Ella Vaday | |
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![]() Ella Vaday at RuPaul's DragCon LA, 2023 | |
Born | Nick Collier 23 September 1988 |
Television | RuPaul's Drag Race UK (series 3) |
Website | ellavadayofficial |
Nick Collier[1] (born 23 September 1988),[2][3] better known as Ella Vaday, is an English drag queen, actor and dancer who competed on the third series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK.
Early life and education
Collier was based in Dagenham, East London as a child. A fan of singing and dancing as a child, he attended Bird College, a performing arts school in Sidcup, South East London.[4]
Career
Collier first worked as a backup dancer for Olly Murs and Eoghan Quigg on The X Factor. Theatre credits include Book of Mormon, Cats, Fame, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, Peter Pan, and Wicked. He has also operated a dog walking business. Collier competed under his drag name, Ella Vaday, on the third series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK.[4] He impersonated Nigella Lawson during the Snatch Game challenge.[5][6] Conor Clark of Gay Times called the impersonation "iconic".[7] Collier was one of the three finalists, competing against Krystal Versace and Kitty Scott-Claus in the final lip-sync to "You Don’t Own Me" by Dusty Springfield.[8]
Collier is also due to appear as Ella Vaday in Sumotherhood, the feature film follow-up for Adam Deacon, due for release in November 2023.[9]
Personal life
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ella Vaday's social media following increased from 6,000 to 30,000 followers.[4]
Filmography
Television
- RuPaul's Drag Race UK (2021)
- Bring Back My Girls (2024)
Awards and nominations
Year | Award-giving body | Category | Work | Results | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022 | The Queerties | Future All-Star | Herself | Nominated | [10] |
References
- ^ "Drag Race UK's Ella Vaday: Drag was a 'saving grace' during lockdown struggles". Attitude.co.uk. 22 September 2021. Archived from the original on 24 September 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
- ^ @EllaVaday (7 September 2021). "GUYS!!!..... 23rd September is a big day, because it's also my Birthday!!!!!!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ @EllaVaday (1 September 2021). "It's SEPTEMBER! Wtf…it's September?!!! Cutla weeks till my 33rd birthday! Can actually plan to do something this year now we're out of constant lockdowns of 2020! I wanna go on holiday soooooo badly!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ a b c King, Jonathan (18 August 2021). "Meet the Dagenham drag queen in this year's RuPaul's Drag Race UK". Barking and Dagenham Post. Archived from the original on 25 August 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
- ^ "Nigella Lawson gives her verdict on Drag Race impersonation". The Independent. 2 November 2021. Archived from the original on 3 November 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
- ^ "Nigella Lawson loved Ella Vaday's 'camp, enchanting' Drag Race UK impression". PinkNews. 31 October 2021. Archived from the original on 3 November 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
- ^ "Nigella Lawson responds to Drag Race UK's Ella Vaday's Snatch Game". Gay Times. 1 November 2021. Archived from the original on 4 November 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
- ^ "Drag Race UK season three just crowned a winner, baby". PinkNews. 25 November 2021. Archived from the original on 26 November 2021. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
- ^ "Drag Race star Ella Vaday on having two physiques and eating in petrol stations". GQ Magazine. 8 April 2022. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
- ^ "'The 2022 Queerties". Cheat Sheet. 24 February 2022. Archived from the original on 12 February 2022. Retrieved 13 April 2023.