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.
Ella Vaday | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Ella Vaday at RuPaul's DragCon LA, 2023 | |
| Born | Nick Collier 23 September 1988 |
| Television | RuPaul's Drag Race UK (series 3) |
| Website | ellavadayofficial |
Early life and education edit
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 edit
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 edit
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ella Vaday's social media following increased from 6,000 to 30,000 followers.[4]
Filmography edit
Television edit
- RuPaul's Drag Race UK (2021)
- Bring Back My Girls (2024)
Awards and nominations edit
| Year | Award-giving body | Category | Work | Results | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | The Queerties | Future All-Star | Herself | Nominated | [10] |
References edit
- ^ "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.