Lawrence Chaney

Lawrence Chaney
Lawrence at RuPaul's DragCon LA, 2023
Born
Lawrence Maidment

(1996-10-16) 16 October 1996 (age 28)
Helensburgh, Scotland
CitizenshipScottish
OccupationDrag queen
Years active2014–present
TelevisionRuPaul's Drag Race UK (series 2)
Websitelawrencechaney.com

Lawrence Chaney (born Lawrence Maidment; 16 October 1996) is a Scottish Glasgow-based drag queen. They are best known for winning the second series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK, becoming the first Scottish drag queen and the second Plus Size contestant to win across the franchise. Their role on the series later earned them the 2021 BAFTA Scotland Audience Award.[1][2] As part of their Drag Race victory, Chaney was awarded their own online television series, later titled Tartan Around, which premiered in 2022.[3]

Career

Chaney has professionally fulfilled their career as a drag performer since 2014 in Glasgow. In an interview with Metro, Chaney said their drag surname "Chaney" was inspired by 1920s prolific silent movie star Lon Chaney and explained that, "He was known as the man of a thousand faces and I'm known as the queen of a thousand faces, because I'm good at impersonation, stupid voices and general buffoonery."[4]

Lawrence Chaney in 2021

In December 2020, Chaney was announced as one of twelve contestants competing on the second series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK.[1][5] On 18 March 2021, Chaney was announced as the winner of the series, becoming the first Scottish and first plus-size winner of a Drag Race season hosted by RuPaul (the first ever being Drag Race Thailand season 1 winner Natalia Pliacam).[6] As part of their Drag Race victory, Chaney was awarded their own online television series, later titled Tartan Around, which premiered in 2022.[3]

In March 2021, Chaney, alongside their fellow RuPaul's Drag Race UK finalists Tayce, Bimini Bon Boulash and Ellie Diamond, was photographed and interviewed for The Guardian[7] and later British Vogue.[8] Lawrence also embarked on a UK Tour alongside A'Whora, Bimini Bon-Boulash, and Tayce for the United Kingdolls Tour with promoter Klub Kids in July 2021,[9] and in February 2022, Chaney embarked on RuPaul's Drag Race UK: The Official Tour alongside the entire cast of the second series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK, in association with World of Wonder and promoter Voss Events.[10]

In April 2021, Chaney was interviewed for and featured on the cover of Attitude's "Tea Time Digital Special", in association with Taimi.[11] Chaney was also a featured guest and panelist at the digital National Student Pride 2021 event.[12]

In May 2021, Transworld announced they had acquired the rights to Chaney's forthcoming memoir, Lawrence (Drag) Queen of Scots: The Dos and Don'ts of a Drag Superstar.[13]

Preceding RuPaul's Drag Race UK, Chaney has been a frequent collaborator with the BBC (especially BBC Sounds). On 21 August 2021, they presented the Saturday mid-morning slot on BBC Radio 1 from 10:30am, alongside Arielle Free and other drag queens, as part of "Drag Day".[14]

Personal life

Chaney grew up in both Helensburgh in Scotland and Newbury in England.[15] Chaney currently resides within the Gorbals area of Glasgow, Scotland.[16] They have expressed their support for Scottish independence.[17]

Regarding their gender identity, Chaney stated in an article for the i: "I still don't know if I am male, female, or somewhere in between. I think the best way to describe my gender is fluid, but this isn't finite. I see myself as ever evolving and always discovering more about myself."[18]

Filmography

Television

Year Title Role Notes Ref
2019 Mother Tuckers Themself Television documentary [19]
2021 RuPaul's Drag Race UK Contestant Winner; Series 2 [1]
Lorraine Themself Guest [20]
Celebrity Juice Themself Guest [21]
The Hit List Themself Guest [22]
The Great British Sewing Bee Themself Guest [23]
2022 Cherry Valentine: Gypsy Queen and Proud Themself BBC Documentary [24]
Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway Themself Performed as part of the End of the Show Show [25]
Celebrity Gogglebox Themself Guest [26]
Blankety Blank Themself Guest [27]
Martin Compston's Scottish Fling Themself BBC Scotland miniseries; Episode: "The West Coast" [28]
Celebrity Lingo Themself Guest [29]
The Wheel Themself Guest [30]
RuPaul's Drag Race UK Themself Guest; Series 4
Lawrence Chaney's Homecoming Queens Themself
2024 Slaycation Themself [31]

Radio

Year Title Role Notes Ref
2021 Radio 1 Drag Day with Lawrence Chaney & Arielle Free Themself BBC Radio 1 [32]

