Joanna Ryde is a drag queen from Dublin and former Alternative Miss Ireland. She is a regular visitor down south and just loves all her Cork cousins! GayCork.com caught up with her in order to find out more about Joanna...
I'm Joanna Ryde and I'm from a beautiful place called Finglas in Dublin.
I started singin' when I was a youngone, mainly to Madonna in me bedroom but as I grow up, I took to the stage and won the karaoke competition in the Shamrock in Finglas and the trip to Playa Del Ingles that went with it.
In 2005, I won the Miss Finglas competition due to a series of unfortunate accidents that the other contestants came accross but it was in early 2006 that I decided to enter Alternative Miss Cork.
I went on to finish 2nd and over the next year I kept comin' back and started makin' a bit of a name for meself with the gays here and at home in Dublin as well as in Galway and Limerick.
I tried me hand at AMC again in 2007 and was beaten by Kitty Cartier but only 2 weeks later on me home turf in the Olympia in Dublin, I became the Alternative Miss Ireland!!
Since then I've added Belfast, Dundalk and Waterford to the gay venues I've played in and appeared on Podge and Rodge twice.
I ran me own club night with Gloria Holle and Charmin Eletrik called FL!RT at a few different venues throughout the country includin' Instinct but I decided to concentrate on a few other things.
I auditioned for the All Ireland Talent Show and got to the final 10 in Dublin, missin' out on the live shows coz Shane Lynch didn't think Ireland was ready for me at half 6 on a Sunday evenin'! I've since filmed me first web series called Gaffs as well as me new website.
I'm writin' a book at the moment and hopin' to get it published when its done!
Here's me links: