Hartlepool drag queen Tomara Thomas ready to take over the world after being cast in series 5 of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK

Tom Adams – who performs as Tomara Thomas – landed a spot in the BBC programme’s fifth series after beating competition from thousands of other candidates.

The popular contest sees 10 drag queens compete in a series of weekly challenges to dazzle the celebrity judges and become the UK’s next Drag Race superstar.

Twenty-six-year-old Tom said of being on the programme: “It was definitely a dream come true and it was so surreal.

"Obviously, it’s a pressure cooker. It’s a competition and I’m a very competitive person.

"I make sure, whatever I put my mind to, I’m always going to do well.”

After achieving a spot on the the coveted show, Tom now has his sights on a glittering career in the entertainment industry.

"I’m going to be unstoppable. I’m ready for world domination,” he said.

"I want to do it all. I want to be in movies, I want to be on the big screen, I want to be on West End shows, I want to be in Vogue, I want to write books.”

Tom started doing drag when he was 14 while at dance school, with town dance teacher Debbie Barrass helping him come up with the name Tomara.

He was successful at it and ignored the occasional negative comments.

He said: "You’re living your happiness, you’re living your truth. If other people are upset that you are doing it, that’s a them thing, it’s not you.”

The former Manor College student then relocated to London where he studied musical theatre.

Tom worked on cruise ships as a professional dancer after graduating before moving back to Hartlepool following the pandemic.

He later moved back to the capital and started getting regular work as a drag act.

"It’s an expression of who I really am. I get to perform, I get to experiment in make up, in different looks. It’s really, really cool,” Tom said.

The first episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK appears on BBC Three on Thursday, September 28, at 9pm.

Tom said there has been a lot of support from Hartlepool ahead of the start of the new series, adding: “I love coming home,”