Norfolk drag queen Bimini misses out on RuPaul UK crown
We chatted to Norfolk-born drag queen Bimini Bon Boulash ahead of the RuPaul's Drag Race UK final on Zoom. - Credit: Contributed
A Norfolk drag queen has finished in the top three of Rupaul's Drag Race UK.
Tommy Hibbitts, whose stage name is Bimini Bon Boulash, grew up in Great Yarmouth and narrowly missed out on becoming the second contestant to win the UK version of the hit reality competition.
Bimini, who attended Lynn Grove Academy, was in the bottom two of the show's premiere, which aired on January 18.
But after their early setback, they fought back to reach the final four of the series, which was broadcast on BBC Three on Thursday evening.
And the performer, who has since moved to East London, was in the final lip sync battle of the series after earning a podium place ahead of Scottish competitor Ellie Diamond, who finished in fourth.
Bimini Bon Boulash in the workroom on RuPaul's Drag Race UK. - Credit: BBC/World of Wonder/Guy Levy
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The 27-year-old then competed in a three-way lip sync battle to Elton John's I'm Still Standing, up against Tayce from Wales and Glasgow's Lawrence Chaney.
However, it wasn't to be for the former journalism student, who was beaten to the crown by her Scottish competitor. It wasn't announced whether they had finished second or third.
In the first episode of the series, the 26-year-old made headlines locally by appearing in a leotard styled from the shirt worn by Norwich City between 2001 and 2003.
However, in a chat with this newspaper in the run-up to the finale, they admitted that while they attended games at Carrow Road in the past, it wasn't an experience for them.
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They said: "Don't sue me Canaries but yeah unfortunately I used to go to football matches and hated it."
RuPaul's Drag Race finalist Bimini Bon Boulash in a Norwich City leotard on episode one. - Credit: BBC/World of Wonder/Guy Levy
Over the course of the series, Bimini was named the winner of four separate episodes, with each victory rewarded with a 'RuPeter badge' - a version of a Blue Peter badge designed for the show.
The series also saw them earn chart success, with the song UK Hun? entering the charts at number 27, as part of a girl group challenge in which Bimini recorded the song as part of United Kingdolls.
Ahead of the finale airing, they said: "Whatever happens, it has been a really great run and I have really enjoyed it, when I was in the lip sync in the first episode I put my foot down and said it ain't happening again."
