In a dazzling blend of glitter, wit, and subversion, reality TV’s unlikely duo — Danny Beard and Chris Hughes — have delivered a cultural moment that is as hilarious as it is healing. In a recent episode of the KLOSS Community’s Boys In Beat series, the Drag Race UK winner gave the Love Island alum a full drag makeover — and in the process, the pair offered a refreshing, candid conversation on queerness, masculinity, and growth.
Hughes, who many viewers were surprised to see among the most vocal LGBTQ+ allies in the latest season of Celebrity Big Brother, leaned into the transformation with humor and openness. From the moment Danny Beard smeared their signature white base onto Hughes’ face — all while joking about “face deodorant” and quipping “I don’t want to plough you, Chris” — it was clear this wasn’t just a surface-level glam session. It was about dissolving boundaries and embracing play in a space traditionally viewed through rigid, gendered norms.
Subversive Beauty and Masculine Performance
Danny’s transformation of Hughes was characteristically bold — black contour, a smoky eye to rival any ballroom queen, lashes for days, and a perfectly applied crimson lip. But beneath the makeup and camp, the episode was also about challenging toxic masculinity — a conversation Beard has never shied away from, and one Hughes appears increasingly ready to confront.
Discussing their CBB experience, the two reflected on the behavior of fellow housemate Mickey Rourke, who was ultimately removed from the show after making homophobic comments and provoking Hughes into confrontation. While acknowledging Rourke’s offensive behavior, both Beard and Hughes emphasized the importance of context — framing it as a tragic portrait of internalized masculinity gone awry.
“I liked him. I didn’t like what he said,” Beard admitted. “That is a story in masculinity right there.”
Hughes, who defended JoJo Siwa against Rourke’s slurs in the CBB house, added: “He was lost a bit, wasn’t he.”
Their exchange was more than reality TV gossip. It was an exploration of the very real, and very harmful, ways masculinity can become distorted in environments that discourage vulnerability and queerness.
Visibility in Every Beat
Chris Hughes stepping into drag may not sound revolutionary on its own, but in the context of Britain’s celebrity culture — where queerness is often performed only for entertainment, not engagement — it’s significant. His openness, guided by Beard’s joyfully unapologetic queer lens, signals a shift in how cis-het men relate to gender performance and allyship.
Moreover, the segment underscored drag’s political power — not only as an art form but as a form of resistance and education. It disarms, it destabilizes, and it invites. Beard’s transformation of Hughes wasn’t about making him “look like a woman,” but about showing how gender — and masculinity in particular — can be worn lightly, even joyfully.
As anti-drag sentiment grows in various corners of politics and media, moments like these — full of laughter, heart, and acceptance — remind us why queer joy must be visible. Danny Beard and Chris Hughes didn’t just play dress-up. They participated in something radical: choosing connection over fear, and camp over conformity.
And the verdict? Chris looked “gorgeous.” But more importantly, he looked free.