INTERVIEW: Stephanie Von Clitz on drag mother Bette Rinse, cooking Christmas dinner and co-hosting upcoming 2026 Vibe Awards
"The truly powerful thing we can do as performers is use our platforms to spread messages of support, positivity and love."đź’‹
Ladies and gentleman, theys and thems, welcome to the Brighton & Hove residents' community corner series celebrating our city’s bold drag artists and boundary breaking performers!
I wanted to create a series that goes beyond the glam with our legendary and local queer performers so we can all get to know them more because like Lady Gaga said on ARTPOP, "Do you wanna see the girl who lives behind the aura?" so erm, why not?!
This week, we’re joined by the Dorset tart with a heart: STEPH VON CLITZ.
If this is only the first interview of this centrestage series that you've stumbled across and you want to catch up on the others don't panic! You can catch up HERE and next week I'll be yakking with Brighton's MILF cabaret star, Ophelia Payne. But today, it's all eyes on Steph Von Clitz so let's dive in head first!
DALEYPOP: Hey Steph, how’s your day treating you so far?
STEPH VON CLITZ: Very well thank you! I’m having a nice, relaxing day at the moment and taking a bit of time to myself before things get hectic. I’m gearing up for a busy few weeks in the lead up to Christmas so I’m enjoying the calm while it lasts!
DALEYPOP: For our readers who haven't yet had the pleasure of being in the presence of a Steph Von Clitz show, can you tell us a bit about yourself and let us know what pronouns you use on and off stage?
STEPH VON CLITZ: So for anyone who hasn't seen me before, I'm lovingly known as the Dorset tart with a heart.
I'm a live cabaret artiste who brings plenty of cheek, charm and a whole lot of love wherever I go.
When I'm not in drag, my pronouns are he/him.
DALEYPOP: What originally lured you into the world of drag and how long have you been doing drag for?
STEPH VON CLITZ: I first started doing drag in London, where Bette Rinse spotted me singing at a venue called 79CXR. She encouraged me to enter Drag Idol, and before long I was joining her as a weekly guest spot every Tuesday at Halfway to Heaven and that’s where she became my drag mother. My first official residency was at the Admiral Duncan, and things just grew from there!
Fast forward to now, living in Brighton, where I've had so much encouragement and support from incredible artists and friends. With a lot of hard work and determination along the way, I feel very lucky to have been performing as a drag artiste across the country and this year marks my 15th year doing it!
DALEYPOP: Wow 15 years is incredible, condragulations! I can't get over that some people are still clutching their pearls over drag in 2025 and I'm just like, really?!
STEPH VON CLITZ: Thanks Dale! It still surprises me that people take such issue with drag. At the end of the day, it's an art form and a brilliant night of entertainment. Honestly, most people have grown up with drag in one way or another. With social media and drag becoming more visible in the mainstream, some people just seem to moan for the sake of it. To those people, I'd simply say: come along, support the performers who work incredibly hard, and enjoy a few hours of escapism from an increasingly chaotic world.
DALEYPOP: Well said, I appreciate you! By the way-what's the story behind your drag name?
STEPH VON CLITZ: Well my real name is Steven so I went with Stephanie, Von as I love Dita Von Teese and originally it was going to be Glitz but then I switched it to Clitz because I thought it would be more memorable!
DALEYPOP: What's a common misconception people have about you?
STEPH VON CLITZ: When I’m not in drag, I can probably come across as quite shy and some people might think I’m not very approachable. But once you get to know me, I’m always here to listen and be supportive.
DALEYPOP: Would you say Brighton’s drag scene leans more toward activism, pure entertainment or a delicious mix of both?
STEPH VON CLITZ: I think Brighton is really lucky to have such a wonderful mix of both. Of course, we love our fun nights of entertainment but the truly powerful thing we can do as performers is use our platforms to spread messages of support, positivity and love.
DALEYPOP: What’s been your most iconic stage moment, whether it was perfectly planned or totally accidental?
STEPH VON CLITZ: It was totally unplanned.
I wore a new outfit recently and completely went ass over tit on stage!
There’s even CCTV footage that went viral on social media but honestly, we’ve all been there.
DALEYPOP: So, I love asking this one, what’s the last thing you Googled?
STEPH VON CLITZ: How to cook a Christmas dinner. Apparently I offered to help at my family's this year-and anyone who knows me knows I can’t cook to save my life, so this should be fun!
DALEYPOP: Who’s your crush of the day?!
STEPH VON CLITZ: Oh I genuinely can’t decide....there’s too many to choose from!
DALEYPOP: Where was your last holiday? I need inspo for my next one!
STEPH VON CLITZ: Back in April, I went on a cruise to Norway and if you’ve never been, it’s absolutely stunning. Definitely the kind of holiday I love!
DALEYPOP: Norway is definitely on my bucket list, I love Scandinavia! Okay last question before I let you go: what’s next for Steph Von Clitz?
STEPH VON CLITZ: Moving forward I want to keep being working hard and being as successful as I can be in what I’m doing, to evolve and challenge myself more and to always keep supporting artistes in anyway I can. I’m very fortunate 2026 is looking healthy so there will be more to see of me in the future in Brighton and around the country. As well as performances, I’m honoured to be co-hosting the very first Vibe Awards ceremony at the Old Ship Hotel on the 24th of February-it's going to be an amazing night!
Comments ()