Dancing With The Stars favourite Blu Hydrangea has said it would be a big deal if they become the first ever drag queen winner of the show, adding that it would prove that anyone can be themselves “authentically.”
28-year-old Belfast man Blu aka Joshua Cargill and his professional dance partner Simone Arena go into tonight’s big St Patrick’s Day final at the top of the leaderboard after scoring an impressive three perfect scores in a row over the past few weeks.
The pair are hoping for a Blu wave with the judges and the all-important public vote tonight and they say they’re trying not to feel the pressure.
“The first 30 was amazing because it was from our Samba, which was my meltdown week when I was worried I was never going to get to dance,” he says.
“But we just went back into rehearsals as normal and I thought, `we’re not going to be able to keep this up’ but hey!”
His dance partner Simone added, “I don’t think we went with the pressure of the three 30s in a row. it was more let’s keep on doing what we’re doing, this is obviously working.
“We weren’t expecting those scores but it was about the work we had put in and the fun that came across.”
On the final, they face Paralympian Jason Smyth and pro dance partner Karen Byrne, TV and radio presenter Laura Fox and her pro partner Denys Samson, and Wild Youth singer David Whelan and partner Salome Chachua.
Blu won the first series of RuPaul’s Drag Race: UK vs. the World in 2022 so he’s well used to taking the crown but holding the DWTS glitterball would mean so much more to him.
“I think it would be a big deal if I was the first drag queen winner of DWTS or Strictly in the whole world,” he says. “I would feel that anyone like me would be well represented, and just prove that you can go out and be yourself authentically.”
Being on the show has certainly opened Blu up to a whole new audience. “Before this, my audience was mostly queer and I was accepted there,” he says.
“But as the weeks have gone on we have found that more people come up to me on the street, little old ladies and families, and say `my kids loved you on Sunday night.’
“That’s exactly why I’m doing this show because visibility is so important to someone like me,” he adds.
“It shows people I am not scary or anything and that I am just here to entertain and be myself and I think the Irish public are behind that. I’ve had a few negative comments but I’m used to that.”
Simone says, “Winning would be amazing because it pays off all the hard work. For me stepping into this and dancing with a drag queen, a lot of people will think it would be something different but Blu has not been any different from dancing with anyone else so this proves there should not be a preconception.
“Dancing is about two people having fun and enjoying it. Regardless of whether we win or not, that’s the most important message. We found a friend in each other.”
And Blu says he fully intends to keep dancing once the show is finally over.
“I’m going to find a dance teacher in the north of Ireland and keep up the dancing,” he says. “I am also going on holidays somewhere nice and chill where I don’t have to wake up to someone sending me a dance I have to learn.
“Me and my partner just got engaged and we bought a house so we’re going to be decorating that.”
Blu adds that appearing on DWTS also gave him back his confidence.
“I’ve been very lucky in that I have very supportive parents and a partner who supports me to be my best,” he says. “But being on DWTS has given me the confidence I lost after being on Drag Race
“When you’re on Drag Race there are so many people watching you through such a super-focused lens and you can’t be good at everything and being a winner, I had imposter syndrome. I thought am I even worthy of this situation? Being on DWTS has given me confidence that yes, I am worthy.”
“It’s also given me a chance to show young people who are in my situation that they can grow up and do whatever they want to do with their lives and be as fabulous as me if they want!
“I grew up as a queer person in Northern Ireland and I knew I wasn’t always accepted in certain spaces and it would be gorgeous if me taking part in DWTS made people more accepted.
“There is no difference between a gay person and a straight person. It’s about who you love.”
The final of Dancing With The Stars is on RTÉ One and the RTÉ Player at 6.30pm
