Scots drag queen Lawrence Chaney has revealed he is impersonating Lorraine Kelly to help him find fame in the US. The RuPaul’s Drag Race winner, 28, has relocated to Las Vegas where he enjoys a residency at one of the city’s top casinos.
Responding to whether American audiences can understand his broad Scottish accent, Lawrence said: “What’s interesting is the people have always been so welcoming in Vegas and I think it’s because no one in Vegas is from Vegas. It’s a melting pot of people from all over the world, all across America. So it’s been very accepting.
“I’ve been so nervous about whether people understand my accent when I’m hosting shows. I try to do what I call the Lorraine Kelly voice, which is kind of a slower Scottish accent and a bit easier to understand. Americans just love the Scottish sense of humour.”
Helensburgh-born Lawrence, who grew up in the Gorbals under his real name Lawrence Maidment, performs six shows a week at the Flamingo Casino Hotel in Vegas, where he regularly finds himself rubbing shoulders with some of his favourite celebrities.
He said: “I’ve met some amazing people. My first night there in 2023, I performed for Paula Abdul which was really crazy. Lizzo, the singer, came to watch the show. I just loved performing a workout number and hosting in front of Lizzo. Lady Gaga’s manager has come to see the show a few times. Shania Twain has been to the show. In Vegas, we all come along and support each other.”
Lawrence, who won Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK in 2021, earning the show a BAFTA Scotland award, added: “It’s been insane since that show and it’s not just changed my life for a year or two. It’s changed my life for a career. What I’m trying to do is really make the most out of that 15 minutes of fame. I’m putting my balls to the wall to really hustle.”
On being a drag artist from the Gorbals, he said: “I’m used to walking the streets of Glasgow to and from gigs at four in the morning. That can be rough. People definitely know I’m in drag. I’m tall as hell, I’m fat, I’ve got huge hips, big boobs. My make-up looks like an Etch A Sketch clown. So, I mean, there is no there is no way nobody knew I was a dude.”
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He is returning home for DragCon UK 2025 at ExCel London on January 10 and 11. Lawrence said: “The cherry on top is I’m going to spend some time there seeing my mum and dad. I’ve scheduled two weeks after DragCon to hang out and see family. It’s going to be so good.” He’ll also bring his Memoirs Of My Shagpipes tour to the UK, culminating with a trio of Scottish dates in April.
Lawrence said: “We’ll discuss relationship difficulties as a drag artist. There’s a lot of weird things, so unglamorous and raunchy and filthy, that have happened to me. I’m in a relationship now and I talk about that in the show. This is called Memoirs for my show papers for a reason. It’s going to get lewd. It’s going to be crude.”
Meanwhile, a brand new six-part TV series called Slaycation will see him team up with international Drag Race winners as they vacation together at a Canadian winter cabin. The show is premiering this week on WOW Presents Plus.
He said: “Six drag queens being in a house alone together will cause wigs and glitter flying everywhere. It’s like drag queens doing Big Brother. We’re in drag very little in this show. And it’s great because you get to see us letting our hair down. You get to see behind the wizard’s curtain.”
Lawrence Chaney will be appearing this coming weekend at RuPaul’s DragCon in London’s ExCel arena.