Firstly I want to thank Jayne for taking almost all the photos you see here. She is amazing.
Secondly I want to thank, in no particular order, Laurel, Jack, Sam, Seb, Mo, Hannah, Colette, Maina, Katherine, Eric, Emily, Coralie, Tiffany, Dennis, Annabel, Greg, Bianca, Alice and Lotus for being wonderful and coming to support me on Thursday. Some of you I’d never met before the night and you came along as friends of friends, and I appreciate that so much!
Last Thursday was the final of Burger Queen, where the utterly divine Gloria Swansong was crowned 2012’s winner! I had the best time, and just wanted to share some photos from the night.
The creator and host of Burger Queen, the fabulous, daring and kind Scottee, looking a bit emotional after having duetted with Lisa Stansfield on Cry Me a River <3
Scottee had just given birth to this bottle of Diet Coke. Don’t ask. You shoulda been there.
The amazing winner, Gloria Swansong, giving it her all during the Talent round! I have crazy love for Gloria, such a strong, gracious, kind and inspiring person.
Beautiful, perfect Lauren, aka Fatleen Hanna, aka Pocket Rocket presenting her gorgeous heart-shaped chocolate brownies covered in pink edible glitter! She’s a true pal, and a pleasure to do Burger Queen with, for real. When I won my heat I was terrified, but as soon as Lauren won her heat and I knew I’d be in the final with her, it changed everything. Beautiful, talented, passionate. A longtime inspiration.
The legendary fat activist Charlotte Cooper, aka The Beefer, wearing an amazing t-shirt for her Talent round! She was wearing socks that said MEAT. Swoon! I find fat activism a complex, often impenetrable sphere, but Charlotte’s approach to it makes me feel as if I can be part of it, too, in my own way.
Now… all about me!
For the Trend round, I wore a vintage-style strapless swimsuit, a sash with my performing name on it (Sister Sledgehammer!), huge heels and big, big lashes! I was going for a ‘swimsuit round in an old-school beauty contest’ look. Here’s me with the ever-dreamy Amy Lamé. (First photo by Annabel, second by Jayne)
Me trying to style out the fact I forgot the words to Andrew in Drag by the Magnetic Fields, which I was playing on the ukulele and singing. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times: it was the worst because I forgot the words and completely froze. It was the best because the audience were rooting for me and didn’t let me quit, and Amy Lamé got the lyrics up on her iPad and helped me out like the wonderful babe she is.
Me just before my Taste round – a FUCKING HUGE REESE’S PEANUT BUTTER CUP. Photo by Holly Revell, who has a whole set of official BQ photos on that page.
Pictured here with Dennis, my darling dreamboat of a beau, who is wearing a super cute t-shirt he got in Copenhagen and a very aptly placed ‘FAT’ badge. Cool. He probably deserves a special shoutout for being so enthusiastic about the whole Burger Queen, thing, actually… so yeah, thank you!
FYI I was wearing an American Apparel bodysuit in size XL and a Monki pleated mint green skirt in size L, eyelashes are the Eylure double layer lashes that I swear by. This is the most accurate photo of my outfit for Talent and Taste as I didn’t manage to get a good full-length one.
Annnnd here we are, all together! The finalists of Burger Queen 2012! Credit to Annabel, eh.
It’s not over ’til the fat lady sings: Miss Annabel Sings (so many Annabels!) closing the show with a gorgeous rendition of The Greatest Love of All which prompted a huge singalong and lots of warm fuzzy feelings!
Me and my best friend in the whole wide world, Annabel, who taught me ukulele and supports me in all my highly stupid adventures.
Honestly, it was just the best experience. I never imagined that I could feel so beautiful and so appreciated and so accepted in such a fun, loving space, not in spite of my fat but because of it. It reminded me that I don’t always need people to look past it, that the best people acknowledge my body and see something good. If anyone says chubsters can’t be babely, then I will deep fry them and eat them.
Burger Queen is a wonderful thing, and I hope it continues for many years to come. Congratulations to Gloria, a huge thank you to Scottee and Amy, and again I want to say a wild, appreciative thank you to everyone who turned out! Lots of foxy fat-girl love.
Bethany, you were brilliant! Thanks for sharing (-love the swimsuit photo: you are glam, glam, glam!) x
you are amazing you are the best you are an INSPIRATION!
I've already told you how proud I am of you…so I'm telling you again! Haha, you are awesome – and definitely a 1950s Barbie.
Lauren's Hamburglar costume made me smile too! 😀
You are definitely in my top 5 best people that I know. Fo'sho x
So much fabulousness! Honestly and truly you are a very inspiring person. I know we didn't talk all that much at the ZOMG bash but just a short time with you was enough to convince me of what a powerful, whirlwind of a woman you are and this Burger Queen business just makes me know it all the more.
In short, you're cocking marvellous! (And rather sexy in that mesh bodysuit…I love a bit of side boob.)
xxx
Gosh you look so gorgeous in every single outfit, this sounds like such a fantastic thing to have been involved with. Incredible times 🙂
oh my goodness, this looks like so so so much fun!! of course everyone looks amazing and so do you!!!! <3<3<3
You look so awesome!! 😀
Ah, Bethany! You look absolutely gorgeous and that cake looks almost as edible as you. Mega congrats on taking part xx
Eh up hot stuff!! You look smoking!! Congrats on winning your heat – YOU WERE ROBBED!! 😀
You are so flipping amazing….I seriously cannot tell you how stunning I think you look, and how incredibly brave and awesome you are…well, if I'd lived anywhere near London, I'd have come along and screamed loudly for you, so instead you get an overly gushing comment!
But everyone looks so amazing…and I have to say props go to Lauren for looking equally gorgeously glam in her Hamburgler costume….I'll never look at that dude the same again!!
But such a fantastic, incredible event that radiates positivity even through the interweb…if I ever move to London and it's still in existence, I might just have to put my name down!
Wow! I feel like I can feel the loving, fun energy through the photos. Looks like such a wonderful event, and I'm happy that you and Lauren were both in it. You're a major babe, and I seriously need to take notes because I lost that feeling of sexiness a long time ago.