Tayce Krok

Tayce Szura-Radix (stage name Tayce; born 28 May 1994) is a Welsh drag queen, rapper and model from Newport, Wales. She is best known for competing in the second series of ''RuPaul's Drag Race UK'', in which she placed joint runner-up.

Career

2017–2020: Pre-''Drag Race UK''

Tayce moved to London in her late teens. After getting fired from a series of jobs, she became a full-time, professional drag queen in 2017. In June of that year, ''QX'' Magazine referred to her as "London's most promising new drag star". In 2018, she became Bougie Drag Brunch's first featured queen, performing regularly alongside other well-known drag queens such as Honey Foxx and eventual ''Drag Race UK'' Series Five (2023) contestant Cara Melle.

In January 2020, Tayce attended the inaugural RuPaul's DragCon UK, performing at the event alongside several other queens, including Chicago-based ''Drag Race'' Season 9 (2017) runner-up—and eventual winner of ''All Stars'' 5—Shea Couleé and Ore-Ho on the main stage.

2020–2021: ''Drag Race UK'' Series Two

In December 2020, Tayce was announced as one of twelve contestants competing on the second series of ''RuPaul's Drag Race UK''. Tayce won the main challenge in Episode 5 "The RuRuvision Song Contest" (alongside A'Whora, Bimini Bon-Boulash and Lawrence Chaney). However, she also landed in the "bottom two" four times, and had to lip-sync in order to stay in the competition. She won her first three lip-syncs, and sent home Cherry Valentine, Sister Sister and A'Whora. Her performance in the lip sync against Cherry Valentine, to the ''Cats'' song 'Memory', went viral. Her fourth lip-sync against Ellie Diamond was declared a "double-shantay", with neither queen being eliminated. Tayce was the first ever contestant on ''RuPaul's Drag Race UK'' to survive four lip-syncs and win three of them, and is therefore often called a "lip-sync assassin". She made it to the finale and, alongside Bimini, placed joint runner-up to Lawrence Chaney.

2021–present: Post-''Drag Race'' success; breakthrough into modelling, presenting, and music

Tayce frequently performs at nightclubs, predominantly in London and New York.
In May 2021, she was a featured performer at ''Drive Time Drag'', a drag drive-in show which was the first of its kind in the UK. Tayce embarked on the sold out ''United Kingdolls Tour'' (alongside A'Whora, Bimini Bon-Boulash and Lawrence Chaney) with promoter Klub Kids in July 2021, and in February 2022 Tayce embarked 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. In September 2022, Tayce launched a solo tour across the UK, ''The Assassination Tour,'' with promoter Klub Kids''.'' In September 2023, Tayce joined Voss Events' '' Night of the Living Drag'' tour across the US alongside international ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' alumni.

In December 2024, she competed in the 2024 ''Strictly Come Dancing'' Christmas Special, paired with professional dancer Kai Widdrington, becoming the first drag queen to compete on the show. The couple scored maximum points from all four judges and were voted the winners.

Other ventures

Brand campaigns

In March 2021, Tayce was announced as an ambassador for Coca-Cola's "Open That Cola!" campaign in the United Kingdom.

In April 2021, Tayce, alongside fellow ''Drag Race'' contestant A'Whora, co-launched ''The Bluebella Pride Collection'', a lingerie line by brand Bluebella. Proceeds from the collection were donated to the Kaleidoscope Trust, a British non-profit which promotes the abolition of anti-gay laws in the Commonwealth. In June 2021, Tayce partnered with Boohoo owned fashion brand Nasty Gal for a 60-piece gender neutral capsule collection.

In April 2022, Tayce teamed up with Absolut Vodka, Chet Lo, and the Institute of Digital Fashion for the #BornToMix campaign, in which Tayce modelled a digital dress designed by Chet Lo.

Modelling

Tayce is currently signed with Models 1, the largest modelling agency in Europe. She has walked runways for designer brands such as Richard Quinn, The Blonds, EgonLab, and Namilia. She has also modelled in two Jean Paul Gaultier fragrance campaigns.

Hosting and radio

Tayce has been a frequent collaborator with the BBC (especially BBC Radio 1 and BBC Sounds). In August 2021, she presented the Saturday breakfast show slot on BBC Radio 1 from 9:30am, alongside Clara Amfo, as part of ''Drag Day'' also featuring Tayce's fellow Series 2 contestants: Bimini Bon-Boulash and Lawrence Chaney, as well as DJ Jodie Harsh. Tayce has also presented a mindfulness-based programme in collaboration with ''BBC Radio 1 Relax'' (a ''BBC Sounds'' exclusive subsidiary of BBC Radio 1'')''. Since 2021, Tayce has hosted MTV's Queerpiphany alongside Munroe Bergdorf. In June 2024 Tayce presented the Sky TV original documentary ‘’Striking With Pride - United at the Coal Face’’ where she tells children the real story behind the 2015 hit film ''Pride''

Music

In December 2022, Tayce released her debut rap single, "Swagzilla". In November 2023, she was featured on Jan Sport's single "For You Only".

Personal life

Tayce's father is Roger Radix, a former bass guitarist for Wham! Tayce currently resides in Streatham, South London, England; she formerly lived and had a brief relationship with fellow ''RuPaul's Drag Race UK'' contestant A'Whora.

On episode eight of ''RuPaul's Drag Race UK'', Tayce opened-up about how being diagnosed with chlamydia and gonorrhea at the age of 18 damaged her self-esteem, and altered her perceptions surrounding relationships and sexuality due to feelings of shame and guilt. Tayce's openness when discussing this experience was commended for breaking stigmas around sexually transmitted infections, including by the Terrence Higgins Trust, a British charity.

Tayce is gay, and uses she/her pronouns while in-drag, and he/him pronouns while out-of-drag.

Filmography

Television

Music videos

As lead artist

As guest appearance

Radio

Web series

Discography

As lead artist

As featured artist

Stage

Awards and nominations

Notes

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Tayce
1994 births
Living people
21st-century Welsh LGBTQ people
21st-century Welsh singers
21st-century Welsh people
Welsh models
Gay singers
Gay models
British LGBTQ rappers
Black British LGBTQ people
21st-century Black British people
RuPaul's Drag Race UK contestants
Welsh drag queens
Welsh gay musicians
Welsh LGBTQ singers
Welsh LGBTQ models