Mental health podcast for teens headlined by Scottish Drag Race royalty

Dazzling drag artist Chanel O’Conor shot to fame after appearing on Ru Paul’s Drag Race and now opens up about growing up on a small island and the challenges of finding her way into drag on the first episode of the new series of the popular Young Scot podcast, This Is How AyeFeel.   

A seamstress and performer, the Isle of Bute native unveils the secret to self-expression, exploding on the drag scene and the mental health challenges and triumphs along the way. 

Chanel launches the third series of ‘This is How AyeFeel’, a podcast aimed at reaching over 16s, features top Scottish personalities revealing how their life experiences have impacted their mental health.   

Hosted by Capital DJ Katy J the podcast provides a platform for candid conversations surrounding mental health, breaking down stigma and will include multi-award-winning Muslim Nigerian-British writer and host of the Sister Station podcast Muminah Koleoso, Scotland’s first esports student and commentator Alec Craigie and comedy double act from Glasgow, Two Shades of Funny. 

Explaining her newfound confidence after appearing on Ru Paul’s Drag Race, Chanel said:    

“I was scared of bringing Chanel to the island. It was only when the show aired that I truly felt comfortable about going back there. It feels like I’ve come full circle and that’s something I love to celebrate.   

“That’s the beauty of growing up on an island, it’s such a small community that values each other, that respects and protects each other. That's also what helped me build my confidence – every single time I went back there I felt a bit more confident to be myself and look a bit fabulous! I care far too much about my own mental health to hide who I am.” 

Young Scot CEO Kirsten Urquhart said:   

“I am proud to launch the incredible new series 'This is How Aye Feel' podcast building on the success of the previous two series. It's an accessible and exciting way for young people to engage in topics that are important to other young people in Scotland and to open up conversations about the impact of mental health. 

“We must continue to highlight to young people the importance of discussions around mental health and reducing stigma - thank you to our wonderful guests for their honesty and bravery in bringing these challenging issues to life.”  

Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts, watch the video on our YouTube channel or for more information visit young.scot/podcast.  

This podcast series has been made possible by funding from the Scottish Government to support young people's emotional well-being and mental health.