A RUPAUL'S Drag Race UK star from the North-East has spoken out about her work on the frontline as a nurse during the coronavirus pandemic.

RuPaul's Drag Race UK returns to screens this evening, with series two bringing to light the charisma and talent of 12 queens – including one from Darlington.

Club kid Cherry Valentine pays homage to the town's clocktower in a video introducing herself as a Drag Race contestant.

But Ms Valentine, whose best drag talent is being in full dress with ten-inch heels and being able to drive 45 minutes to the gig, has been busy working on the frontline during the coronavirus pandemic.

The mental health nurse, who began her career in drag just two years ago, received abuse on social media saying she should feel ‘ashamed of doing drag and not working as a nurse'.

But the 26-year-old was working on Covid wards, in A&Es and taking on house calls as an agency nurse in between filming.

Ms Valentine said: "I try to read everything but I just won't entertain negativity. We don't have to advertise everything.

"I feel privileged that I am able to help. Everyone has been incredible, even if you are just staying home."

Now determined to administer vaccines, she added: "I'm really hopeful that one extra person to administer vaccines can help get us out of this quicker. If you are offered a vaccine, please accept it."

While running on no sleep, drag has been a lifeline for the queen.

She added: "It's a big contrast, I was doing drag in the house after long shifts on Covid wards and jumping on Instagram. It was a pick-me-up. Drag is art, it's a lifeline, an outlet."

The Northern Echo: Toddler Cherry Valentine Toddler Cherry Valentine

The star, who now lives outside of Manchester, says viewers should look out for North-East slang.

Noting the importance of having people from working class backgrounds on national TV, she said: "People can't believe I said nout in my Meet the Queens video.

"I love all of the accents on the show. In the workroom there were Scottish and Welsh queens, and from London. It's really nice."

Promising the show will be a "wild ride", Ms Valentine added: "It's very surreal. Even right now it hasn't sunk in.

"I got the call and it was the American producers who said 'Condragulations'. I thought it was fake, then just screamed."

The second series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK airs weekly on iPlayer, starting tonight, January 14, at 7pm.

It features drag artists from around the UK and challenges them with weekly tasks designed to test their drag skills.

Hoping to inspire others to pursue drag "if it makes you happy", Miss Valentine pays homage to the queens Darlington's drag scene when she was growing up, with Ferryhill's Tess Tickles being a favourite.

The queens on RuPaul will have their make-up skills, fashion sense, sewing abilities, comedy, singing, acting dancing and, famously, their lip sync skills under close scrutiny.

They will be assessed on charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent with the bottom two lip syncing their way to survival.

Judges RuPaul, Michelle Visage, Graham Norton and Alan Carr are all making a return for season two, which will last for ten weeks.

Mr Norton and Mr Carr will join RuPaul and Ms Visage on a rotational basis, alongside a celebrity guest judge.