This outfit is inspired by Vivienne Westwood and the hat by Beyoncé. She had a massive black hat in the video for Formation. I put a bit of trim on it to make it look more Welsh. The bodysuit isn’t part of the traditional Welsh lady costume – I don’t think they wore them in the 1800s. And the boots are just to make it a bit more sexy.
I want to stand out from the crowd, know what I mean? All the druids at the Eisteddfod are dressed the same in matching robes. They could do with a few more rhinestones. A bit more sparkle. Maybe one year they could try sequined fabrics to make them pop a little bit.
I grew up in Treorchy at the top of the Rhondda valleys. I always had a good group of friends and an amazing upbringing from my mam and dad. School was trickier. I did deal with a bit of bullying. Growing up in the valleys, if you were different, then people make sure that you know it.
It was difficult to come to terms with my sexuality, because people knew I was gay before I knew I was gay, if that makes sense. I moved down to university in Cardiff and I’ve been here ever since. I have no bad feelings about the valleys, I just feel more myself when I’m in Cardiff.
TikTok was just something to do in lockdown. I was stuck in my flat. What else to do? Oh, TikTok looks fun, let’s try that. I was making funny little sketches, chucking them in a video, and that was my life for a few years.
When I first saw RuPaul’s Drag Race I fell in love with the whole thing. At the time I was doing a bit of boy make-up. On a night out I’d have a bit of foundation, a bit of eyeliner. When I started watching Drag Race, I thought, ‘Oh, I’m halfway there already, so let’s just experiment. Let’s buy a wig from Amazon and a blouse from Wardrobe. Try it on and see what happens.’
Catrin FeelingsThe druids at the Eisteddfod could do with a few more rhinestones.
For years it was just something I did for myself. I never thought I’d get up on stage and perform. And then lockdown came, and people were going online and showing their drag looks and performance styles. So I started to experiment with what Catrin could be. After lockdown, she got a couple of gigs and now she’s doing well for herself. She’s booked every weekend. She pays the bills.
Catrin can get away with a lot of things that Ellis can’t. When you go to a drag show you expect to be picked on, and you expect the dirty jokes. So when I’m Catrin, I do like to push the boundaries. Ellis feels, ‘I’ve got to be careful what I say,’ whereas Catrin is like, ‘I don’t care. I’m going to do whatever I want and I’m going to get paid for it.’
Would Ellis and Catrin get on if they met? One hundred percent! I know I make her sound like she’s off the rails, but she’s more like a Valleys mam figure. She’d look after Ellis. If anything kicked off, Catrin would be there to throw the first punch. She’s very protective of him. She may be cheeky, but she’s there to look after her son.
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