Tayce

Tayce

Tayce

Welsh drag performer


Tayce Szura-Radix (stage name Tayce; born 28 May 1994) is a Welsh drag queen, rapper, and model from Newport, Wales.[1] She[lower-alpha 1] is best known for competing in the second series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK, in which she placed joint runner-up.[2]

Quick Facts Born, Occupation(s) ...

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 2017, QX Magazine called her 'London's most promising new drag star.'[4] In 2018, she became Bougie Drag Brunch's first featured queen, performing there regularly alongside other drag queens such as Honey Foxx and Drag Race UK Series Five contestant Cara Melle.[5] In January 2020, Tayce attended the first ever RuPaul's DragCon UK and performed alongside Shea Couleé and Ore-Ho on the main stage.[6]

2020–2021: Drag Race UK Series Two

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.[7] 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".[8] 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.[9] 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.[10] 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,[11] 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.[12] In September 2022, Tayce launched a solo tour across the UK, The Assassination Tour, with promoter Klub Kids.[13] In September 2023, Tayce joined Voss Events' Night of the Living Drag tour across the US alongside international RuPaul's Drag Race alumni.[14]

Other ventures

Tayce at RuPaul's DragCon LA, 2022

Brand campaigns

In March 2021, Tayce was announced as an ambassador for Coca-Cola's "Open That Cola!" campaign in the United Kingdom.[15]

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.[16] In June 2021, Tayce partnered with Boohoo owned fashion brand Nasty Gal for a 60-piece gender neutral capsule collection.[17][18]

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.[19]

Modelling

Tayce is currently signed with Models 1, the largest modelling agency in Europe.[20] She has walked runways for designer brands such as Richard Quinn, The Blonds, EgonLab, and Namilia.[21][22][23] 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 DJ Jodie Harsh.[24] Tayce has also presented a mindfulness-based programme in collaboration with BBC Radio 1 Relax (a BBC Sounds exclusive subsidiary of BBC Radio 1).[25] Since 2021, Tayce has hosted MTV's Queerpiphany alongside Munroe Bergdorf.[26]

Music

In December 2022, Tayce released her debut rap single, "Swagzilla".[27] In November 2023, she was featured on Jan Sport's single "For You Only".[28]

Personal life

Tayce's father is Roger Radix, a former bass guitarist for Wham![29] She currently resides in Streatham in South London, England and formerly lived with fellow RuPaul's Drag Race UK contestant A'Whora.[30]

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 feelings towards relationships due to emotions of shame and guilt.[31] Tayce's openness when discussing this experience was commended for breaking stigmas around sexually transmitted infections, including by British charity the Terrence Higgins Trust.[32]

Tayce is gay, and uses she/her pronouns while in drag, and he/him pronouns while out of drag.[33][34]

Filmography

Television

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Music videos

As lead artist

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As guest appearance

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Radio

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Web series

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Discography

As lead artist

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Stage

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Notes

  1. Szura-Radix uses she/her and he/him pronouns. She/her will be used in this article for consistency.

References

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  2. "RuPaul's Drag Race UK series two". www.bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 16 December 2020. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  3. "Tayce Is The Big-Hearted Welsh Queen Bringing New Meaning To The Word Fierce". British Vogue. 17 March 2021. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  4. Team, Q. X. (2 June 2017). "TAYCE - Meet London's most promising new drag star". QX Magazine. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  5. Ali, Joseph (7 March 2022). "'I need more already!' We went to the Bougie Drag Brunch and it was brilliant". WalesOnline. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  6. Yates, Jonathan (20 January 2020). "RuPaul's DragCon UK". MyLondon. Archived from the original on 13 April 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  7. "RuPaul's Drag Race UK's Cats lip sync makes judge cry but fans are divided". Digital Spy. 21 January 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  8. Street, Mikelle (12 March 2021). "'Drag Race U.K.'s Tayce Joined An Elite Group With the Last Episode". Out. Archived from the original on 13 March 2021. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
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  10. Galloway, Claire (8 March 2021). "Huge drive-in festival coming to Edinburgh in May with RuPaul's Drag Race stars". Edinburgh Live. Archived from the original on 9 March 2021. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
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  13. Street, Mikelle (24 March 2021). "Drag Race U.K.' Finalist Tayce Is Now a Face of Coca Cola". Out. Archived from the original on 24 March 2021. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  14. Damshenas, Sam (29 April 2021). "Drag Race UK stars Tayce and A'Whora tackle anti-gay laws in fierce Pride campaign". Gay Times . Archived from the original on 30 April 2021. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  15. Damshenas, Sam (23 June 2021). "Exclusive: Drag Race UK star Tayce is 'pushing out the gender spectrum' with first capsule collection". Gay Times. Archived from the original on 25 June 2021. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
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  21. "Breaking Down Paris Men's Fashion Week For You". Voir Fashion. 23 January 2023. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
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  24. James, Alastair (1 September 2023). "Munroe Bergdorf and Tayce return with Queerpiphany Season 3". Attitude. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  25. SWAGZILLA, 9 December 2022, retrieved 1 October 2023
  26. "Spotify". open.spotify.com. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
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  35. Clark, Conor. "Munroe Bergdorf and Tayce co-host iconic queer pop culture MTV series". Gay Times. Archived from the original on 26 November 2021. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
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  37. "The National Lottery's New Year's Eve Big Bash Episode 1 Week 01 | Press Centre". ITV.com. 4 January 2024. Archived from the original on 4 January 2024. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
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  54. "Night of the Living Drag". Voss Events. Retrieved 11 October 2023.

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