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"At the end of the day, being queer isn’t easy."

Rainbow Crew is an ongoing interview series that celebrates the best LGBTQ+ representation on screen. Each instalment showcases talent working on both sides of the camera, including queer creatives and allies to the community.

Next up, we're speaking to Copper Topp about her time on Drag Race UK season four.

Three weeks in, our season four queens are fighting harder than ever to reach the top, but unfortunately, Copper Topp won't be joining them there, even if her name did suggest otherwise.

Following Just May's elimination and Starlet's much-talked about exit, Copper Topp became the third competitor to leave Drag Race UK this year. But Wiki tells us that "Copper is essential to all living organisms", and the same is absolutely true of great drag artists too, so we're definitely going to see lots more of Copper Topp's work in the future.

Digital Spy caught up with Copper Topp post-elimination to discuss her exit and explain how Drag Race helped save her life.

Congratulations on a great run!

Thank you, darling. It is heartbreaking, but then, at the same time, it is a competition. People are going to go. It shouldn’t have been me. But hey ho [laughs].

It was really inspiring to hear you talk through your trauma and how important it's been to reclaim hateful words against you. Would you mind sharing why that was important to see and hear on this show?

Yeah. It’s been a long time coming. I was in the closet for a long time. Maybe not to kind of close friends, but certainly to the wider world and my family. And that was through kind of shame and internalised homophobia – it’s gorgeous being a child in the '90s.

It took me a while to find out who I am. I’m still on that journey now, to be honest with you. I might be a drag queen but out of drag, she’s still got a bit of work to do. But I do feel like having done the show, and having done drag, and now my career being drag – it’s all just positive steps to being my authentic queer self.

It is important to talk about this stuff. At the end of the day, being queer isn’t easy [laughs]. It’s fabulous but that doesn’t mean it’s easy in this heteronormative world. I hope it's helped a few people to step outside and be a little more confident in themselves, and not try to fade in and fit in with what is heteronormative society.

"We need to be bright and bold and colourful, and live our best life."

We need to be bright and bold and colourful, and live our best life. That side of it has been gorgeous. The amount of love that I’ve received is just wonderful – and getting to talk to some brilliant, brilliant people.

Some of their stories – oh my goodness me, they’re heartbreaking. They deserve Pride of Britain awards [laughs].

Thanks for sharing that. I’m a Section 28 kid too, so I get exactly where you’re coming from. Moving onto last night, how did you feel when you realised you were in the bottom two? Did you think that was fair?

First things first, I didn’t think it was fair [laughs]. Let’s just set the record straight! I think we should have been judged as a pair, for sure, and then it’s up to Ru which pair should be in the bottom two. Obviously it would have been heartbreaking to go up against Cheddar because I love Cheddar with all my heart.

But I do think we gave a really good presentation on the runway. As soon as it's the bottom two, and Ru was like, "I’m splitting you up" – I was like, “Oh, OK. This could be interesting."

But as soon as Ru said, "Copper Topp, Black Peppa…" – I was like, "You… right. Cheers, babe. Cheers. You’re just rubbing salt in the wound here. You know I’m not going to win against Peppa."

She tried! She tried her best, and she got into the splits. And that’s not easy for a 38-year-old. I’ve got a groin strain now [laughs]. We turned it, we turned it. I’m glad not to be lip-syncing again, and being back on a microphone. That’s what I prefer [laughs].

Just to say: your lip-sync was excellent too. Both of you were fantastic. It was the best one of the season so far.

Thank you. I’d go as far as to say that maybe it deserved a Double Shantay from Mama Ru. That would have been nice.

You mention Snatch Game in your mirror message, so who would you have been if you'd made it that far?

I was going to do Anne Boleyn. Imagine a historical-looking Anne Boleyn, but with the voice and personality of Anne Boleyn from Six the musical.

"It took me a while to find out who I am."

So it was all going to be a bit, you know, "Greensleeves! Greensleeves! One day you get penetrated. Greenselves! Greensleeves! The next, you get decapitated."

I think historical figures are always a smart choice because there’s so much freedom there to play around with.

This is it. Don’t get me wrong: I love current celebrities. But when it comes to Snatch Game, I loved when Lady Camden did Shakespeare. I loved Jinkx Monsoon doing Little Edie.

I think it’s super fun to grab a character that people don’t know necessarily, and bring it to life in a really fun way. And, hey, if we can get the kids interested in history…

Drag is education at the end of the day, honey! [laughs]

When you left, you also said that watching Drag Race over the years has meant so much to you. It's helped save your life. That was really moving to hear. Would you mind expanding more on the impact that the show has had on you?

