The dust has only just settled on Blu Hydrangea's Drag Race win and she's already back on our screens for a brand spanking new BBC series. The Northern Irish queen beat off the competition to be crowned the inaugural Queen of the World, bagging the prize of recording a musical verse with Ru Paul.
With this title under her belt, Blu has now been asked to host Stitch, Please! a three-part series that sees contestants compete against one another to create garments inspired by the hottest looks in pop culture. The series has two different releases dates: Monday 18 April at 8.30pm for BBC Three, and Wednesday 20 April at 10.45pm for BBC One Northern Ireland.
For each episode, new stitchers will step into a seventeenth century castle in County Antrim with £100 and 12 hours to create looks inspired by the works of some world-renowned costume and fashion designers. “I've been blown away by the talent of the stitchers and I think viewers will be too,” Blu says.
“It's a fast-paced show full of fun and glamour and really taps into my love of pop culture. If the audience have half as much fun watching as I've had with the stitchers, they're in for a real treat. Hosting this show has shown me that there is a wealth of talent out there in the sewing, crafting and cosplay communities. Stitch, Please! gives them an opportunity to really showcase their skills.”
The theme for episode one is dystopian adventure franchise The Hunger Games and contestants Katherine and Yasmine get plenty of inspiration from the extravagant garments worn by characters from the books and films. Their work will be scrutinised by Blu and and Emmy and BAFTA award-winning guest judge Michele Clapton, who crafted costumes for iconic characters from Game of Thrones to The Crown.
Episode 2 sees Lucy and Matthew step up to take on The Met Gala - the annual New York fundraiser that sees famous faces wearing works from some of the world's biggest designers in the hope of making the best dressed lists. Julien MacDonald, a legend of British fashion, is stepping up as guest judge to evaluate their efforts alongside Blu.
For the third and final episode, contestants Mariam and Amy will be recreating looks from the iconic nineties fashion flick Clueless, a film that still inspires style over two decades later. The stitchers will let their imagination run wild in the hopes of impressing Blu and County Kerry native and fashion designer Colin Horgan, who's worked with big names from Lady Gage to Little Mix.
The episodes will be available to stream on iPlayer from April 18th at 8.30pm.
