The highly-anticipated cast for the next series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK has been announced, and there’s a famous Manchester face on the lineup.
With the fourth series of the popular reality competition show set to return to our TV screens this month, global drag icon RuPaul and BBC Three have today revealed that Manchester-based drag queen Cheddar Gorgeous is forming part of the lineup of 12 of the nation’s most fabulous queens, who will compete over 10 weeks to be crowned the UK’s next Drag Race Superstar.
Born in Birmingham 488 years ago, but calling Manchester home for the last 16 years and becoming a well-known name on the local circuit, Cheddar Gorgeous is described as being a “living spectacle” and a “cultural icon”.
Cheddar is usually dressed as a “Mancunian busy bee” to demonstrate a real love for the city.
With a name referencing the iconic British landmark Cheddar Gorge, and an act combining a collage of makeup, costume, performance, audiences usually come prepared for anything at a Cheddar Gorgeous show as her drag is known for being “otherworldly and ethereal”.
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Cheddar says she’s been doing drag for “hundreds of years”, but in reality, she started out when she was about 13 or 14, and admits that she was a bit of a geek growing up who was enamoured by aliens, gods, goddesses, and strange monsters – which is why, in her drag, she likes to “harness the energy of science fiction, fantasy and magic”.
Drag has allowed Cheddar to travel around the world, and she has worked in the clubs, cabarets, museums, and all over the streets.
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Cheddar Gorgeous confirmed for next series of Drag Race UK / Credit: BBC
RuPaul’s Drag Race UK series four is set to air later this month.
One of the most-popular shows on BBC iPlayer, the first three series of the reality competition show have been streamed over 51 million times now, and the premise sees the queens face challenges each week that test their drag race prowess to the max to impress Ru and the panel of judges enough to avoid being one of the bottom two queens.
The two queens who find themselves in the bottom two then face a lip sync for their life and elimination from the competition.
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Ru then has the final say on who shantays or sashays away.
Featured Image – BBC
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Channel 4 is looking for Mancs who think they can survive the apocalypse for a new TV series
Lydia Mastrolonardo
Have you always wanted to see how long you’d last in an apocalypse?
Well now’s your chance, as Apocalypse is potentially coming back to Channel 4 for a second series, with producers having put out a nationwide casting call for contestants willing to take part.
The casting call simply reads: “Do you think you have what it takes to survive the end of the world?”
Described as a dystopian series designed to test the creativity, resourcefulness, and resilience of our nation, Apocalypse sees players are pushed out of their comfort zones and put to the ultimate test.
In the series, ordinary people are tasked with surviving for 28 days in an abandoned city – used previously only for the military to practice urban warfare – with no food, running water, electricity or heat.
Produced by The Garden – which is part of ITV Studios – for Channel 4, the show’s creators are now calling on Mancs and people up and down the country with the ‘courage and ingenuity’ to compete, to get in touch and apply for the potential second series.
Does your mate always bang on after watching a post-apocalyptic film that they would’ve done things differently? Or is the news at the moment freaking you out and you want to give the end of the world a bit of a practice run? Either way, sign up, test that plan you’ve built in your head, and see if you’ve really got what it takes.
Applications are now open, and all you need to do is fill in a short application form and one of the production team will get back to you if they would like to proceed. Come on, let’s prove what Mancs are made of.
Hundreds of katsu curries are being given out for FREE in Manchester this week
Emily Sergeant
Hundreds of katsu curries are being dished up and given out for free in Manchester this week, but only for certain people.
And those lucky people will be students.
That’s right… a new semester is upon us, and thousands of freshers and returning students are descending on the city and Manchester‘s many universities for another year. But the life of a student isn’t exactly the cheapest sometimes, especially for those who haven’t had to live on a budget before moving out or into halls.
But to make things a little easier, Tampopo has announced it’ll be serving hundreds of one of its most popular dishes for free this week.
Tampopo is celebrating National Katsu Curry Day in the most delicious way possible, by giving away 700 Katsu Curries with rice for free, exclusively to freshers and students this Sunday (27 September).
Whether you’re brand new to the city, settling back into uni life, or you’re simply in need of a katsu fix, students can head to their nearest participating Tampopo and tuck into a hearty meal without needing to spend a penny.
100 katsu curries will be available each from 12-2pm at both Tampopo restaurants in Manchester city centre – which are on Albert Square, and in the Corn Exchange – or if you head over to the Trafford Centre, both the Tampopo there and the East Street sites are taking part.
“[Our] Katsu Curry has long been one of our most-loved dishes, so National Katsu Curry Day felt like the perfect excuse to give students a proper welcome to the new academic year,” Tampopo said in a statement.
So, are you feeling hungry then? The offer is exclusively available for takeaway only to freshers and students with a valid student ID, which they must present on collection.
100 portions are available at each participating location, and just one free katsu curry with rice will be available per person.
Emily Sergeant -
7th September 2022 
