Fans Increasingly Concerned As Paramore Delete Website And All Social Media

Posted on 28/12/2023 by Boris Clair

Fans of pop-punk act Paramore haven’t had the most restful holiday period since the band erased all of their social media presence and taken down their website this week.

While this could mean any number of things as artists are more often using their online presence to hype up new releases by wiping their Instagram grids, some fans are concerned that this is the beginning of the end for the trio.

Can’t tell if this is an end-of-contract thing or a Paramore-being-weird-with-an-upcoming-announcement-thing

— Hannah B (@haychbee_) December 26, 2023

Others have pointed out that Paramore are due to tour in the coming weeks and let’s not forget that they’re supporting Taylor Swift on her UK leg of the Eras Tour next summer.

are paramore aware that they’re performing in *checks notes* 18 days?

— shi (@afterlauqhter) December 26, 2023

paramore literally can’t break up because they’re on the eras tour next year

— ry ✨ (@ryan__cw) December 26, 2023

Paramore’s last album release was This Is Why in February of this year and alongside it, the band released songs This Is Why and Running Out Of Time.

While their Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) accounts are still live, they’ve been completely scrubbed and left with links to the Paramore website which returns a 404: Not Found message.

“All three members agreed that there’s a level of uncertainty”

Paramore recently did an interview with UpRoxx which concluded with: “Now that Paramore has spent the year touring behind This Is Why (and making sure to take better care of themselves while they’re at it), a chapter of the band’s career has come to a close.

“They’ve now fulfilled all label obligations and are effectively free agents. As for the future of Paramore, all three members agreed that there’s a level of uncertainty.”

In a move that concerned fans, lead singer Hayley Williams shared that excerpt in an Instagram story which really adds credence to the theory that the band are preparing to say goodbye after 20 years together.

I hope not, though.

This Is The Secret To How Celebrities Get Through Airports Unnoticed

Posted on 28/12/2023 by Boris Clair

Ever find yourself in an international airport, wondering why you haven’t seen a single celeb? It’s no secret that a lot of celebrities fly first class on commercial planes, but how come we never see them in the queue to board?

Well, it turns out that for the biggest stars in the world, there’s another secret way for them to travel through airports so that they aren’t confronted with fans.

During a Q&A session on Twitter, Chrissy Teigen was asked in a now deleted tweet): “How the frick do most celebrities travel on planes? Are you ever just hustling through the airport trying to make it to your gate on time?”

It’s hard to imagine an A-Lister doing the same airport shuffle that we all do but with the strict regulations within airports, what else should we expect?

Well, it turns out that there’s a terminal a mile away from the airport that celebs pay membership for. They go through the same security that we do, though privately, and then they’re escorted to this terminal, before being driven to the plane in a car.

there is a terminal a mile from the airport that you pay membership for. they do the same security privately and take you to the plane in a car. I know. I know. https://t.co/BtFaTBaMKh

— chrissy teigen (@chrissyteigen) December 9, 2019

According to Women’s Health, Chrissy was likely referring to the Private Suite terminal at LAX which describes itself as being “far away from the traffic and bustle of the public terminal”.

Oh, how the other half live.

This terminal in particular offers, “a back door to your commercial aircraft, private TSA and Customs clearance, luxury spaces and white-glove service before and after your flight.”

Full membership for this service costs $4,850 for the year with an extra $3,550 for up to four travellers for private pick-up and drop-off to the suite though a membership that doesn’t include priority reservations or 30 night complimentary valet parking comes in at just (!) $1,250 for the year.

What are Private Suite terminals like?

Well, they are literally suites meaning that they come with bathrooms, minibars, a two-person daybed and a view of the runway.

Once the flight is boarding, a car will drive members to their plane, where the travellers will get priority boarding.

According to Women’s Health, “most other airports have private or VIP terminals as well, like Heathrow in London, the Jetex FBO Terminal in Dubai, and Schiphol VIP in Amsterdam.”

I’ll probably stick to a pint in Spoons before my flight, tbh.

Thought Doctor Who Newbie Millie Gibson Looked Familiar? This Is Why

Posted on 25/12/2023 by Boris Clair

In addition to the usual fun and festivities associated with this time of year, Christmas Day in 2023 is a particularly big one for Doctor Who fans.

