Oh Gurl, it’s pageant season!
We got invited to the Mr Gay/Mx Drag Great Britain press day at the stunning Alnwick Gardens and had a fabulous time behind the scenes meeting everyone.
The final will take place in August and we’re so excited to attend.
Before then, let us tell you all about the competition, the charities and those hoping to take home a title.
The Pageant
Established in 2016, the Mr Gay pageant is designed to put applicants through a range of challenges to prove they’re a fantastic candidate to represent the queer community across Great Britain and even at parliament.
Each of the contestants will take part in 7 different elements: The charity fundraising, written test and audience vote are all weighed at 20% of the mark to prove it’s not all about the looks. We then have the national dress/regional costume, beachwear and formal wear runways at 10% each for a hint of beauty and fashion. Then of course congeniality plays a factor too (the final 10%), we can’t have any beads thrown on the catwalk after all!
All of this is of course overseen by the wonderful Stuart Hatton, who not only runs the event but was crowned Mr Gay World himself (so he’s got plenty of experience).
The Charities
For the fundraising element of the pageant, our contestants will be representing for two incredible Northern charities – Northumberland Pride and The Charlie & Carter Foundation.
Northumberland Pride is a dynamic charity that delivers numerous services across the region to support members of the LGBTQIA+ community and provide safe spaces where people can talk, relax and exist without worry.
We highly recommend checking out their Facebook page for a range of different events across the year that have a great impact on so many lives.
The Charlie & Carter Foundation provides financial support to the parents of seriously ill children with life limiting conditions which require 24 hour nursing care or specialist nursing facilities.
The Foundation also raises awareness of the difficulties faced by parents and carers who care for seriously ill children. It also strives to improve the quality of life of sick and seriously ill children by providing information, advice and support.
You can visit their website here for more info and support.
The Guys
This year we have 11 fantastic contestants battling for the title of Mr Gay Great Britain, shall we take a little peek at them?
He’s a personal trainer, a model and full of energy, but can Alex take the title?
The Italian stallion who can gogo dance the house down, will Fabrizio get the win?
His lips are puckered, the hair is lifted, will George be stealing the crown?
He can act, he can sing and he can model, but can Michael win the title for Wales?
He can nail the aesthetics and bring the Spanish flair, but will Mikel take home the win?
A fabulous father with a great bedside manner, but does Paul C have what it takes to win?
His photography skills will always pay the bills, but can Paul M grab the title?
He can sing and dance the house down boots, but will Rhian come out on top?
He’s charming, he’s flirty and he’s full of confidence but will Saif be our winner?
Proving that you can come from any background and thrive, is Sonny destined for a win?
He can run a half marathon with a smile, but can Stephen cross the finish line with a win?
Shall we throw in a couple of group shots?
Now we know a couple of pictures and a quick line of description isn’t enough to get to know these handsome fellas – so why not click right here to get a little more personal with some cut interviews we did on press day.
The Drag Icons
You know we couldn’t have a pageant without a bunch of drag delights, shall we check out the 6 total babes ready to slay the house down?
She’s beauty, she’s grace, but can Bella B Campbell win this race?
The glamour alien has landed, will Mercury.co.uk be taking the title back to her planet?
No stranger to turning a look and holding a note, but can Mimi Chanel snatch the crown?
The hostess with the mostest, will this Monarchy be getting due a crowning?
They have the voice, the looks and the heart but will Saturn Addict also take the win?
From Poland to the UK she’s a stunning fashionista, but will Stealia Jobs steal the crown too?
And let’s do a nice group glamour shot too…..
Just like the fellas, we know that pictures won’t give you enough of taste – so why not click right here (just in case you lost the link) to see more in our interview with the divas.
Last Years Winners
Before we aim to crown our 2023 winners, let’s take a quick look back at the fabulous title holders from 2022 as they absolutely deserve some love and recognition.
For the Mr Gay side of the pageant, the wonderful David Allwood smashed it out of the park and won 5 of the 7 categories to claim his title – you can’t argue with those statistics!
We also can’t forget about the gorgeous Lavender Love, who represented for the Mx Drag side of the pageant and came out on top – looking stunning and graceful as always
So what’s the tea for the final?
On Saturday the 26th of August (get it in your diary now) we will be returning to Alnwick Gardens to find out which of our amazing line-up are leaving with the win. If you click here you can find out all about this amazing location and their poison garden…
There will be runways, results, photo ops, music, beautiful scenery and naturally we’d expect at least a little bit of drama – it is a pageant after all!
If you give the Mr Gay/Mx Drag Instagram a follow you’ll be kept up to date with any announcements, including the schedule for the final.
We hope you to see you there!
(Insert cute picture of team Gurl by the fountain to tempt you)