Tayce Szura-Radix (stage name Tayce; born 28 May 1994) is a Welsh drag queen, rapper and model from Newport, Wales.[1] She[a] is best known for competing in the second series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK, in which she placed joint runner-up.[2]
Career
2017–2020: Pre-Drag Race UK
Tayce moved to London in her late teens. After getting fired from a series of jobs, she became a full-time, professional drag queen in 2017.[3] In June of that year, QX Magazine referred to her as "London's most promising new drag star".[4] In 2018, she became Bougie Drag Brunch's[5] first featured queen, performing regularly alongside other well-known drag queens such as Honey Foxx and eventual Drag Race UKSeries Five (2023) contestant Cara Melle.[6]
In December 2020, Tayce was announced as one of twelve contestants competing on the second series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK.[2] Tayce won the main challenge in Episode 5 "The RuRuvision Song Contest" (alongside A'Whora, Bimini Bon-Boulash and Lawrence Chaney). However, she also landed in the "bottom two" four times, and had to lip-sync in order to stay in the competition. She won her first three lip-syncs, and sent home Cherry Valentine, Sister Sister and A'Whora. Her performance in the lip sync against Cherry Valentine, to the Cats song 'Memory', went viral.[8] Her fourth lip-sync against Ellie Diamond was declared a "double-shantay", with neither queen being eliminated. Tayce was the first ever contestant on RuPaul's Drag Race UK to survive four lip-syncs and win three of them, and is therefore often called a "lip-sync assassin".[9] She made it to the finale and, alongside Bimini, placed joint runner-up to Lawrence Chaney.
2021–present: Post-Drag Race success; breakthrough into modelling, presenting, and music
Tayce frequently performs at nightclubs, predominantly in London and New York.[10]
In May 2021, she was a featured performer at Drive Time Drag, a drag drive-in show which was the first of its kind in the UK.[11] Tayce embarked on the sold out United Kingdolls Tour (alongside A'Whora, Bimini Bon-Boulash and Lawrence Chaney) with promoter Klub Kids in July 2021,[12] and in February 2022 Tayce 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.[13] In September 2022, Tayce launched a solo tour across the UK, The Assassination Tour, with promoter Klub Kids.[14] In September 2023, Tayce joined Voss Events' Night of the Living Drag tour across the US alongside international RuPaul's Drag Race alumni.[15]
In December 2024, she competed in the 2024 Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special, paired with professional dancer Kai Widdrington, becoming the first drag queen to compete on the show. The couple scored maximum points from all four judges and were voted the winners.[16][17]
Other ventures
Brand campaigns
In March 2021, Tayce was announced as an ambassador for Coca-Cola's "Open That Cola!" campaign in the United Kingdom.[18]
In April 2021, Tayce, alongside fellow Drag Race contestant A'Whora, co-launched The Bluebella Pride Collection, a lingerie line by brand Bluebella. Proceeds from the collection were donated to the Kaleidoscope Trust, a British non-profit which promotes the abolition of anti-gay laws in the Commonwealth.[19] In June 2021, Tayce partnered with Boohoo owned fashion brand Nasty Gal for a 60-piece gender neutral capsule collection.[20][21]
In April 2022, Tayce teamed up with Absolut Vodka, Chet Lo, and the Institute of Digital Fashion for the #BornToMix campaign, in which Tayce modelled a digital dress designed by Chet Lo.[22]
Modelling
Tayce is currently signed with Models 1, the largest modelling agency in Europe.[23] She has walked runways for designer brands such as Richard Quinn, The Blonds, EgonLab, and Namilia.[24][25][26] She has also modelled in two Jean Paul Gaultier fragrance campaigns.
Hosting and radio
Tayce has been a frequent collaborator with the BBC (especially BBC Radio 1 and BBC Sounds). In August 2021, she presented the Saturday breakfast show slot on BBC Radio 1 from 9:30am, alongside Clara Amfo, as part of Drag Day also featuring Tayce's fellow Series 2 contestants: Bimini Bon-Boulash and Lawrence Chaney, as well as DJJodie Harsh.[27] Tayce has also presented a mindfulness-based programme in collaboration with BBC Radio 1 Relax (a BBC Sounds exclusive subsidiary of BBC Radio 1).[28] Since 2021, Tayce has hosted MTV's Queerpiphany alongside Munroe Bergdorf.[29] In June 2024 Tayce presented the Sky TV original documentary ‘’Striking With Pride - United at the Coal Face’’ [30] where she tells children the real story behind the 2015 hit film Pride
Music
In December 2022, Tayce released her debut rap single, "Swagzilla".[31] In November 2023, she was featured on Jan Sport's single "For You Only".[32]
On episode eight of RuPaul's Drag Race UK, Tayce opened-up about how being diagnosed with chlamydia and gonorrhea at the age of 18 damaged her self-esteem, and altered her perceptions surrounding relationships and sexuality due to feelings of shame and guilt.[35] Tayce's openness when discussing this experience was commended for breaking stigmas around sexually transmitted infections, including by the Terrence Higgins Trust, a British charity.[36]
Tayce is gay, and uses she/her pronouns while in-drag, and he/him pronouns while out-of-drag.[37][38]