Web series

Year Title Role Notes Ref
2021 National Student Pride 2021 Themself National Student Pride [12]
2021 Cosmo Queens UK Themself Cosmopolitan UK [33]
2021 I Like to Watch UK Themself Netflix UK [34]
2022 Tartan Around Themself WOWPresents+ Original [35]
2022 God Shave the Queens Themself Featured queen [36]
2022 Bring Back My Girls Themself Guest [37]
2023 Give It to Me Straight Themself Guest [38]
2023 Binge Queens Themself Guest [39]
2024 The Pit Stop Themself Guest [40]
RuPaul's Drag Race Live Untucked Themself WOWPresents Plus original [41]
House of Laughs Themself WOWPresents Plus original
Touch-Ups with Raven Themself

Discography

As lead artist

Title Year Album
"We Werk Together"
(with Ant & Dec, The Vivienne and Krystal Versace) 		2022 Non-album single
List of singles as a featured artist
Title Year Peaks Album
UK
[42] 		UK
Big Top 40
[43]
"UK Hun?"[44]
(among The Cast of RuPaul's Drag Race UK, Season 2) 		2021 27 3 Non-album singles
"A Little Bit of Love"[45]
(among The Cast of RuPaul's Drag Race UK, Season 2) 		— —
"UK Hun?"[46]
(Frock Destroyers featuring Lawrence Chaney) 		— —

Stage

Year Title Promoter Location Ref
2021 Squirrel Friends Klub Kids London, Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool and Newcastle [47]
2021 United Kingdolls The Tour Klub Kids Torquay, Southampton, Newcastle, Glasgow, Sheffield, Leeds, Cardiff, Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham and London [9]
2021 The Lawrence Chaney Show Klub Kids Reading, Southampton, Torquay, Bath, Exeter, Plymouth, Nottingham, Hull, London, Sheffield, Birmingham, Cardiff, Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and Brighton [48]
2022 RuPaul's Drag Race UK: The Official Tour Voss Events / World of Wonder Ipswich, Oxford, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle, Nottingham, Bournemouth, Southend, Manchester, Sheffield, Blackpool, Llandudno, Birmingham, Cardiff, Liverpool, Basingstoke, Portsmouth, Plymouth and London [10]
2022 United Kingdolls Tour ITD Events / Klub Kids Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane, Auckland and Wellington [49]

Awards and nominations

Year Award ceremony Category Work Results Ref.
2021 31st British Academy Scotland Awards Audience Award Themself Won [50]
2022 The WOWIE Awards Best Book Award (The Reading is Fundamental Award) (Drag) Queen of Scots: The Dos and Don’ts of a Drag Superstar Won [51]