After those three stand-alone anniversary specials featuring David Tennant and Catherine Tate, this year’s festive special sees Ncuti Gatwa taking the lead at the helm of the Tardis for the first time.

But he’s not doing it alone.

The new Christmas episode The Church On Ruby Road also introduces us to the Time Lord’s new companion Ruby Sunday (as well as an absolute fuck-ton of goblins, but we can get into that another time).

Ruby is played by Doctor Who newbie Millie Gibson, who regular TV viewers (and, in particular, soap fans!) may well already recognise.

If you thought Millie looked a little familiar, here’s where you may well have seen her before..

Jamie Johnson

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In 2017, Millie made her small-screen debut in the CBBC series Jamie Johnson, which centres around the titular teenager’s personal struggles and ambitions of becoming a professional footballer.

Millie joined the show in its second season as Jamie’s schoolmate Indira Cave, sticking around until the end of the third run.

Butterfly

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The three-part series Butterfly told the story of Maxine, an 11-year-old who is coming to terms with her transgender identity.

Co-starring Anna Friel, Emmett J Scanlan and Alison Steadman, as well as Callum Booth-Ford in his break-out role, Millie played Lily, Maxine’s older sister.

Coronation Street

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Why The Original Gavin & Stacey Christmas Special Is A True Festive Masterpiece

Posted on 23/12/2023 by Boris Clair

While every year there are moans and groans about the Christmas TV schedules being packed with repeats, there’s one show that we definitely don’t mind watching again and again – the original Gavin & Stacey special.

The BBC sitcom had been running for two seasons by the time we got the first festive episode in 2008, and what a Christmas special it was.

While we’d seen plenty of interactions between the entire Shipman and West clan in the years previous, there was a real moment of joy seeing them all prepare for their first Christmas together following Gavin and Stacey’s wedding.

Not only did the hour-long episode deliver on comedy and plot, but it also highlighted all those little Christmas foibles that go on in households up and down the country come 25 December.

And while it was a burst of nostalgia having the gang back together in 2019 for the much-anticipated reunion episode, there’s something magical about the original that made it such a festive masterpiece.

Here’s why it’s a show that’s worthy of repeat viewing every December…

1. Pam’s take on Christmas cards

Pam had strong views on when to send Christmas cards

Before 2008, we were always baffled as to why some people would send their Christmas cards before December had even rolled around, but Pam Shipman imparted some serious wisdom on us that made us completely reverse our stance.

“What is the point of sending cards that arrive on Christmas Eve? They’ll get taken down in a few days. That’s why I send all mine on the first of November. Gives people seven weeks to enjoy them,” she said.

You have to admit, she has a point, right?

2. John who?

Speaking of Christmas cards, Pam and Mick also tapped into something we’ve all heard our parents say when they receive a festive greeting from someone they cannot quite place.

“Oh, look at that, ‘From John’… It could be mechanic John… It won’t be John from Ann and John.”

3. Doris being ‘absolutely twatted’ before lunchtime on Christmas Eve

A relatable queen.

4. Nessa in the grotto

“Oh! Oh! Oh! Merry Christmas” was an inspired piece of writing from Ruth Jones and James Corden.

5. Gavin and Smithy’s sing-a-long

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It’s the scene that inspired James Corden’s Carpool Karaoke, and despite the fact he’s had the likes of Adele, Britney Spears and Lady Gaga join him in his car to sing along to their biggest hits, it’s still Smithy’s duet down the phone on Do They Know It’s Christmas? that remains the original and the best.

We’ve also never been able to say Midge Ure’s name the same way since.

6. The mint Baileys scene

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The scene where Gwen and Bryn share their first ever mint Baileys before boarding the coach to Essex wasn’t big or flashy, but it had a quiet comfort and poignancy about it, which Gavin & Stacey always nails so perfectly.

7. Mick’s turkey saga

Are you basting it? Are you soaking it overnight? Are you doing it the Nigella way? Or are you sticking to Jamie Oliver, because you “know where you are with him”?

Through the characters of Mick and Pete, the Christmas special managed to perfectly encapsulate the bizarre obsession and competitiveness dads have with other men about their turkeys each year.

