Mo Heart, formerly known as Monique Heart, broke her silence on why she changed her name before filming Drag Race UK vs the World.
The queen is one of nine international contestants competing on the upcoming instalment of the show, which is set to see performers from other global editions of Drag Race competing against each other.
The series was filmed in London and features UK panelists RuPaul, Michelle Visage, Graham Norton and Alan Carr.
When the cast was announced by the BBC on 17 January, many fans were confused by the season 10 queen being called Mo Heart instead of the Monique Heart they once knew.
During an Instagram live that same day, Mo shared why she opted to compete under a new name.
She told fans: “The reason I changed my name [is] because I’m growing as an artist, right?
“And I believe that artists should always evolve and grow and I just felt like, I as an individual just want to give more heart, more love, more everything and just for branding, it just makes sense to be just ‘Mo’.”
🚨 The cast for #DragRaceUK vs the World has finally been unveiled! 🚨https://t.co/pg1BodeCKB
— GAY TIMES (@gaytimes) January 17, 2022
The All Stars 4 finalist further explained that her “artistry is evolving” which prompted her to make certain changes.
“I also feel that my artistry is evolving into more of a gender-fluid kind of non-binary, like I’ve been working out a lot, you know what I mean,” she told those watching the livestream.
“For a long time I wanted to stay thin and petite and soft and frail because I wanted to give very, y’know, woman!
“Now, honey, you know, I’ve just, especially since the pandam girl and I got to go to the gym every damn day, girl. I’m getting body, girl. This body, girl. The shoulders, the chest, the abs, the chesticles, girl. Girl, I’m just trying to be rough trade, you know?”
Despite the altered name, Mo assured fans that certain things they love about her “will always be there”.
“So, yeah, I want to like begin to play with like, more, you know what I mean? We’re not doing, we’re not getting rid of the gorge, the glam, like that will always be there, you know what I mean?”
Drag Race UK vs the World premieres 1 February on BBC Three. You can watch the full Meet the Queens video below or by clicking here.
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