Fleur East: ‘I’d love my fans to come to GAY in drag as me’

X Factor sensation Fleur East launches her debut single Sax with a spectacular show at GAY this weekend – but she wants the boys to bring extra sass by dragging up for her.

The big-haired London songstress – who delivered one of X Factor’s most instantly iconic moments last year when she performed a blistering rendition of Mark Ronson’s then-unreleased Uptown Funk, forcing his record company to rush-release it – says she’d be tickled if her fans turned up to the club night dressed as her, complete with massive afros.

“I’m pleased to say whenever I have perform at GAY the boys have always been supportive,” she tells us as part of a wider interview in an upcoming issue of Attitude.

“I’m debuting my single this weekend at GAY and can’t wait to perform there. I’d love fans to come in drag as me. It’d be wicked. People keep telling me to watch RuPaul’s Drag Race because it’s just my kind of thing. When i get a moment I will sit down and watch it on Netflix.”

Asked what she’d call her drag alter ego, she teased: “If I was a drag queen version of me I’d call myself Goldilocks.”

The X Factor won our Media Recognition award at the Attitude Awards earlier this month. Fleur, who attended the lavish bash, said she thinks the show has done a lot for gay visibility in the UK.

“You’ve had so many gay people on the show who are open which proves we have come a long way,” she said.

“There was a time when it wasn’t easy for people taking part in shows like this to be able to out and open and it’s just so good to see. I love Rylan, who is one of my favourite X Factor contestants of all time, and look at this year’s show you have Seann Miley Moore who is amazing. You would never have seen these guys on TV being so open years ago.”

Sax out October 30.