BEARDED drag queen Conchita Wurst infuriated
Russian leaders after winning this year’s Eurovision Song Contest – but
why has she sparked such fury?
Ultra-nationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky said: “It is the end of Europe. There
is no limit to our outrage.”
But furry-faced Austrian Conchita, 25 – who triumphed with Rise Like a Phoenix
– is by no means the only drag queen to have performed at the Eurovision
Song Contest.
Here we reveal other transsexual Eurovision acts from years gone by:
1. Dana International (Israel, 1998)
Israel’s Dana International was the first transsexual to win Eurovision.
The extravagant performance of her song Diva earned a winning total of 174
points at the 1998 contest in Birmingham.
But she caused tensions at home with some Orthodox Jews claiming she had
misrepresented their country.
When she won, she told her critics: “My victory proves God is on my side. I
want to send my critics a message of forgiveness and say to them: try to
accept me and the kind of life I lead.”
2. Sestre (Slovenia, 2002)
Slovenian drag act Sestre attempted to emulate Dana’s success in 2002 – with a
trio of cross-dressing air hostesses.
It was the first time an entire ensemble had performed at Eurovision in drag,
sparking anti-gay protests in Slovenia.
They finished 13th with just 33 points, but the song Only Love – or “Samo
ljubezen” – became a number-one hit.
3. Verka Serduchka (Ukraine, 2007)
Ukrainian drag queen Verka Serduchka performed Dancing Lasha Tumba with a
giant disco ball on his head.
His entrance to the 2007 Helsinki competition was controversial, with some
members of the Ukrainian Parliament calling it “grotesque and vulgar”.
But Serduchka – real name Andriy Mykhailovych Danylko — managed a second-place
finish and has sold over 600,000 records in Ukraine.
4. Sebastien Tellier (France, 2008)
Conchita is not the first “bearded lady” on Eurovision.
In 2008 Sebastien Tellier was joined by backing singers who were female
versions of him — complete with a beard.
The French singer caused further controversy in his native land because he
performed his song, Divine, in English instead of his mother tongue.
5. DQ (Denmark, 2007)
Festooned with bright pink feathers, a headdress and glittering gems, DQ lived
up to the name of his song Drama Queen in 2007.
But the Danish drag act – real name Peter Andersen – failed to win over
viewers with the colourful performance, finishing 19th in the contest.
And here’s one who nearly made it…
In 2004, Swedish drag act After Dark competed to be the Swedish entry with
their song La Dolce Vita but came only third.
They tried again in 2007 with a song that has suggestions of masturbation –
but only finished fifth in the Swedish competition.
A single of La Dolce Vita was a hit on Swedish radio and was often played at
Swedish day care centres.