Lawrence Chaney

Lawrence Chaney (born Lawrence Maidment; 16 October 1996) is a Scottish Glasgow-based drag queen. They are best known for winning the second series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK, their role in which earned them the BAFTA Scotland Audience Award.[1][2]

Lawrence Chaney
Lawrence performing in July 2021 in Torquay
Born
Lawrence Maidment

(1996-10-16) 16 October 1996
Helensburgh, Scotland
OccupationDrag queen
Years active2014–present
TelevisionRuPaul's Drag Race UK (series 2)
Websitelawrencechaney.com

Career

Chaney has professionally fulfilled their career as a drag performer since 2014 in Glasgow. In an interview with Metro, Chaney said their drag surname "Chaney" was inspired by 1920s prolific silent movie star Lon Chaney. Lawrence Chaney explained that, "He was known as the man of a thousand faces and I'm known as the queen of a thousand faces, because I'm good at impersonation, stupid voices and general buffoonery."[3]

In December 2020, Chaney was announced as one of twelve contestants competing on the second series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK.[1][4] In March 2021, Chaney, alongside their fellow RuPaul's Drag Race UK finalists Tayce, Bimini Bon Boulash and Ellie Diamond, was photographed and interviewed for The Guardian[5] and later British Vogue.[6] Lawrence will also embark on a sold out UK Tour alongside A'Whora, Bimini Bon Boulash and Tayce for the United Kingdolls Tour with promoter Klub Kids in July 2021,[7] and in February 2022, Chaney will embark on RuPaul's Drag Race UK: The Official Tour alongside the entire cast of the second series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK, in association with World of Wonder and promoter Voss Events.[8]

On 18 March 2021, Chaney was announced as the winner of the second series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK, becoming the first Scottish and first plus-size winner of a Drag Race season hosted by RuPaul (the first ever being Drag Race Thailand season 1 winner Natalia Pliacam).[9]

In April 2021, Lawrence Chaney was interviewed for and featured on the cover of Attitude's "Tea Time Digital Special", in association with Taimi.[10] Chaney was also a featured guest and panelist at the digital National Student Pride 2021 event.[11]

In May 2021, Transworld announced they had acquired the rights to Chaney's forthcoming memoir, Lawrence (Drag) Queen of Scots: The Dos and Don'ts of a Drag Superstar.[12]

Preceding RuPaul's Drag Race UK, Chaney has been a frequent collaborator with the BBC (especially BBC Sounds). On 21st August 2021, they presented the Saturday mid-morning slot on BBC Radio 1 from 10:30am, alongside Arielle Free, as part of 'Drag Day' also featuring Chaney's fellow series 2 contestants: Tayce and Bimini Bon-Boulash, as well as DJ Jodie Harsh.[13]

Personal life

Chaney grew up in both Helensburgh in Scotland and Newbury in England.[14] Chaney currently resides within the Gorbals area of Glasgow, Scotland.[15] They have expressed their support for Scottish independence.[16] Lawrence Chaney struggles with their gender identity. In an article for iNews, Chaney wrote: "I still don’t know if I am male, female, or somewhere in between. I think the best way to describe my gender is fluid, but this isn’t finite. I see myself as ever evolving and always discovering more about myself."[17] Chaney uses they/them as pronouns.[18] In June 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Chaney revealed that they had tested positive for COVID-19.[19]

Filmography

Television
Year Title Role Notes Ref
2019 Mother Tuckers Themself Television documentary [20]
2021 RuPaul's Drag Race UK Contestant Series 2 Winner [1]
2021 Lorraine Themself Guest [21]
2021 Celebrity Juice Themself Guest [22]
2021 The Hit List Themself Guest [23]
2021 The Great British Sewing Bee Themself Guest [24]

Radio
Year Title Role Notes Ref
2021 Radio 1 Drag Day with Lawrence Chaney & Arielle Free Themself BBC Radio 1 [25]

Web series
Year Title Role Notes Ref
2021 National Student Pride 2021 Themself National Student Pride [11]
2021 Cosmo Queens UK Themself Cosmopolitan UK [26]
2021 I Like to Watch UK Themself Netflix UK [27]

Discography
List of singles as a featured artist
Title Year Peaks Album
UK
[28]		 UK
Big Top 40
[29]
"UK Hun?"[30]
(among The Cast of RuPaul's Drag Race UK, Season 2)		 2021 27 3 Non-album singles
"A Little Bit of Love"[31]
(among The Cast of RuPaul's Drag Race UK, Season 2)		 ——
"UK Hun?"[32]
(among the Frock Destroyers)		 ——

Stage
Year Title Promoter Location Ref
2021 Squirrel Friends Klub Kids London, Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool and Newcastle [33]
2021 United Kingdolls The Tour Klub Kids Torquay, Southampton, Newcastle, Glasgow, Sheffield, Leeds, Cardiff, Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham and London [7]
2021 The Lawrence Chaney Show Klub Kids Reading, Southampton, Torquay, Bath, Exeter, Plymouth, Nottingham, Hull, London, Sheffield, Birmingham, Cardiff, Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and Brighton [34]
2022 RuPaul's Drag Race UK: The Official Tour Voss Events / World of Wonder Ipswich, Oxford, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle, Nottingham, Bournemouth, Southend, Manchester, Sheffield, Blackpool, Llandudno, Birmingham, Cardiff, Liverpool, Basingstoke, Portsmouth, Plymouth and London [8]
2022 United Kingdolls Tour ITD Events / Klub Kids Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane, Auckland and Wellington [35]

