race UK Season Two Tour!

(audience cheering)

- It's show time. (laughs)

(energetic music)

- We probably won't ever
all be together again.

This is the only time
we can say thank you.

- Oh my God, I saw ba*ls!

(energetic music)

- We're selling out every place we go

and they're getting to
see drag at the finest.

(indistinct excited shouting)
(energetic music)

- It's gonna be a wild show.

- [Drag Queen] It's amazing.

- Do you feel like Tommy Lee?

(amused laughing)

- I've never been involved in
a production this big before.

(exaggerated gasping)
(audience cheering)

The best drag show you're gonna see.

(energetic music)

- [Cherry] I'm really grateful

to be a part of it to be honest

because we're all just
celebrating queerness

and fabulousness and all
these amazing things.

(energetic music)

- [Audience] God save the queens!

(audience cheering and appluading)

(amused laughing)

- [Woman] Are you all right,
you need a hand at all?

- [Cherry] Oh, thank you.

(footsteps clacking)

Ladies only. (laughs)

Hi, my name's George Ward.

You may also know me as Cherry Valentine.

Cherry Valentine, drag extraordinaire.

Or so I've been told.

(audience cheering)
(upbeat music)

Cherry's just like the fabulous,

over the top side of my
personality, I suppose, yeah.

So I guess Cherry's inside
of me right now. (laughs)

(upbeat music)

(upbeat music)
(indistinct chatter)

How do I feel going on this tour?

I feel so excited.

I'm also terrified at the amount of people

who are gonna be watching
us over the next few weeks.

There's literally like hundreds
of thousands of people.

That's insane.

(upbeat music)
(indistinct chatter)

Yeah, it's been really mad already

just seeing everyone again

'cause I hate every single
one of them, but... (laughs)

No, do you know?

It's actually been really lovely

'cause the last time I saw everyone

was literally at the finale,

and we filmed that like
a year and a half ago

I think, maybe.

Everyone's just so much more...

(indistinct chatter)

I don't know.

I see people as like

fully realized queens now and performers.

Do you know what I mean?

'Cause I didn't really know
many of them and what they did

but I think we've all got like
our own brands and stuff now.

And it's amazing.

Yeah, I love it.

We all are in completely different lanes

and we're all wanting to do
completely different things.

And I think that's why,

one of the reasons why this
season was so successful,

because we are all so different.

And it works really well
because it's not a competition,

we're just here to showcase what we can do

and be our fabulous selves.

(upbeat music)

Everyone's so excited to
be like working together

and being on stage

and showing literally the whole
country what we can all do.

And I think it's,

it must be like one of
the biggest drag shows

to ever tour the UK ever.

And that's incredible, innit?

It's mad. (laughs)

(energetic music)

Roses are red and violets are blue.

Here's your winner of season two.

(laughs) That worked out well.

(amused laughing)

I am 26 years old and
I am from Darlington.

Watch out b*tches, here I am. (laughs)

When I went on Drag Race, it was so weird

'cause I went in as like
two different people.

So I was like George one minute,

and then I was Cherry the next.

And recently I've just really reconnected

with my Gypsy Roma past.

I come from a, like a Traveler background,

like, Gypsy Traveler.

Being a Traveler to me

has never really been something
that I've talked about

or told anyone.

I'm just not used to it.

I never do it

because it makes me feel
so many different things

that I try and lock away.

I don't think I appreciated it beforehand,

how like, culturally diverse
it was as I didn't...

I separated myself from a long time ago

and I just thought why not
bring it in to the number.

Do you wanna try and lift it?

It just feels really like,

I'm really grateful to be
a part of it to be honest

and be able to experience this

because we're all just
celebrating queerness

and fabulousness and all
these amazing things.

- [Choregrapher] Okay, Cherry, jump on.

(panicked yelping)
(upbeat music)

- I'm feeling absolutely
terrified, but also so excited.

I'll have to try and not like
have fear in my face. (laughs)

It's really exciting, but
it's just such big crowds.

And I said to everyone yesterday,

we've literally not even started yet.

And everyone's so close.

So hopefully that's gonna
reflect in the show.

- People didn't get to see
enough of Cherry on the show.

So I'm so glad that on this tour they,

their aesthetic is so like,

so polished and put together
and no details are missed.

As an artist, they're phenomenal.

(upbeat music)

- Cherry Valentine that...

She is a witch in herself

and I have absolute so much love for her.

- [Joe] Oh, Cherry loves drag as well.

The people have been
complaining about corsets

and then she goes, "Oh, but drag is pain."

And I'm like, "You won't
be f*cking saying this

when you're 40, 45."

- [Veronica] And she's
such a calming energy.

Like, it's nice to have
somebody like that in the cast.

- [Cherry] I'm just trying
to enjoy every minute of it

and stay really present.

I'm excited actually to
start performing again, now.