8. The fight

Pam wasn't exactly thrilled with Gavin's news — Pam wasn’t exactly thrilled with Gavin’s news

Pam’s eruption after finding out her “little prince” was planning on relocating to Barry set off a chain of events that made this scene one of the most memorable in Gavin & Stacey history.

Not only did Alison Steadman absolutely commit to the moment, but we also saw Gwen finally stand up to Pam, Nessa threaten to “see her outside” (and Pam stupidly believe she could take her on), before Pete went toe-to-toe with Dave Coaches to defend Dawn’s honour.

Admittedly, there’s some language that we’d hope wouldn’t make it into the script in 2021, and we were very pleased when they all put the row behind them. But it has to be said, this scene shook up the dynamic between all the characters and also sent up those fights that happen in every family each festive season.

9. Pam and Mick’s royal romp

We learned that Pam’s obsession with the Duchess of Cornwall translated into the bedroom as she prepared to be “knighted” with Mick’s “special sword” while he was wearing a comedy pair of Prince Charles ears.

10. Pam’s vegetarianism comes unstuck

As “Three Steaks Pam” faced the prospect of a turkey-less Christmas after her long-standing lies about being a vegetarian, it transpired she hadn’t fooled anyone with her stance on meat – except for Gwen that is, who had bought her a vegetarian cookbook for Christmas.

11. The opening of the ‘presents’

Nessa and Dave gifted everyone a single chocolate from a box of Celebrations

Never before had we been so eager to see which Celebration someone was eating, and we definitely still relate to Smithy wrapping all his presents in tin foil for ease.

Doris gifting Gwen talcum powder, despite her still having a stack of it unused at home from previous years, was also a foible we’ve seen play out during present openings over the years.

12. The Nessa and Smithy sexual tension

Smithy didn't want Nessa to marry Dave — Smithy didn’t want Nessa to marry Dave

Years before we got the 2019 Christmas proposal, there was a special moment between Nessa and Smithy that gave fans hope that the characters would finally end up together as Smithy urged her not to marry Dave Coaches.

13. The end song

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No, you’re crying.

All episodes of Gavin & Stacey are available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

These Are The UK’s Favourite Christmas Songs And No, Mariah Isn’t Number One

Posted on 22/12/2023 by Boris Clair

We are just days away from Christmas and now that we know that Wham! officially beat Sam Ryder to the coveted number one spot, we can reveal the UK’s favourite Christmas songs ever and it turns out that despite all of our memes, Mariah Carey somehow isn’t the number one fave.

Yes, according to research conducted by digital headphones magazine Headphonesty, which looked at Google search data to determine which of Spotify’s top 100 songs are most loved by Britons, we don’t give our top slot to the popular favourite.

In fact, the song that hits the top of our charts… technically, arguably… isn’t a Christmas song.

With a winning 32,621 average searches per month, Somewhere Only We Know by Lily Allen is the UK’s favourite Christmas song. To be fair, it is the biggest Christmas song of the 21st century by a British artist but we’re still surprised to learn that it beats all other Christmas classics.

The most popular Christmas songs in the UK

Following closely behind at number two is of course, Mariah Carey Classic All I Want For Christmas Is You but then, and maybe it’s just me, they get a little weird.

Coming in at number three is the soulful hymn Silent Night followed by Jingle Bells, and Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree.

it’s worth noting, then, that only one of the top five Christmas songs in the UK actually came out this century.

However, recent research from CSGO Luck reveals that globally, people have a touch more taste. Sorry.

New streaming data reveals that Wham!’s 1986 hit Last Christmas is the highest-earning and most streamed Christmas song that has been released in the past 50 years.

The Wham! classic is followed by All I Want For Christmas is You, Ariana Grande’s Santa Tell Me, Michael Bublé’s rendition of It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas and Sia’s Snowman.

Commenting on these findings, a spokesperson for CSGOLuck said, “Social media once again has revealed its power, as you would expect more classic Christmas songs to rank within the top 10. Most of the songs in the ranking have been, to some extent, trending on TikTok or Instagram, resulting in a surge of streams.”

I think I’ll stick to our girl Mariah.

