Lily Savage is one of the rare breed of Drag Queens who enjoyed mainstream commercial success without every having to water down her extremely potty-mouth and totally political-incorrect act. He started out in 1978, but it was his 8 year stint performing at London’s gay mecca The Royal Vauxhall Tavern that brought him fame and notoriety within the community.
After being nominated for the prestigious Perrier Award for his show at the Edinburgh Festival, he attracted the attention of the BBC and very soon he was hosting a Morning Show and a Game Show rigged out in his outrageous hooker-like drag. After this success he then starred in his own highly successful TV comedy series Lily Live which picked up countless awards and a very devoted public following.
In ‘Lily Live’ his unfettered act in the persona of a Liverpool ‘housewife’ with very loose morals and extreme anti-establishment opinions struck a chord with nation still reeling from the effects of Thatcherism, but we always wondered how on earth he was allowed to get away with all of this on primetime television. Well it turns out there were occasions when he completely overstepped the mark and some of Lily’s scenes were actually considered far too scandalous to be broadcast, including the one below that Lily has just now released on YouTube.
The accent may be a tad hard to follow in parts for non-Brits, but stick with it, as it is definitely one of her very best nasty performances ever.
P.S. When Lily ‘retired’ and reverted to being Paul Grady again, he continued to enjoy (and still does to this day) being one of the most loved British TV personalities and has hosted a slew of very successful TV Chat Shows
Labels: 2016, British, culture, drag, Turn Back Time
