A NORTH-EAST drag queen has flown the flag of diversity for the region by taking part in a television advert for the UK's first Pride flight.

Tess Tickle, of Ferryhill, County Durham, was one of five drag performers selected to feature in the Virgin advert as the company launched its first Pride flight between London and New York.

Miss Tickle was handpicked for the job which saw her strut her stuff in the airline's iconic uniform as part of a day of secret filming at Gatwick Airport.

The performer said she initially thought it was a hoax when she was approached by producers who were impressed by her unique look from her Instagram posts.

Miss Tickle said she really enjoyed taking part in the commercial, which involved replicating an earlier advert where flight crew make their way through the terminal.

This time, the drag queens were led by 'pilot' Tituss Burgess, the Broadway musical actor and star of the hit Netflix show Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt , and each pulled their own brightly coloured suitcase to represent the rainbow colours of the LBGT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) community.

"It was nice to meet other queens and see how they did things differently and just show that even we are different," she said. "It's great that Virgin are jumping on board and saying 'Let's make a big deal of this because we want to support the LGBT community'."

Miss Tickle said she was "treated like a celebrity" on the shoot and went through the same process that all Virgin Air crew do to earn their wings.

Just as with real crew members going through the process, all the queen's uniforms were tailored to them and Miss Tickle said she felt extra special with a Vivienne Westwood handbag and shoes although she was unfortunately not allowed to keep them.

All the participants were sworn to secrecy about the advert until it hit the TV earlier this week.

"My social media just went crazy," she said. "It's nice to see yourself on the TV but the messages of support from people in the North-East have been amazing. It's my first TV advert and I don't want it to be my last."

She added: "If I can do any good with Tess then that's what I want to do; I want to make a difference."

Miss Tickle said she would jump at the chance to fly on the special flight which will be hosted by Mr Burgess and packed full of special guests and live performances.

Staffed entirely by LGBT+ pilots and cabin crew, the flight will be a true celebration of queer culture 38,000ft above the Atlantic.

It will feature special on-board entertainment including DJ, drag queen bingo, Judy Garland singalong, inter-seat speed dating and special in-flight entertainment.

In partnership with NYC & Company and the Alliance for Downtown New York, the flight is designed to celebrate World Pride 2019, which for the first time ever is being held in the United States in New York City.

Taking place in June 2019, the event commemorates the 50th anniversary of New York City’s Stonewall Uprising, widely regarded as a pivotal moment in LGBTQ history.

World Pride is organised at an international level to celebrate Pride for those countries where homosexual activity is still illegal or repressed, with previous host cities including Rome, London and Toronto.

Mr Burgess added: “At a time when we’re seeing the rights of minority groups under threat, it is more important than ever we stand up and make our voices heard. The LGBT community has made enormous strides over the last 50 years, and I’m so proud to partner with Virgin Holidays and Virgin Atlantic to mark this occasion in style and celebrate the hard-won freedoms from those who came before us.”

A portion of ticket sales from the flight will be donated to The Attitude Magazine Foundation to advance community Pride initiatives here in the UK – and further fundraising and raffles will take place on-board.

The flight departs from London Heathrow on June 28, flying direct to New York City’s Newark airport with a flexible return date on offer.

Holiday-makers can buy an Economy Light flight-only ticket from £380 by calling Virgin Atlantic on 0344-2097777, or indulge in a full three night package from £699 by calling Virgin Holidays on 0344-5573859.

For more information visit virginholidays.co.uk/prideflight or virginatlantic.com/pride