Music History Has Just Been Made As This Year’s Christmas Number 1 Is Revealed

Posted on 22/12/2023 by Boris Clair

Wham! have emerged victorious in the race for this year’s Christmas number one.

The pop duo’s festive hit Last Christmas was revealed to have topped the charts on Friday, almost 40 years after its release.

Last Christmas first debuted in 1984, and was initially held off the top spot by Band Aid’s charity single Do They Know It’s Christmas?.

While it’s since topped the UK singles chart on several occasions in the streaming era – this marks the first time it’s landed the coveted number one spot at Christmas, which Andrew Ridgeley has said was always George Michael’s hope for the track.

“Last Christmas has finally ascended to the much-cherished and sought-after official Christmas number one, which was always the main goal,” he told the Official Charts Company on Friday.

“George would be beside himself [that] after all of these years, [we’ve] finally obtained Christmas number one. Yog said that he wrote Last Christmas with the intention of writing a Christmas number one. It’s mission accomplished!”

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This new feat makes Last Christmas the longest ever time between a song’s release and its ascent to the top of the Christmas charts, at 39 years.

“Christmas number one has been a long-held ambition for Yog and I,” Andrew added of his late bandmate. “And for the fans, too. It’ll mean a lot to Wham!’s legacy – it’s the crowning glory.

“Last Christmas was conceived as a Christmas number one. Lofty ambitions, but Yog set lofty ambitions for himself as a songwriter. Our fans will have a real sense of achievement and pride in the fact it’s become Christmas number one.”

Wham! had stiff competition from Eurovision favourite Sam Ryder in this week’s chart.

Sam Ryder performing at Camp Bestival earlier this year

Sam’s festive original You’re Christmas To Me – which is an Amazon exclusive, and marks his first release as an independent artist – landed the number two spot, matching the success of his breakthrough hit Space Man.

“Christmas number two, isn’t that bonkers?” he said. “When we wrote this song, in the blazing month of August, we didn’t even expect it to chart. But here we are, in a Mariah Carey and Wham! sandwich, and we’re the filling. I’m stoked!”

Addressing his fellow musicians, Sam added: “I hope this has given some vigour and some fire to upcoming grass roots and indie artists. You can do it – you’ve just got to set your heart ablaze and get out there.

“Believe, have faith. We always keep fighting. There’s always next week!”

He also revealed he still has a chart-topper in his sights, stating: “Let’s go for it again, let’s get that number one.”

Behind him at number three is Mariah Carey’s festive tune All I Want For Christmas Is You, while Noah Kahan has the week’s highest non-Christmas single with Stick Season at number four.

Completing the top five is Ed Sheeran and Sir Elton John’s duet Merry Christmas, ahead of The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl’s Fairytale Of New York, which was previously reported to be in contention for the top spot, at number six.

Wham! Manager Reveals Why George Michael Was ‘Slightly Upset’ By Last Christmas

Posted on 21/12/2023 by Boris Clair

Former Wham! manager Simon Napier-Bell is opening up about the duo’s iconic holiday track Last Christmas.

Napier-Bell, in a recent interview with The Telegraph, remarked on how “extraordinary” it is that the track holds up today before revealing how the late singer-songwriter George Michael viewed the song.

“He was always slightly upset by the fact [that] he naggingly knew it was the best thing he ever wrote,” Napier-Bell said. “George, above all, really wanted to be remembered as a great songwriter. And I think at the bottom of his mind… it was rather annoying that the song he got so perfect was a Christmas song.”

The former Wham! manager, elsewhere in the interview, referred to the song as a “magnificent piece of work.”

“How can you create a Christmas song that has bells in it, which says ‘Christmas’ every three seconds, and yet has nothing cheesy about it?” he said of the 1984 song.

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Last Christmas has seen a resurgence in interest in recent years, peaking at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in January.

The track reached the top spot on the U.K. singles chart just in time for New Year’s Day 2021, over 36 years after the song’s release.

The holiday hit holds the No. 4 and No. 1 spots on the Billboard and U.K. charts, respectively, as of late Wednesday.

The song has led TikTok users to take part in the “Whamageddon” game, as well, which Forbes described as a “two-decade-old challenge” where people have to avoid hearing Last Christmas before 25 December.

