Tia Kofi
Lawrence John Bolton[1] (born 27 September 1990), better known by the stage name Tia Kofi, is a British drag queen from Clapham, South London.[2] They are best known for competing on the second series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK.[3]
Tia Kofi | |
|---|---|
| Born | Lawrence John Bolton 27 September 1990 |
| Occupation | Drag queen |
| Years active | 2014–present |
| Television | RuPaul's Drag Race UK (series 2) |
Career Edit
Tia Kofi began their career as a drag queen in 2014, when they started drag on the same day and at the same venue as series 1 contestant Sum Ting Wong. Their name is a play on the phrase "tea or coffee?", and as part of their initial entrance confessional, Tia Kofi joked that they'd named themself after Tia Mowry from American sitcom Sister Sister and former Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan.[4] Prior to competing on the second series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK, Kofi frequently performed in venues across South London, predominantly in Clapham.
Kofi is a part of a drag girl-group called The Vixens consisting of Kofi, Pixie Polite and Woe Addams.[5]
In December 2020, Tia Kofi was announced as one of twelve contestants competing on the second series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK.[3] After lip synching three times, Tia Kofi ultimately placed seventh overall.[6][7]
In February 2021, shortly after their elimination from Drag Race, Tia Kofi released their debut single "Outside In" (co-written by Little Boots, Tom Aspaul and Gil Lewis), as well as a music video on 24 February 2021.[8] In May 2021, Tia Kofi performed alongside series 1 winner The Vivienne, and fellow series 2 contestant Veronica Green at the Vaudeville Theatre in "Drag Queens of Pop", which was one of the first performances on the West End after the third national COVID-19 lockdown in England.[9]
In February 2022, Tia Kofi embarked on RuPaul's Drag Race UK: The Official Tour alongside the entire cast of series 2, in association with World of Wonder and promoter Voss Events.[10] Their set consisted of "Outside In" followed by "Don't Start Now" by Dua Lipa and "No Way" from the musical Six.
In May 2023, Tia Kofi released their third EP, Pride. Power. Pop. and single "Standing Up for the Lonely"[11]
They played the digital assistant ALGO in the second series of "Olga Koch: OK Computer" on BBC Radio 4 from May 2023.[12]
Personal life Edit
Tia Kofi identifies as queer. They are the drag mother of Victoria Scone.[13] Kofi uses they/she pronouns.[14]
Filmography Edit
Film Edit
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban | Hufflepuff student | Background actor | [15] |
Television Edit
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | RuPaul's Drag Race UK | Contestant | Series 2 | [3] |
| 2021 | Celebrity Gogglebox | Themself | Black to Front Special (alongside Tayce) | [16] |
| 2021 | Children in Need 2021 | Themself | Guest appearance | [17] |
| 2021 | Be Here, Be Queer | Themself | Netflix special | [18] |
| 2022 | Eating with My Ex | Themself | Celebrity special | [19] |
| 2022 | Celebrity Catchpoint | Themself | Special guest | [20] |
| 2022 | Celebrity Lingo | Themself | Guest | [21] |
Music videos Edit
| Year | Title | Artist | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | "Gotta Get a Grip" | Mick Jagger | |
| 2021 | "My House" | Jodie Harsh | [22] |
| "Outside In" | Tia Kofi | [23] | |
| "Look What You've Done" | Tia Kofi × Cahill | [24] | |
| "Loving Me Like That" | Tia Kofi | [25] | |
| "Jingle Bell Rock" | The Vivienne & Tia Kofi | [26] | |
| 2022 | "Get Better" | Tia Kofi | [27] |
| "So Good" | [28] |
Discography Edit
Extended plays Edit
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Part 1: The Damage |
|
| Part 2: The Antidote[29] |
|
| Pride. Power. Pop. |
|
Singles Edit
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Outside In"[30] | 2021 | Part 1: The Damage |
| "Look What You've Done"[31] (with Cahill) | ||
| "Loving Me Like That"[32] | ||
| "I Want It All" | ||
| "Jingle Bell Rock" (with The Vivienne) | Non-album single | |
| "Get Better" | 2022 | Part 2: The Antidote |
| "Heart Beating" [33] with MRSHLL | ||
| "I Specialise in Love" | Non-album single | |
| "So Good" | Pride. Power. Pop. | |
| "Standing Up for the Lonely"[11] | 2023 | |
| "Guest List"[34] | Non-album single |
As featured artist Edit
Stage Edit
| Year | Title | Promoter | Locations | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Drag Queens of Pop | Nimax Theatres | Vaudeville Theatre | [36] |
| 2022 | RuPaul's Drag Race UK: The Official Tour | Voss Events / World of Wonder | Ipswich, Oxford, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle, Nottingham, Bournemouth, Southend, Manchester, Sheffield, Blackpool, Llandudno, Birmingham, Cardiff, Liverpool, Basingstoke, Portsmouth, Plymouth, London, Derby, Bristol, Bradford, Aberdeen, Southampton, Stockton, Brighton and Newport | [37] |
References Edit
- ^ "ANTIDOTE". ASCAP. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
- ^ "Who is Tia Kofi? Meet the RuPaul's Drag Race UK "queen of Clapham"". Radio Times. from the original on 17 October 2022. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
