As one of this year's contestants on Dancing With the Stars, it's been a dizzying few weeks for Blu Hydrangea.
The RuPaul's Drag Race UK and RuPaul's Drag Race UK vs The World winner has not only dazzled viewers with their fierce performances on stage, off stage the Belfast-based drag queen has just become engaged to their partner of almost 10 years and bought a cottage that the couple plan to renovate into the "gayest little cottage".
Speaking at a media round table ahead of tomorrow's episode, Blu - who uses he/they pronouns out of drag, and she/they pronouns in drag - said the last thing they were expecting was a proposal.
"We've been together so long it feels like we're like, contractually together anyway! Because it took me so much aback I haven't planned anything and then we got really busy. I think since we proposed, I've had a week off, and I've only seen him once every week, so it's the complete opposite to what we were before, which we normally don't really spend very much time apart."
Blu admitted that this week they "hit a wall", with Valentine's Day and their birthday coinciding with getting sick. Still, they have been astounded with the level of support they've received from people who perhaps wouldn't traditionally watch a drag performer.
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"Maybe it's an Irish thing but I'm kind of like, 'oh, no one will support me, but that's okay, I'll just try my best'. But I've been so overwhelmed by the amount of people who have reached out and said they're watching and voting."
Blu noted how they're usually in their own "queer bubble" of places that serve the LGBT+ community, and that they "hope my work speaks for itself because I don't know if people will get behind me".
However, getting such feedback is massively encouraging: "That means that what I'm doing is working. Me being on TV every week visibly queer is not offending these people or making them feel like I'm a menace to society."
When asked about support from family, and whether it had been challenging coming out as gay and a drag queen to them, Blu was open about the experience.
"My parents have always loved me, but I do think I was raised to be on the more conservative side. I remember my parents being like you can't bring home anyone that's a man, anyone that's a different religion than you. It used to be a joke."
While their parents were initially thrown by the news, Blu said they believed it was "because they were just scared about what life could be like for me as a queer person in Northern Ireland".
"I came back home with a hickey one night, and my mum said, who gave you that? I used to just say it was a friend, a girl that she knew. And I said, what if it wasn't her?"
Blu finally told their dad about their sexuality once they met and got serious with their now-fiancé.
After some adjustment, everyone is full of support: "They see how emotionally connected we are, how much he does for me. They just want me to be happy, safe and healthy and that's exactly what my partner has helped me do."
Blu plans to reflect on their relationship with their drag identity and how it interacts with who they are out of drag, as Joshua Cargill, in next week's performance.
"Next week, oh mummy, Orchestra Week, I have a feeling I'm in for it next week", they said, adding their dance is a "hard one".
"It's about me having so much power and control as Blu and then losing part of that whenever I become Josh. Throughout the dance it will be me basically trying to regain my power. It's going to be a very stripped back version of Blu, something that you haven't seen quite yet."
As for what comes after Dancing With the Stars, it certainly seems like the world is blooming for Blu Hydrangea, but they have important matters on their mind, namely their dream wedding.
"I want a bouncy castle, a rodeo bull and paint guns at my wedding, and no suits."
Watch Dancing With the Stars on Sundays at 6:30pm on RTÉ One.