Andrew Ridgeley, one half of Wham!, told People magazine that the song was “absolutely knockout” when he heard it for the first time.

“It sounded for all the world like a Christmas classic,” Ridgeley said.

“It’s Christmas distilled if you ask me,” he added. “It’s the essence of Christmas.”

Malcolm In The Middle Could Return To Our Screens If This 1 Thing Happens

Posted on 20/12/2023 by Boris Clair

Family sitcom Malcolm In The Middle was a firm favourite in many households during its six year run until the show ended in 2006.

The show starred Frankie Muniz as Malcolm alongside Bryan Cranston, Jane Kaczmarek as his parents and Christopher Kennedy Masterson, Justin Berfield and Erik Per Sullivan starring as his brothers Francis, Reese and Dewey.

The show won an array of awards both in America and here in the UK and has continued to be popular on streaming services. For a while now, a lot of fans have been asking if one day there could be a reunion of the cast.

After all, where did they end up? Is Dewey still as cute as an adult? Does Malcolm himself lighten up a little once teenage hormones wear off? Are Hal and Lois still together?

Now, Frankie Muniz has revealed in an interview with Mayim Bialik on her podcast Bialik Breakdown that we could be seeing the family together again, just on one small condition.

Frankie revealed that although he didn’t watch the show when it was airing, when it arrived on streaming, he watched the entirety of it for the first time ever and had a couple of surprising revelations.

He said: “My perspective of the show completely changed from what I thought the show was to what it actually was when I watched it. What I thought the show we were making was compared to what it was.”

“Even characters, when we were filming the show, I was like, “I don’t really like that character.” They became my favourite characters as a viewer,” he added.

I bet he’s talking about Reese.

He then posted a tweet saying he would love to know where Malcolm and his family are now and said that the response seemed to be unanimous, “yeah, that’d be great.”

It wasn’t just fans that were excited, though. Frankie revealed that all of the cast started emailing each other saying “we’ve got to do this, we’ve got to do it.”

There is just one issue. The creator of the show, Linwood Boomer, who based the story of Malcolm in the Middle on his own life story, needs to give a reboot the go-ahead and for now, it’s not quite the time.

Frankie explained: “The only – I don’t want to call it a hiccup, because it’s not a hiccup. The creator of the show Linwood Boomer, when we contacted him, he was like, “I think it would be amazing.” He’s like, “But I don’t want to do it.” He’s like, ‘Because I just don’t have time, because I’m focused on my charity and I’m focused on this.’”

However, all is not lost for us fans. Linwood has said that if two, unnamed by Frankie, writers get involved and come up with something good, he’ll give his “blessing”.

It seems that wheels are turning as Frankie said: “So really for the last couple of years, Bryan Cranston and these two writers… Bryan’s been heading, kind of pushing it, because he really loves the idea of putting together a script and figuring out what it could be. And we’ll see what happens.”

Let’s hope we’ll see our favourite family back together soon.

Everything You Need To Know About RuPaul’s DragCon UK 2024

Posted on 20/12/2023 by Boris Clair

Bring back our girls! RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 5 has left a gaping hole (ahem) in our hearts since it finished, but fortunately DragCon is now just around the corner.

So with it less than a month away, what can expect as all things RuPaul’s Drag Race descends on London in January?

When and where is RuPaul’s DragCon UK 2024?

RuPaul’s DragCon UK takes place at ExCeL London on Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th January, with After Hours Parties featuring some of your favourite RuPaul’s Drag Race.

The newly crowned Ginger Johnson and entire cast of the RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Series 5 will kick things off on Friday evening, followed by a celebration of Global Drag with Global Glamazons on Saturday.

Which drag queens will be at the event?

2024 will be the biggest DragCon lineup ever and will see over 180 queens bring drag excellence to the UK.

Queens confirmed to attend RuPaul’s DragCon UK so far include US winners Jaida Essence Hall and Aquaria, UK favourites Lawrence Chaney, Black Peppa, Baga Chipz and Divina De Campo, as well as international stars such as Pagina Heels and Hannah Conda.

You can see the full list here.

What about Michelle Visage?

