Cherry Valentine: Gypsy Queen and Proud

Originally commissioned by:
BBC Three

Next on:
BBC iPlayer

In RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Season 2, Cherry Valentine came out to the world as a Gypsy Drag Queen. That gave her the extra courage to go on a journey she had been putting off for years.

Cherry was born and raised as George Ward, in a traveller community within the North-East of England; but with feelings of rejection, George moved away when he was 18, and has had precious little contact with his community since, apart from his mother.

Now, he wants to find out if he can reconnect with his traveller roots, unite his Queer and Gypsy identities, and become equally proud of both, together. But, to do that he must delve into a painful past, face some truths he’s been avoiding for years, and ask himself why he feels he is only truly happy when he is Cherry, and if he can ever feel like that as George.