Drag queen Blu Hydrangea on the emotional rollercoaster of Dancing with the Stars and future plans

Blu Hydrangea has opened up about her time on Dancing with the Stars, saying it was the hardest show she has competed on and there was a lot of stress, tears and anger behind the scenes.

The RuPaul's Drag Race winner reached the final of the RTE show with her pro partner Simone Arena and together they made history with a string of top marks from the judges.

Belfast star Blu is set to perform in Dublin at the Mother Block Party later this this year and has no regrets over her time on Dancing with the Stars as she looks back on her experience with fondness.

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Blu told RSVP Live: "The comedown after Dancing with the Stars has been hard because you are literally working everyday and then you return to your normal life. I had to get used to a completely new pace during the day."

She joked: "All the weight I lost doing the show, I immediately gained it again. It was crazy. Doing it, it is the hardest show ever and there is a lot of stress, tears and anger. But when you look back on it you see how fun it was.

"It is like being in a queue for a rollercoaster. Once you have done the ride you don't remember being in queue, you just remember the fun of it. I miss Simone, but we have been staying in touch."

Blu would love to see Simone compete on BBC's Strictly Come Dancing. She said: "I heard that a little slot has opened on Strictly Come Dancing, and I would love to see him there."

Who from the drag world would she like to see on the next series of Dancing with the Stars or Strictly Come Dancing? "I feel like it has to be somebody really good or really bad. I want to see Cheryl Hole or Divina De Campo slay it. Or else I would like to see Bailey J Mills."

Blu and her fiance Johnson got engaged last year, but they have no wedding plans. Instead, the couple are focused on moving into their new cottage.

She said: "We are trying to move into our house. We have to get the floor down and do all of the boring stuff. I just want to decorate everything pink. We should be in in the next few weeks. We have this barn outside and we are going to transform it into something from an early 00s teen movie where everything is plush and Groovy Chick."

Blu is one of the headliners for the annual Mother Block Party in Dublin's Collins Barracks later this month after playing there two years ago.

She said: "It was one of the first big gigs after lockdown and what a gig to come back to. There are massive screens and such a great audience. It was incredible in 2022, so I can't wait to see what happens this year. Drag legend and general icon Sasha Velour will be there, so I am going to be fangirling all day."

Blu is looking forward to working with Sasha: "I met Sasha when she came to Belfast to perform before. She invited me along and my friends and I got to go backstage and have a chat."

"She was so cool and she loves drag. I am not the craziest or coolest drag queen in the world, but she said she knew who I was and that she liked my art. That was an incredible compliment coming from someone so amazing."

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