- ^ a b c "RuPaul's Drag Race UK series two | Meet The Queens". BBC. from the original on 16 December 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
- ^ "RuPaul's Drag Race UK (S2 E1)". BBC iPlayer. from the original on 17 October 2022. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
- ^ Damshenas, Sam (19 February 2021). "Exclusive: Drag Race UK star spills the Tia (Kofi) on the "twists and turns" of season 2". Gay Times. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
- ^ "Drag Race UK's Tia Kofi tears up following elimination as she recalls lockdown struggle". Attitude. 20 February 2021. from the original on 15 June 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
- ^ "RuPaul's Drag Race UK: Tia Mowry Reaches Out To Tia Kofi After Elimination". ScreenRant. 21 February 2021. from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
- ^ "Drag Race UK's Tia Kofi stuns in video for debut single 'Outside In'". Attitude. 24 February 2021. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
- ^ "Drag Queens of Pop". Nimax Theatres. from the original on 1 April 2021. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
- ^ . Voss Events. Archived from the original on 1 May 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
- ^ a b c "Tia Kofi releases new EP Pride. Power. Pop. featuring new single Standing Up For The Lonely". Retropop. 27 May 2023. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
- ^ "Olga Koch: OK Computer - Series 2 - 1. Fun - BBC Sounds". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
- ^ Sam Damshenas (2 September 2021). "Tia Kofi on her 80s inspired EP and Drag Race UK season 3 making herstory". Gay Times. from the original on 17 October 2022. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
- ^ "Tia Kofi". Instagram. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
- ^ "Lawrence Bolton, Actor, London". from the original on 18 June 2021. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
- ^ "Meet Tia Kofi and Tayce from Celebrity Gogglebox Black to Front". Reality Titbit. 10 September 2021. from the original on 9 October 2021. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
- ^ Justin Harp (19 November 2021). "BBC Children in Need telethon's 2021 grand total revealed". Digital Spy. from the original on 9 October 2021. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
- ^ "Drag Race UK's The Vivienne, Tia Kofi and more discuss drag in the UK in new Netflix film". Attitude. 30 December 2021. from the original on 30 December 2021. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
- ^ Darvill, Josh (19 January 2022). "Eating With My Ex start date and celebrity line up revealed for new specials". Telly Mix. from the original on 17 October 2022. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
- ^ Darling, Michael (21 April 2022). "Celebrity Catchpoint host Paddy McGuinness: 'It can get quite treacherous!'". What To Watch. from the original on 21 April 2022. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
- ^ "Celebrity Lingo Episode 7". itv.com. 7 November 2022. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
- ^ Jodie Harsh (5 March 2021), Jodie Harsh - My House (Official Video), from the original on 12 March 2021, retrieved 21 March 2021
- ^ "Drag Race UK's Tia Kofi stuns in video for debut single 'Outside In'". Attitude. 24 February 2021. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
- ^ Tia Kofi, Tia Kofi x Cahill - Look What You've Done (Official Video), from the original on 17 October 2022, retrieved 2 June 2021
- ^ Tia Kofi - Loving Me Like That (Official Music Video), from the original on 17 October 2022, retrieved 19 August 2021
- ^ Jingle Bell Rock (Official Music Video), from the original on 17 October 2022, retrieved 16 October 2022
- ^ Tia Kofi - Get Better (Official Video), from the original on 17 October 2022, retrieved 16 October 2022
- ^ Tia Kofi - So Good (Official Video), from the original on 17 October 2022, retrieved 16 October 2022
- ^ Logan, Phillip (3 July 2022). "Tia Kofi Drops Brand New EP, 'Part 2: The Antidote'". CelebMix. from the original on 5 July 2022. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
- ^ Outside In - Single by Tia Kofi, from the original on 17 October 2022, retrieved 29 March 2021
- ^ Look What You've Done - Single by Tia Kofi & Cahill, from the original on 19 August 2021, retrieved 19 August 2021
- ^ Loving Me Like That - Single by Tia Kofi, from the original on 20 August 2021, retrieved 19 August 2021
- ^ a b Tia Kofi X MRSHLL - HEARTBEATING, from the original on 17 October 2022, retrieved 17 October 2022
- ^ "Tia Kofi - Guest List". slinky.to. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
- ^ UK Hun? (Bananadrama Version) - Single by The Cast of RuPaul's Drag Race UK, Season 2, from the original on 11 February 2021, retrieved 15 February 2021
- ^ "Drag Queens of Pop". Nimax Theatres. from the original on 1 April 2021. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
- ^ . Voss Events. Archived from the original on 1 May 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021.