I'm excited to do it.

If I can remember anything.

Oh God, I can't see, do you
know I put weave bond on me eyes

and it stings a little bit at first.

But then you get used to it.

It's like crying.

So long as I'm looking at you. (laughs)

I've always been really interested in drag

and I've all, like I've been doing drag

since before I even knew what drag was.

Like, when I would be left home alone

and everyone would go out,

I'd be rooting through my mum's heels

and my sister's fabulous
outfits, you know what I mean?

And trying them on, strutting around.

Done.

Gorgeous. (laughs)

And then when I sort of
moved away from home,

I discovered the drag scene.

I went out in drag one night in Manchester

and they were like, "Do you want a gig?"

So I said, "Yeah, I'll do it."

And then a year later I was
working five, six nights a week.

And that's what really opened my eyes

to the actual world of drag.

And I was like, "I've
been doing this for years

and people can get paid for it?"

Not very well, but people
get paid for it? (laughs)

Do you know what I mean?

And then I went on Drag Race.

Downhill from there. (laughs)

(upbeat music)

After Drag Race, I ended
up filming a documentary

about drag and intersectionality

of personality and emotion
and all this stuff.

And I just feel more
well-rounded now and combined.

I'm literally not the same
person as I two years ago.

I think I was quite shy,
which is not a bad thing.

I was just super shy

and I always second-guessed
everything that I was doing

and I thought,

"Am I good enough to be doing this?

Like, is this what I should be doing?"

But I'd like to think I'm at like,

I like to say we're super grounded.

Love mindfulness, love
reflecting, very into yoga.

I don't do that much
stressing anymore. (laughs)

And it's nice being paid
more than ?50 for a gig,

I suppose. (laughs)

(upbeat music)

Can I take your order please?

I look like I'm working
at the bar, don't I?

(amused laughing)

- [Producer] Have you got
some family coming tonight?

- I do actually, I've
got me mother coming.

Which is mental 'cause this
is her first drag show, ever.

- [A'Whora] Your mum's here tonight?

- Yeah.
- [A'Whora] Wild!

- [Cherry] I know.

She's never seen me in drag,
never seen a drag show.

- Picture or anything?

- [Cherry] She's probably seen pictures

but we've never talked about it.

- Wow, ooh momma.

- [Cherry] But she was just
like, "It's a big thing,

so why not?"

So it's gonna be amazing.

Yeah, she's gonna be so
disappointed. (laughs)

- [Producer] Are you nervous about it.

- sh1tting meself.

That's why I've got a bottle of vodka

sat next to me. (laughs)

(energetic music)

(energetic music)
(audience chattering)

- [Producer] Can you see your family?

- I'm trying to have a
little look, but I can't.

(energetic music)
(audience chattering)

I actually don't wanna see
'em because if I do see them,

I will physically sh*t myself. (laughs)

(energetic music)
(audience chattering)

So I always pad and body and corset

and stuff when I'm in drag.

But for this number I'm
actually fully bare naked

and just oiled up.

It feels nice, it feels
free, it's liberating.

Just need to oil me legs.

Ginny, can you oil me legs?

(indistinct chatter)
(upbeat music)

- [Woman] Oh, me next!

- [Cherry] Do you wanna do the other leg?

- [Woman] Yes please.
- [Cherry] Thank you.

- [Ginny] You've got quite
thick calves for a petite girl.

- [Cherry] Oh I do, yeah.

Chunky.

Imagine your head between them. (laughs)

- [Ginny] Do you know what?

- God forgive me, I
shouldn't talk like that.

- [Ginny] Eight days in,
(laughter drowns out speaker).

That better?
- [Cherry] Perfect.

Oh, thank you.

I think I'm ready.

The outfits and the dancing
is very like, culturally,

that's why it's embedded in.

Do you know what I mean?

Like the Roma, Gypsy community

and so it's really nice to
be able to do that on a stage

in front of thousands of people.

(upbeat music)

- [Announcer] Cherry Valentine!

(audience cheering)

- [Stagehand] Three, two, one.

(energetic gypsy-like music)

- I feel absolutely terrified
because the community,

the Roma community in
general, stereotypically,

it's not really accepting
of the q*eer community.

But there is actually
people within the community

who are very accepting and
really do celebrate that.

So it was really important
for me to do it in an artistic

and sensitive way that people
could feel proud of it.

And I think I've done that.

It's really funny because when I was,

used to be on the camps and stuff,

they all cover the sofas
and the couches in plastic

because it's really
nice upholstery fabric.

So the fabric that I used for the outfit,

I wanted it to be upholstery fabric.

So it's actually fabric

that people make chairs
and stuff out (indistinct).

It's just nice, it's just
nice to do some work about it,

do you know what I mean?

'Cause I've never, ever
done stuff like that before.

