Warning: contains spoilers for the final of RuPaul's Drag Race UK season four
Danny Beard made history on the latest series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK as not only the first ever bearded queen to compete on the show, but the first ever bearded queen to take home the crown after RuPaulcrowned her the UK's Next Drag Race Superstar.
Chatting exclusively to heat after her win, Danny said, "I never thought I would be on this show. I never thought I'd be a winner. I know I'm a little chubby, hairy cocky, sassy, shady, singing cartoon clown that tours the clubs and
makes people have a good time and I've always wanted to be a telly star and a TV presenter and in musicals, and I never thought I'd be up in the conversations that I'm having.
"When she said my name, I was like, "Sh*t, my dreams are finally coming true."
As the first ever bearded winner of Drag Race, Danny hopes they can inspire underrepresented drag performers to apply for the show.
They said, "I'm hoping this opens doors for drag kings and for more trans contestants. Look at what's happening to our trans brothers and sisters right now in the UK. You know, I just hope this shows that different kinds of drag are just as good."
As we all know by now, appearing on Drag Race UK can be a one-way ticket to superstardom. Just look at the likes of The Vivienne, who is set to compete against Love Island’s Ekin-Su on next year’s Dancing on Ice, and Baga Chipz, who recently made her acting debut in Channel 4’s Ackley Bridge.
Danny, who also took part in Britain’s Got Talent in 2016, has set their sights on more TV work and we’re already eagerly anticipating their next move.
Danny told us, “My dream is always to be a TV presenter and I would love to move into television properly.
“I know we've had quite a few of the girls from previous seasons be on various variations of Celebrities on the Farm Picking Up Dog Sh*t on Ice. I will do that, but my dream is to be a TV presenter and hopefully I’m on the right track to do that.
“Other than that, I’m going to be touring the world and I’ve got 11 other sisters to do that with now and there’s just so much going on. No matter what happens, dreams are coming true."
Speaking about the other finalists - Black Peppa, Cheddar Gorgeous and Jonbers Blonde - Danny added, “I think there isn't a better top four. I think everyone brings something completely different to the art of drag and everyone gives their audience and the audience of the show something different to look up to and to see themselves in.
“I think every one of us is going to go into the industry that we want to go into and we've got the show to thank for that. We've been ourselves the whole way through, all four of us, we've not done anything other than be ourselves. So to be commended on being yourself is the ultimate praise.”