A Kent drag queen set to take part in the latest series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK is excited to put her hometown on the map.

Contestant Dita Garbo from Folkestone describes her drag style as “burlesque Hollywood glamour” and is competing in the sixth series of the show with the hope of being crowned the next Drag Race superstar.

The 48-year-old first got into drag while visiting Madrid in Spain years ago, where she was part of an androgynous drag group called Lujuria, which means 'lust’ in Spanish.

Speaking to the BBC, she said: “It was so much fun. Sadly, I don’t have any photos to show you as it was back in the day before mobile phones.

“I took a fifteen-year break from drag to travel the world as a professional dance teacher, but once a drag queen, always a drag queen.

“I re-emerged as a burlesque diva a few years back, and I’ve even set up my own little Folkestone drag scene.”

At 48 years old, Dita is the oldest contestant to be competing in the show this year and hopes her wisdom will help her along the way.

She added: “I’m 48 years young from the sunny seaside town of Folkestone and I’m so excited to be putting Folkestone on the map.

“The nice thing about being older is that you come to the competition with a lot of wisdom.

“If the younger queens need it, I’ll give them some motherly love and advice, but if they annoy me, I'll tell them.

“My influences are burlesque icon Dita Von Teese and Hollywood starlet, Greta Garbo. Hence my name – Dita Garbo.

“I like to say I’m the burlesque lovechild of Dita Von Teese and Greta Garbo.

“But I can switch it up if I need to keep up with the kids.

“I can jump, split, kick, turn, shablam, drop, turn, backflip, split again… but then I might need some help getting up.

“I can sew, I can dance, and I can sing too so I’m excited for any challenges that require those skills.

“I’ve been a performer all my life and I’m so proud and happy to have been invited by Ru into the Drag Race UK sisterhood and I can’t wait to show what I can do as a mature lady.

The show will air on BBC Three on Monday, September 16 at 10pm.

The competition sees hopeful drag queens compete across ten weeks in a variety of challenges and iconic games designed to test their drag mettle.

RuPaul, affectionately known as Mama Ru, leads a judging panel that includes regulMichelle Visage, Alan Carr, Graham Norton and celebrity guest judges, who this year range from Mabel to Simon Le Bon.

In 2021, drag queen Krystal Versace from Tunbridge Wells was crowned the winner of RuPaul's Drag Race UK.

Aged 19 at the time, she was the youngest contestant to ever reach the final of the show.

Contestant River Medway from Chatham also competed in the show the same year as Krystal Versace but she was eliminated in week six.

River Medway went viral after dressing as Chatham landmark Thomas Waghorn.

Last year, DeDeLicious from Tunbridge Wells competed in series five of the show.

But she was eliminated in episode nine ranking fourth place in the competition.