The Manchester lawyer who looks unrecognisable in his night-time gig

A Manchester man who works as a barrister during the day and performs as a drag queen in the Gay Village at night says he hopes he can change perceptions about lawyers.

24-year-old Sam Eskdale, who jokes he is the ‘Elle Woods of drag’, said he first realised he wanted a career in law after becoming involved in an undisclosed court case at the age of nine. Having first dabbled in drag as a teenager, he began studying fashion after school.

It was only after watching films and television that he realised that he could become a lawyer and still do drag. Having studied law, he completed his barrister training course at BPP University Law School in September 2022 and graduated last August.

Try MEN Premium now for FREE...just click here to give it a go.

During his intense studying, Sam still performed in drag under the name of Holly Spirit, which is inspired by his Catholic upbringing. Today, Sam says he has been able to find a way of balancing his career and love for drag, and has also found a Chambers to complete his pupillage, a period of practical training required to become a barrister, which has fully welcomed his identity.

Sam says his time performing as Holly helps to "express parts" of himself he may not be able to express in court, such as appealing to his feminine side but, there is some overlap, as he has done a routine from the 2001 Reese Witherspoon movie Legally Blonde.

Sam, who says he has the full support of his family and friends, said he hopes he can be a role model to others and show that lawyers aren’t all "middle aged, white, cisgendered males".

"I started watching RuPaul's Drag Race when I was about 13 - I loved it and I was always wearing my grandmother's and my mum's clothes and it just took off