Courtney Act: Who is the Queens for the Night judge and drag star?

From Australia to the US, the UK and beyond, the former ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ star has made her mark on drag worldwide

ITV is taking a walk on the fabulous side of life with the one-off show, Queens for the Night.

For one night only, six male celebrities will step into the heels of drag queens as they show off their various performance skills.

From dance with Chris Hughes, to a lipsync challenge with Mr Motivator, the show is all about fun and an appreciation of the art of drag.

Lorraine Kelly takes on hosting duties and is joined by a star-studded judging panel: singer and Spice Girl Melanie C, comedian Rob Beckett, Bad Education and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie actor Layton Williams and international drag star Courtney Act.

But who is Courtney Act, and where have you seen her before? Find out all you need to know below...

Courtney Act has been a known drag performer since the Noughties and had her first taste of fame when she competed on the first season of Australian Idol in 2003.

After this, she became known more widely in 2014 as one of the queens in season six of RuPaul’s Drag Race. She made it all the way to the finals before being ultimately beaten by Bianca Del Rio.

Though she didn’t win the competition, Courtney experienced a major boost to her profile after the show, as it led to international tours and the release of a solo album, Kaleidoscope.

She became well-known in the UK after taking part in Celebrity Big Brother in 2018, before hosting the E! dating show The Bi Life.

Courtney Act on Queens for the Night (ITV / Tuesday’s Child)

Her other reality and competition show appearances include Dancing with the Stars, Celebrity Come Dine with Me and Celebrity Mastermind.

Out of drag, Courtney is known as Shane Jenek and uses he/him and they/them pronouns. Jenek chose the stage name “Courtney Act” to be a play on the phrase “caught in the act” when said with an Australian or British accent.

As a singer, Courtney can be expected to take a particular interest in George Shelley, who will be displaying his vocal talents as Dame Shelley Sassy in Queens for the Night.

Queens for the Night will air on ITV on Saturday 5 November at 8.30pm.