Sum Ting Wong
The ten beautiful drag queens who will be competing for the title of UK’s first Drag Race Superstar have been ru-vealed.
Published: 21 August 2019
I feel like Willy Wonka with the golden ticket to go to RuPaul’s magical chocolate factory. So many people would kill to be in this position!
Tell us about yourself
I’m Sum Ting Wong, I’m 30 and I live in Reading.
Tell us about your drag?
My drag comes from singing. I was a little emo kid at 12 years old and I loved to sing. I can’t be a singer out of drag. I am a Chinese male who’s overweight and losing his hair. I’m never gonna make it like that so drag helped me, and the 12 year old me, finally live out my dream of performing and singing. That’s the only reason I put all of this on - so I can perform and sing. It’s the best job in the world.
How did you come up with your drag name?
When I started doing drag five years ago, I wanted a name that was cheeky but also reflected my British Vietnamese heritage, so I browsed the internet and came across a meme about an American news report which turned out to be a prank. It was about a missing Asian plane and all the names of the missing crew were plays on Chinese names, such as Sum Ting Wong and Wi Tu Lo, and another was Ho Lee Fuk. It was wrong in so many ways, and that was why I chose my name, as my own act of reclamation!
I’m here because I’m a drag queen not because I’m Asian. Asian is who I am but does not define who I am. I want to show you that I’m a queen like anyone else.
Tell us the first time you did drag?
My housemate started doing drag, and I’m watching him as he puts on his makeup and I thought: "I could 100 per cent do this better than you", and so I did. I entered a small competition run by my rugby team and thought this is kinda cool. I wanna try this. I then entered Drag Idol. It was my first time on stage and I came third in the UK for my first time in drag. So hopefully, I’ll come third in this - or even better.
How do you think you will fare in the competition?
I think I’ll excel in the singing challenges. Dancing is not my forte. I like sewing, I think I’ll be alright in that. This is a fluke - I don’t know why I’m here. This is incredible. I feel like Willy Wonka with the golden ticket to go to RuPaul’s magical chocolate factory. So many people would kill to be in this position!
What makes you unique?
So, let’s get a few things straight… I’m in a homosexual relationship; I’m a person of colour. I think that’s two pretty strong things. Especially being a person of colour of oriental descent. This isn’t easy for me doing this. I’m first generation born here. I didn’t speak any English until the age of three. I live an oriental Chinese Vietnamese background so going from that and being told I need to go to school, university, you need to get good job, you need to get married, have a house, kids. I am none of that. I have decided to go against everything that I have been brought up to do, because deep down before I was a drag queen I was unhappy. This is the first time in like 30 years that I am doing something I actually love. People talk about representation all the time, but if a little Chinese homo is watching this at home and sees me and thinks wow I’ve been brought up to do those things too. I’m not going to tell you not to go university, I’m not going to tell you not to go to law school, but if you are unhappy then I am going to tell you to do what you love. Honestly, that would fill my heart with joy.
What will be your greatest challenge?
I’m a strong person, I’m a drag queen for fuck’s sake. I get on stages across all of the UK, but I’m scared of this because I don’t have anyone else and I can only go on me.
It’s not that I’m scared of doing it alone, it’s that I’m scared of doing it alone badly.
