Drag Race queen Veronica Green on coming to terms with MS diagnosis and getting back on the stage

Drag Race UK star Veronica Green, real name Kevin Grogan, is opening up for the first time about his diagnosis with multiple sclerosis (MS). Kevin announced to fans via Instagram in October 2024 that he’d been diagnosed with MS following an unexplained period of numbness across the body. 

When Kevin could no longer feel his bladder and bowel movements, he knew it was time to go to hospital. Kevin, 40, who appeared on series two and three of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, explains: “The diagnosis process was slow. I needed several brain and spine scans and a lumbar puncture before I was formally told it was MS.

"By the time I was diagnosed my body had deteriorated further. I could no longer use my hands, my arms were very weak and I could barely walk. It wasn’t clear if this was permanent and there were no guarantees of getting my body back to ‘normal’, so I was just in shock. It took time to build the mental strength to accept this could be my new way of living for the rest of my life.” 

Over 150,000 people live with MS in the UK. It is a condition that affects the brain and spinal cord, impacting how people move, think and feel. Like Kevin, most people are diagnosed in their thirties and forties. For a while Kevin wasn’t sure if he’d ever be able to work again. But after taking time to recover, and starting on a new treatment, Kevin is now returning to the stage in a one-off 24 Hour Musical to raise money for the MS Society. The show, produced by Smash Arts Theatre Company, is revealed to the cast just 24 hours before they perform it on Saturday, 7 March.  

Kevin continues: “The first 18 months of recovery has been the biggest struggle. For two months I was completely dependant on my partner Steve who needed to feed, clothe and bathe me while I couldn’t use my hands. All of my symptoms, like neuropathic pain and fatigue, were very difficult to manage and getting back to work was slow.

"I struggled with energy levels and constantly needed naps in the day. As soon as I knew mobility in my hands was coming back to me I decided I wanted people to know about what had happened to me. There was a moment where I considered keeping it to myself but I’ve inadvertently become an advocate for some other conditions so it felt more natural to be open with this one too. Plus I wanted to spread awareness.”  

The MS Society is the UK’s leading charity for people living with MS. Funding support, vital research and campaigning which improves the lives of everyone affected by the condition. On supporting the MS Society through the 24 Hour Musical, Kevin says: “MS currently has no cure and everyone with the condition is uniquely affected, so raising money for the MS Society is so important to me. I previously worked with Smash Arts Theatre Company in 2024, and they were so supportive of me during my diagnosis and initial recovery. I’m excited to be working with them again to support a cause so close to me.” 

Mark Haymes, Head of Community and Events Fundraising at the MS Society, says: “There are over 135 people diagnosed with MS in the UK each week. And, as Kevin describes, symptoms are different for everybody and often invisible. Being diagnosed with MS is a lifechanging moment and we’re proud that Kevin has found the courage to share his experience more widely to help us raise awareness of a condition that is often misunderstood. We can’t wait to cheer him and his cast mates on in the 24 Hour Musical.”