Darren James was approaching his 40th birthday and battling depression - but just months later headlined the iconic San Francisco Pride event after becoming a drag queen to tackle his mental health issues.
Darren James, aka ‘Glitzy Von Jagger’, was born in Wakefield before moving to north London, and he always considered turning to drag. After seeing an online contest to find the UK’s next iconic Drag Star he decided to take the plunge.
Organised by Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Atlantic, in partnership with San Francisco Travel and San Francisco International Airport, entrants were invited to perform the airline's cabin crew safety demonstration, in addition to sharing their story and explaining why they deserved to win the prize.
Judges were inspired by his story and shortlisted Darren - aka Glitzy Von Jagger - was crowned the UK's newest drag queen, and along with fellow performers, Kitty Scott-Claus and Vanity Milan, flew Upper Class with Virgin Atlantic from London Heathrow to San Francisco, for the Pride event.
The trip included a visit to iconic Drag Club, Oasis, where Glitzy took to the stage to perform her own routine. She said: “Winning the trip gave me a real boost of confidence in my art and a wink and a nudge that I’m on the right track.
Hubertus Funke, executive vice president and chief tourism officer of San Francisco Travel Association, said: “We were thrilled to host Glitzy, Vanity and Kitty in San Francisco during Pride month as part of this amazing partnership with Virgin Atlantic. In San Francisco, Pride is more than an event, it is a state of mind and something we celebrate across our communities. Here, everybody is truly welcome."
Juha Jarvinen, chief commercial officer, Virgin Atlantic, added: “We are thrilled with the outcome of the San Francisco Travel Association partnership, where we discovered the UK’s next iconic drag star, Glitzy Von Jagger. Travel is one of the greatest joys in life, but only if everybody can be themselves. That’s why it was important to us to partner with the San Francisco Travel Association to champion the rich individuality of the UK’s drag scene, as well as San Francisco’s incredible diversity.
“It was wonderful to see Glitzy Von Jagger grow during her journey in San Francisco and witness the iconic moment she took to the stage to perform at Oasis. After two challenging years where life was on pause, it was fantastic to showcase the opportunities available to see the world differently.”