Yes. So I’ve not talked about it on the show, or actually talked about it anyway. For me, season four of the US, particularly, was a big thing for me. I got attacked a long time ago. I was about 26 – 25 or 26. It really kind of destroyed me.

The relationship I was in at the time, that kind of ended, and I ended up going back into myself, and completely just dulling my shine. And, yeah, it was season four of RuPaul’s Drag Race US. Chad Michaels, especially. Just the whole season, I was loving all of them. I think they were all fabulous. But Chad Michaels, yeah, it was incredible.

For me, there was a moment— I know the music video was cheesy and all that, but there was a moment with a music video where they were all… It was Glamazon. There were these big, giant people going through the city. That image for me felt really good. I was like, "Yeah, that’s what I want to do."

For my audition video, I did Glamazon. And it’s really interesting that season four was such a life-changing moment for me, watching it, as I then ended up getting cast in season four of the UK. So yeah, the universe is doing interesting things [laughs].

Thank you for sharing that. And now you’ve been on the show, what have you taken from this experience for yourself?

Oh my goodness me – sisterhood. I think we’ve all gone through the same experience, and that bond is never going to break. And that’s really beautiful, to just extend my queer family – my chosen family. It’s worth gold. Pure gold, as Ru said.

"The universe is doing interesting things!"

But the makeup has improved. Watching 11 other girls do their makeup is very, very good. You’re sat next to each other, and you’re watching how they do things. My contour is slightly softer now, more angled. My cheekbones are looking hot. The eyes are more snatched.

Your drag evolves on the show, and you come out a much better drag performer from it. Which is why I would love to be in All-Stars, please! [laughs] Because I want to show where I’m at now. And listen, next year, who knows where she’ll be?

We need a UK All-Stars very much.

I’m literally like, "Please, please, please give me a Snatch Game. Give me an Accent Challenge. I will show you I am a queen that you will like!" [laughs]

I asked you about what you took away, but what do you also hope fans take away from watching your journey on Drag Race?

As queer people, we’re just people. We all share in the same experience and the same trauma… I know everyone's experiences are different. I guess gays compared to trans youth is miles apart, but we still have a bond there. And I think that everyone’s story is unique, and we need to celebrate each other, and lift each other up.

We might have been bullied all our lives, but let's not bully each other. Let's support each other. You know, LGBTQIA+ – let’s raise it. Let’s love each other and still together. Because this is a heteronormative world, and we need to shine. Let’s enjoy the presence of other queer people, because it’s going to make you a much better person.

What advice do you have for young queer people who might be struggling with their identity right now?

I think the key is to find your tribe on social media. Social media is a great thing, and it’s also a challenging thing. I think there’s positives and negatives to it. Through social media, you can connect to people you wouldn’t usually connect to, because the scope is wider.

So find your people that way through fan groups and all that sort of stuff. Stay safe with social media people, please.

Within the school environment, it’s getting better. I’ve worked with queer youth in theatre organisations. And the most beautiful thing is, they’re all going, "Yeah, yeah, I’m bisexual, I’m pansexual." And I’m like, "This is incredible."

"We might have been bullied all our lives, but let's not bully each other."

Find your tribe at school, and keep safe. Stay in your houses, and embrace your queerness there. And when you are ready, don’t be afraid to show it off.

It’s always important to say "when you are ready". A lot of people get outed or are forced. No – you do you on your own time, no matter how long it takes. And just know that there are people out there waiting to give you a big, old hug the minute you are out and proud, and living your life.

It’s great to hear things are getting better, compared to when you or I were in school.

I love it. Honestly, the fact that we’re doing drag story time… [pause] Recently – I won’t say names, just for safety and stuff – but I’ve got a little fan who’s six years old. She may be a bit older. I’m not entirely sure of the age. But their mum is just embracing the queerness that this child is exploring.

She's said, "I don’t know where my child is going on this journey, but I’m just allowing them to kind of live and breathe and be themselves. Wherever that takes them, I’ll support them."

A post shared by COPPER TOPP (@coppertoppqueen)

That, I just love, and it’s totally beautiful. It’s people like that who make the world a better place.

Love that. Thank you so, so much, Copper Topp. It’s been such a pleasure to chat with you.

Thank you, gorgeous. It’s been gorgeous! Oh, and if I could very quickly just say: I’ve got a new track called "Weirdo" that is now on all music platforms. Simply stream it, or download it. You will love it. It would be amazing. Thank you.

RuPaul’s Drag Race UK season 4 airs on Thursdays at 9pm on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer. It streams on WOW Presents Plus in the US.

Interested in talking about all things Drag Race? Visit our dedicated sub-forum