References

  1. ^ a b c "RuPaul's Drag Race UK series two | Meet The Queens". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  2. ^ "BAFTA Scotland Awards 2021: Winners Announced". BAFTA. 20 November 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Tartan Around with Lawrence Chaney". WOW Presents Plus. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  4. ^ "Who is Lawrence Chaney, the Glasgow queen on RuPaul's Drag Race UK series 2?". Metro. 21 January 2021. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  5. ^ McStay, Kirsten (18 March 2021). "Drag Race crowns Lawrence Chaney UK winner as she becomes first Scot to take prize". Daily Record. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  6. ^ Nolfi, Joey (18 March 2021). "The winner of RuPaul's Drag Race UK season 2 is..." Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  7. ^ Nicholson, Rebecca (13 March 2021). "'Drag was always a protest, a political statement': RuPaul's Drag Race UK finalists open up". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  8. ^ ""I Just Love Making RuPaul Laugh": 'Drag Race' Star Lawrence Chaney Is Queen Of The One-Liner". British Vogue. 17 March 2021. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  9. ^ a b "United Kingdolls The Tour". Klub Kids. Archived from the original on 3 August 2020. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  10. ^ a b "RuPaul's Drag Race UK Tour". Voss Events. Archived from the original on 1 May 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  11. ^ Stichbury, Thomas (1 April 2021). "HOW LAWRENCE CHANEY BEAT THE BULLIES TO BECOME A SUPERSTAR". Attitude. Archived from the original on 1 April 2021. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  12. ^ a b "Lawrence Chaney, Dan Howell and more to talk mental health with Attitude and Student Pride". Attitude.co.uk. 19 April 2021. Archived from the original on 11 May 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  13. ^ "Transworld snaps up debut by Drag Race winner Lawrence Chaney | The Bookseller". www.thebookseller.com. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  14. ^ "Drag queens Jodie Harsh and Bimini to host Radio 1 shows". BBC News. 11 August 2021. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  15. ^ Chaney, Lawrence (2021). "Becoming Lawrence Chaney". Lawrence (Drag) Queen of Scots: The Dos and Don'ts of a Drag Superstar. Random House. ISBN 978-1-4735-9811-9.
  16. ^ "Crowning RuPaul's Drag Race UK Series 2 Winner - Live Queen Reaction!". YouTube. 19 March 2021.
  17. ^ Webster, Laura (16 March 2021). "Drag Race UK star Lawrence Chaney reveals support for Scottish independence". The National. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  18. ^ Chaney, Lawrence (25 September 2021). "Drag Race UK winner Lawrence Chaney: 'I've been confused about my gender identity, I thought I might be trans'". iNews. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  19. ^ Burnside, Anna (15 April 2019). "Secret life of Glasgow's fabulous drag queens uncovered in new BBC Scotland documentary". Daily Record. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  20. ^ Ahluwalia, Navi (18 March 2021). "Lawrence Chaney and Ellie Diamond Share Their Final Words Before Tonight's Drag Race UK Final". PopSugar. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  21. ^ Bev Lyons (2 May 2021). "Scots Drag Race winner Lawrence Chaney to appear on Celebrity Juice after fans get impatient". Daily Record. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  22. ^ Joe Julians (24 August 2021). "The Hit List's new celebrity line-up revealed – including Strictly Come Dancing specials". Radio Times. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  23. ^ Annie Roberts (23 November 2021). "BBC's Great British Sewing Bee returns with two star-studded festive specials and brand new host". Wales Online. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  24. ^ Brocklehurst, Harrison (25 January 2022). "We spoke to Drag Race UK's Cherry Valentine about her 'emotional' new documentary". The Tab. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  25. ^ Chilton, Louis (20 February 2022). "Ant and Dec stun Saturday Night Takeaway viewers with 'phenomenal' transformation into drag queens". The Independent. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  26. ^ "Who are Celebrity Gogglebox's Tia Kofi and Lawrence Chaney?". Heart.co. 8 July 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  27. ^ "Blankety Blank Series 19, Episode 5". www.comedy.co.uk. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  28. ^ "Martin Compston's Scottish Fling". www.bbc.com. 9 September 2022. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  29. ^ "Celebrity Lingo Episode 7". itv.com. 7 November 2022. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  30. ^ "Michael McIntyre's The Wheel, Series 3, Episode 6". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  31. ^ Joey Nolfi, "See the 6 returning Drag Race queens set to be dropped into the wilderness on new Slaycation series". Entertainment Weekly, June 6, 2024.
  32. ^ "BBC Radio 1 - Radio 1 Anthems, with Lawrence Chaney". BBC. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
  33. ^ Lawrence Chaney's makeup transformation is the definition of glamour | Cosmo Queens UK, 5 May 2021, retrieved 5 May 2021
  34. ^ Damshenas, Sam. "I Like to Watch UK returns with Drag Race winners The Vivienne and Lawrence Chaney". Gay Times. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  35. ^ Jones, Monique (17 March 2022). "World Of Wonder's Spring Slate For WOW Presents Plus Includes Heidi N Closet Co-Hosted Series, Vanjie-Fronted Shows And More". Shadow and Act. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  36. ^ "'God Shave the Queens' Season 2 Trailer: Watch Your Favorite 'Drag Race UK' Stars Go on Tour! (Exclusive)". ET Online. 26 July 2022. Archived from the original on 30 July 2022. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  37. ^ Del Rosario, Alexandra (5 May 2022). "'Bring Back My Girls': WOW Presents Plus Sets Original Series, Will Film Live At DragCon LA". Deadline. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  38. ^ "LAWRENCE CHANEY - "Give It To Me Straight" Ep11 - Hosted by Maddy Morphosis". YouTube. 16 June 2023. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  39. ^ "SPOILER ALERT: Binge Queens - RuPaul's Drag Race UK Series 5, Episode 1 Preview". YouTube. 2 October 2023. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  40. ^ "The Pit Stop S16 E12 - Trixie Mattel and Lawrence Chaney Get Flushed!". YouTubeaccess-date=April 19, 2024. 23 March 2024.
  41. ^ Nolfi, Joey (5 October 2023). "Drag Race queens unite for new RuPaul's Drag Race Live Untucked TV series". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  42. ^ "United Kingdolls | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  43. ^ "The Official Big Top 40 | Chart for 21 February 2021". The Official Big Top 40.
  44. ^ UK Hun? (United Kingdolls Version) - Single by The Cast of RuPaul's Drag Race UK, Season 2, retrieved 15 February 2021
  45. ^ A Little Bit of Love (Cast Version) [feat. The Cast of RuPaul's Drag Race UK, Season 2] - Single by RuPaul, retrieved 19 March 2021
  46. ^ ""UK Hun?" by the Frock Destroyers Feat. Lawrence Chaney Is Here". World of Wonder. 5 April 2021. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  47. ^ "Klub Kids London presents SQUIRREL FRIENDS (ages 14+)". Eventbrite. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  48. ^ "The Lawrence Chaney Show". The Foundry Torquay. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  49. ^ "United Kingdolls Tour » ITDEVENTS". ITDEVENTS. Archived from the original on 5 May 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  50. ^ "'BAFTA Scotland Awards 2021: Full list of nominations". Glasgow Live. 13 October 2021.
  51. ^ "Here Are World of Wonder's 2022 WOWIE Awards Winners". World of Wonder. 16 May 2022. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lawrence Chaney.
Preceded by Winner of RuPaul's Drag Race UK
UK season 2 		Succeeded by