'Celtic sisters' make history on RuPaul's Drag Race UK

A new season of RuPaul's Drag Race UK is on the horizon and "the Celts are coming to take over," according to one history-making contestant.

Bonnie Ann Clyde, known out of drag as James Keogh, is set to become the first drag queen from the Republic of Ireland to walk the runway.

But that is not the only first the Dublin-born queen is part of.

Joining him in the iconic 'Werk Room' is west Belfast drag queen Elle Vosque, marking the first series to feature more than one contestant from the island of Ireland.

Elle, known as Evan Keating out of drag, said the two quickly bonded over their "Irish sisterhood".

"It was really nice to have someone… because there is such a culture difference," agreed James.

"Ireland and the UK are so vastly different in their sense of humour and their references."

Evan said it gave the two an edge over the other contestants.

"We definitely have a slightly different way of doing drag and we've had different experiences than the English queens," he said.

"It gave us an immediate advantage when it came to being unique and different."

The Ulster University student has been performing as Elle Vosque in Northern Ireland for almost five years.

He has recently taken a gap year from his degree in textiles and fashion, a qualification which would come in very handy for design challenges on the show.

But with a surname inspired by Broadway singer Jessica Vosk, it was the music-based challenges that Evan was most looking forward to.

"I am a queen who does it all, but musical theatre was what got me into drag," he said.

"I just love to perform."

Drag Race was Evan's first foray into performing outside of Northern Ireland.

The well-travelled James said the drag scene in Northern Ireland and the Republic have a lot of common ground, allowing the two to find a unique bond.

"I think the general idea that drag is meant to be fun is shared between the two scenes," he added.

"I think a lot of people start drag in Ireland to go out and have a good time because we're not hellbent on making a career out of it.

"Nowadays there's a lot more accessibility to be able to do that and there are a lot more opportunities."

Bonnie Ann Clyde and Elle Vosque have planned a number of shows across the island of Ireland to celebrate the series airing.