Life's a drag for Andrew and Miss G

Andrew West, 39, has entered the nationwide contest as his alter ego Miss G, an all-singing all-dancing Lily Savage lookalike.

By day he runs Creatiques, a one-stop design store for hand-made wedding dresses, tiaras, jewellery and hair, based in a business unit on the A32 between Fareham and Gosport.

But by night he raises thousands of pounds for charity as glamorous and sophisticated Miss G, who dresses head to toe in diamante.

Miss G, whose act includes adapted versions of songs, stories and jokes, has already triumphed in the regional heats of the contest, held at Martha's bar in Portsmouth.

Andrew, who lives in Southsea, said: "Everything included in my show is about things I've been through or friends of mine have been through.

"It's a lot of fun. I've done a Grease show and Chicago in fishnet stockings. I make all my own costumes to get just the right look and I like getting the audience involved in the show.

"I'm looking forward to the next round, but I don't even know what I'm going to do yet."

The Lily Savage fan, whose previous claim to fame is an appearance on Blankety Blank with his idol, is now preparing for the semi-final in Birmingham in June.

If he wins there, he will feature in the live final, which will be televised during Gay Pride Week in July.

Gay icon Graham Norton will be crowning the winner.

Miss G has fundraised for a charity during a twice-a-year show for the past five or six years.

Charities helped include the Make a Wish Foundation, which grants the wishes of children aged three to 18 living with life-threatening illnesses, and Macmillan Cancer Relief Midhurst Appeal, which raises funds to run a 12-roomed hospice dedicated to the care of cancer patients and their families.

Drag Idol 2005 organisers have decided that the cabaret scene needs an injection of new blood and they are holding nationwide auditions to find the cabaret stars of the future in the style of Pop Idol, The X Factor and Fame Academy.