Awards and nominations
Year Award ceremony Category Work Results Ref.
2021 31st British Academy Scotland Awards Audience Award Herself Won [36]

References
  1. "RuPaul's Drag Race UK series two | Meet The Queens". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  2. "BAFTA Scotland Awards 2021: Winners Announced". BAFTA. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  3. "Who is Lawrence Chaney, the Glasgow queen on RuPaul's Drag Race UK series 2?". Metro. 21 January 2021. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  4. McStay, Kirsten (18 March 2021). "Drag Race crowns Lawrence Chaney UK winner as she becomes first Scot to take prize". Daily Record. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  5. Nicholson, Rebecca (13 March 2021). "'Drag was always a protest, a political statement': RuPaul's Drag Race UK finalists open up". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  6. ""I Just Love Making RuPaul Laugh": 'Drag Race' Star Lawrence Chaney Is Queen Of The One-Liner". British Vogue. 17 March 2021. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  7. "United Kingdolls The Tour". Klub Kids.
  8. "RuPaul's Drag Race UK Tour". Voss Events. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  9. Nolfi, Joey (18 March 2021). "The winner of RuPaul's Drag Race UK season 2 is..." Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  10. Stichbury, Thomas (1 April 2021). "HOW LAWRENCE CHANEY BEAT THE BULLIES TO BECOME A SUPERSTAR". Attitude. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  11. "Lawrence Chaney, Dan Howell and more to talk mental health with Attitude and Student Pride". Attitude.co.uk. 19 April 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  12. "Transworld snaps up debut by Drag Race winner Lawrence Chaney | The Bookseller". www.thebookseller.com. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  13. "Drag queens Jodie Harsh and Bimini to host Radio 1 shows". BBC News. 11 August 2021. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  14. Chaney, Lawrence (2021). "Becoming Lawrence Chaney". Lawrence (Drag) Queen of Scots: The Dos and Don'ts of a Drag Superstar. Random House. ISBN 978-1-4735-9811-9.
  15. "Crowning RuPaul's Drag Race UK Series 2 Winner - Live Queen Reaction!". YouTube.
  16. Webster, Laura (16 March 2021). "Drag Race UK star Lawrence Chaney reveals support for Scottish independence". The National. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  17. Chaney, Lawrence (25 September 2021). "Drag Race UK winner Lawrence Chaney: 'I've been confused about my gender identity, I thought I might be trans'". iNews. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  18. "lawrencechaney". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  19. Kirsten McStay (25 June 2021). "Scots Drag Race winner Lawrence Chaney tests positive for coronavirus". Daily Record. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  20. Burnside, Anna (15 April 2019). "Secret life of Glasgow's fabulous drag queens uncovered in new BBC Scotland documentary". Daily Record. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  21. Ahluwalia, Navi (18 March 2021). "Lawrence Chaney and Ellie Diamond Share Their Final Words Before Tonight's Drag Race UK Final". PopSugar. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  22. Bev Lyons (2 May 2021). "Scots Drag Race winner Lawrence Chaney to appear on Celebrity Juice after fans get impatient". Daily Record. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  23. Joe Julians (24 August 2021). "The Hit List's new celebrity line-up revealed – including Strictly Come Dancing specials". Radio Times. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  24. Annie Roberts (23 November 2021). "BBC's Great British Sewing Bee returns with two star-studded festive specials and brand new host". Wales Online. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  25. "BBC Radio 1 - Radio 1 Anthems, with Lawrence Chaney". BBC. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
  26. Lawrence Chaney's makeup transformation is the definition of glamour | Cosmo Queens UK, retrieved 5 May 2021
  27. Damshenas, Sam. "I Like to Watch UK returns with Drag Race winners The Vivienne and Lawrence Chaney". Gay Times. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  28. "United Kingdolls | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  29. "The Official Big Top 40 | Chart for 21 February 2021". The Official Big Top 40.
  30. UK Hun? (United Kingdolls Version) - Single by The Cast of RuPaul's Drag Race UK, Season 2, retrieved 15 February 2021
  31. A Little Bit of Love (Cast Version) [feat. The Cast of RuPaul's Drag Race UK, Season 2] - Single by RuPaul, retrieved 19 March 2021
  32. ""UK Hun?" by the Frock Destroyers Feat. Lawrence Chaney Is Here". World of Wonder. 5 April 2021. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  33. "Klub Kids London presents SQUIRREL FRIENDS (ages 14+)". Eventbrite. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  34. "The Lawrence Chaney Show". The Foundry Torquay. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  35. "United Kingdolls Tour » ITDEVENTS". ITDEVENTS. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  36. "'BAFTA Scotland Awards 2021: Full list of nominations". Glasgow Live. 13 October 2021.
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