Oh yes, Mother will be in attendance. RuPaul’s Drag Race judge superstar Michelle Visage will also host the first-ever WOW Presents Plus live broadcast, LIVE from the Pink Carpet, and give global fans a close look at the hottest action from The Queen’s Walk. She’ll be getting the juicy scoop with the all-important carpet-side interviews – we can’t wait to get the tea.

Michelle Visage said: “Dragcon’s Pink Carpet is the Met Gala of drag excellence! I am so excited to host the first live broadcast in WOW Presents Plus herstory. We are going to share the fashion eleganza from your favourite queens globally for the very first time LIVE. These queens better bring it, because the world will be watching.”

Will RuPaul be there?

Just days before the 75th Primetime Emmy® Awards, where RuPaul’s Drag Race has been nominated in an impressive 9 categories, Mama Ru will be passing the baton over to his best judy Michelle Visage in his absence – so sorry to any attendees hoping to catch a glimpse of Ru!

What are the opening times?

General Admission Attendees
○ Saturday 13th January – 10:00 to 18:00
○ Sunday 14th January – 10:00 to 17:00
● VIP All Star Attendees
○ Saturday 13th January – 9:00 to 18:00
○ Sunday 14th January – 9:00 to 17:00
● After Hours* (Separately Ticketed Events)
○ Friday 12th January – 19:00 to 21:00 (Kick Off)
○ Saturday 13th January – 19:00 to 21:00

How do I get tickets to DragCon UK?

The largest celebration of drag culture returns to the UK at London ExCeL on 13th and 14th January 2024, with prices starting from just £40 for a General Admission Single Day pass. For updates and to book tickets to RuPaul’s DragCon UK, please visit: https://uk.rupaulsdragcon.com/.

Dame Esther Rantzen Joins Dignitas While Trying ‘Miracle’ Lung Cancer Treatment

Posted on 19/12/2023 by Boris Clair

Broadcaster Dame Esther Rantzen told BBC 4′s The Today Podcast that, if the current “miracle” treatment she’s trying for her lung cancer doesn’t work, she “might buzz off to Zurich,” where she has joined Dignitas.

The company is based in Switzerland, where ― unlike in the UK ― assisted suicide is legal.

Dignitas is a not-for-profit organisation where physicians assist the deaths of members who have terminal illnesses or are otherwise facing “unendurable” pain or disability, and who have made a “reasoned request” to end their life.

Members must offer medical proof of their condition to be considered for assisted dying.

The That’s Life! presenter says that part of her reason for becoming a member involves her family’s feelings.

“If you watch someone you love having a bad death, that memory obliterates all the happy times,” she said.

Assisted suicide is not currently legal in Britain

Right now, assisted suicide is punishable by up to 14 years in prison under the terms of the Suicide Act (1961).

This hasn’t escaped Esther, who says “my family and friends in a difficult position [if she chose to die by assisted suicide at Dignitas], because they would want to go with me, and that means that the police might prosecute them”.

She said on the podcast that it should be up to individuals to decide “how you want to go and when you want to go,” saying of those against assisted dying, “If you just base everything on the worst case scenario, you’ve got to have a look at the advantages as well.”

Levelling-up Secretary Michael Gove said after the interview that it might be time for the Commons to “revisit” the topic of assisted dying.

“I have great respect and affection for Dame Esther,” he said, before adding “I am not yet persuaded of the case for assisted dying ― but I do think it’s appropriate for the Commons to revisit this.“

Dame Esther Rantzen is looking forward to this Christmas

“I thought I’d fall off my perch within a couple of months if not weeks [after her cancer diagnosis]”, Esther shared on the podcast.

“I certainly didn’t think I’d make my birthday in June, which I did, and I definitely didn’t think I’d make this Christmas, which I am, it appears ― although anything can happen,” she added.

When asked about the moments in her life she’d want to relive, Dame Esther said “I think I would like to relive this Christmas ― the Christmas that I didn’t expect to have with my family is going to be so precious. And I think that once it’s over, I would like to be able to relive it.”

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When and where is RuPaul’s DragCon UK 2024?

Which drag queens will be at the event?

What about Michelle Visage?

Will RuPaul be there?

What are the opening times?

How do I get tickets to DragCon UK?

Assisted suicide is not currently legal in Britain

Dame Esther Rantzen is looking forward to this Christmas