(audience cheering)

- [Drag Queen] You did well, Cherry.

- Gorgeous, God, the crowds were amazing.

Feels like a hometown moment,
do you know what I mean?

When people are shouting,
"Yeah!" to Darlington.

Anyway.

Get this oil off me legs.

Do you wanna help this?

- [Ginny] Is it good?

(indistinct chatter)

- Was tonight that your
mom was sitting in?

- [Cherry] Yeah.
- Was it?

- No.
- Oh my God, how was it?

- Was it?
- How was it?

- It was good!
- You didn't tell us that.

- I know because it's just, you know.

It is what it is, innit?

- So your mom was here?
- [Lawrence] Did you spot her?

- No, I just kept my eyes off the crowd.

- Yeah, yeah.

- But it's the first time
she's ever been to a drag show.

First time she's ever seen me in drag.

- This is amazing.

- [Cherry] I know.

- Why didn't you say anything?

- Well, congratulations!

(excited cheering)

Now overseas, oh that's great.
- Ah, that's so cute.

Oh, I wish I wasn't eating a bun now.

- [Tia] Cherry, do you
feel a bit emotional?

- I feel so emotional but
I'm trying to keep together

'cause we still need to
get through the closing.

- [Tia] Do you not feel like,

incredible that your mom like,
seen you preform like that?

- Yeah, it's the first time
she's ever see me in drag, ever.

For this show, representing
like where my family's from

and like, I don't know,
it's overwhelming actually.

Oh God, give you a hug, girl. (laughs)

- Like it's so, like
representing your heritage

and representing your family
and everything, incredible.

- It's all good fun, innit?

- [Tia] Let's just get this bobby pin.

It's the fact that she's, you know,

her mom came to her first drag show

and she using blonde
bobby pins in a black wig.

(amused laughing)

- You can't see it on the stage, God.

- [Tia] That's what do you think.

- [Cherry] I never think...

No, I don't think I'll ever lose the high

of being on stage ever

because I've been on stage so many times,

I can't even think of how
many times I've performed now.

And every single time
I'm nervous about it.

And I think nerves are a really good sign

that you care about something.

So I always say embrace
the nerves and use them.

So that, I think when
I stop getting nervous,

I'll be like, "I need to change it up

and do something that's out of the box."

Because the best things happen
outside your comfort zone.

- Make some noise for Cherry Valentine!

(audience cheering)

(soft upbeat music)
(audience cheering)

Please get home safe.

You have been an amazing audience!

Goodnight!

(audience cheering)
(indistinct chatter)

- [Drag Queen] Mamacita.

- Another show down. (laughs)

(soft upbeat music)

- You know-
- [Cherry] Great show, girls.

- Stunning.

The cheer, Cherry.

Your hometown cheer.
- Yes.

- [Assistant] Cherry.

Your mum's by the door.

- Does she wanna say hello?

- [Assistant] I think she does.

She's waiting by the side of stage.

- Could you take me?

- Go girl, go!
- [Drag Queen] Go girl, go!

- Go now, Cherry.

She's there, go now.
- [Drag Queen] Who's there?

(indistinct chatter)

- Is your mum here?

I love you.
- Just go, go!

I'm gonna cry.

Like, she's never seen her in drag,

never been to one of her shows.

- Amazing.

- [Tayce] And she just said
yesterday out of the blue

that she was coming.

Like, "I'll be there
tomorrow at the show."

(shocked gasping)

- That's major.
- [Drag Queen] Support.

- Yeah, that's love.

That's what the show's
about, people, love.

(pensive music)

(audience cheering)

- Hiya.

(audience cheering)
(indistinct chatter)

I mean, the show at Newcastle

was always gonna be a
bit of a scary one for me

because it's sort of my hometown vibe.

And then I didn't actually
realize mom was gonna come.

And then she came and
supported me afterwards

and just said how proud she was,

and she wished she'd got involved sooner

and all this stuff.

And I feel like now, because
over the past 24 hours,

I feel like I'm more myself.

Do you know what I mean?

I feel like I can just
be myself a bit more

and there's nothing judging me.

It just makes me feel really
proud of where I come from,

like my family.

I was just really proud

that I was able to
bring that to the stage.

You're representing something.

And I've had so many messages
on Instagram already about it,

saying thank you for going on stage

and we really appreciate
what you're doing, and...

And it's a bit mad really

'cause you're not just going
on stage and just performing,

it's like you're actually
feeling something

as well as you're performing.

And I think that's what
performance and drag should do,

it should make you think about things,

it should make you challenge your beliefs,

it should open your
eyes to the wider world.

You know what I mean?

'Cause there's so much
more out there than,

than sometimes what we see on the surface.

But I'm just gonna do drag

for as long as I feel
comfortable doing it.

So I'm excited as it goes along
to let more people see it.

Bye! (laughs)

(soft upbeat music)