Drag star Cheryl Hole targeted by hate campaign after Celebrity Masterchef appearance

The former ‘Drag Race’ star featured on the BBC cooking series this week

Cheryl Hole has spoken out after being sent hateful messages on social media following her appearance on Celebrity Masterchef.

Hole is the stage persona of British drag artist Luke Underwood-Bleach, who rose to fame on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK.

She appeared on this week’s episode of the BBC One cooking show Celebrity Masterchef.

Before appearing on the show, she conducted an interview with the BBC, in which she spoke about the hate that LGBT+ people face in the UK today.

Citing the recent homophobic stabbing in Clapham, London, and bans on drag artists in parts of the UK, Hole said that the it felt like the movement “is going a bit backwards”, but that queer people “have our voices and stories heard and show we’re nothing to be feared”.

The interview prompted a backlash on X/Twitter, which Hole then addressed in a social media post.

“All I will say is people clearly don’t understand the art form of drag and it’s celebration of women,” she wrote in response. “Women shaped me into the person I am today either through music, their words of wisdom or support. In no way do we mock women at all, so to throw that argument at me is in vain.

“People can continue to hurl abuse at me, liken my work to ‘woman face’ but at the end of the day. This has all stemmed from me speaking up and using my platform on the hate that is directed to our community. And you’ve proved everyone right.

“Remember it’s a light hearted entertainment cooking show. I’m not doing anything other than using a few pots and pans & an oven.”

Hole is the third drag star to have appeared on Masterchef, following on from Baga Chipz in 2020 and Kitty Scott Claus in 2022.

In a statement, the BBC said: “MasterChef is proud of its diverse and inclusive cast across all its series. Drag artists have featured twice before in the Celebrity series.”

Hole on ‘Masterchef’ (BBC /Shine TV)

A spokesperson for Hole told BBC News: “Cheryl’s spokesperson said: “Having a drag star on the show is nothing newsworthy in 2023. Drag has always appeared on prime-time family television as both Dame Edna and Lily Savage’s careers show.

“Drag has a long successful history in British mainstream entertainment, so any attempt to whip up controversy around this appearance is another effort to create an unnecessary culture war.”

In the UK, hate crime rates have continued to escalate in recent years. Last October, a report from the Home Office revealed that the number of transphobic hate crimes had jumped by 56 per cent compared to the previous year, with the report relating the increase to discussion on social media.