A borough makeup artist who works with star names has been nominated for a prestigious industry award for her work on one of TV's most popular programmes.
Sam Regan, 37, will be heading to the Royal Television Society (RTS) Craft and Design Awards next month with a nomination for best makeup design on BBC Three’s RuPaul’s Drag Race UK.
Her colleagues Julie Cooper and David Petruschin, also known as Raven, have also been nominated.
The team were also shortlisted at last year's ceremony.
Salon owner Sam, who lives in Greenmount, has worked on each of the hit reality competition’s five series as a personal makeup artist to glamourous judge, Michelle Visage. She is also the owner of the Glam Box, a salon on Blackburn Street, Radcliffe.
The show, which first aired in the UK in 2019, sees a group of 12 drag queens battle it out for the title of the UK’s next drag superstar.
It is one of several worldwide spin offs from the original American series, RuPaul’s Drag Race, which has run since 2009.
READ MORE: Stanley's of Bury reveals reopening date after fire
The former Woodhey High School student began working as one of Michelle’s make-up artists in 2017 following a chance encounter with a relative of the DJ and television personality’s agent.
In 2019, she became Michelle's first makeup artist and is now the creative force behind some of her most iconic looks.
Sam said: “Whenever she’s in the UK doing anything, then I’m with her. She is the most fun, the most caring and the most thoughtful person, it’s always fun.
“I just count my blessings every day because I’m so lucky do a job that I love. I get to go to loads of fun places with her, I would actually class her as a friend as well now.”
As well as working on Drag Race UK, Sam has also worked with Michelle on other programmes including Ireland’s Got Talent and Paramount series Queen of the Universe.
Separately, Sam also worked on looks for Eurovision this year as well as with football commentator Alex Scott and Selling Sunset star Christine Quinn.
READ MORE: Bury: Ex Emmerdale star Charley Webb and Matthew Wolfenden split up
She said: “It’s the funnest job in the world, its a pinch yourself moment because you go in and it doesn’t feel like work, everyone’s so lovely.
“We’ve all worked together for five series now and we’ve got great relationships with people.
“The difficult thing is that I have to leave and go away and work for a month at a time.”
She says that one of the looks that she is particularly proud of a Madonna-inspired make-up from series five.
She said: “It was just really out there and very on point for Madonna now with the bleach brows.
“With Michelle, we’ve got the kind of relationship now where she let me push my own boundaries and experiment with looks and she’s really up for it – the woman is 54 and let’s be bleach her brows!”
READ MORE: Ramsbottom's railway history book published by local author
For Sam, the RTS awards, which take place on Monday, December 4 in London, means recognition for the important work that goes on behind the scenes to being people their favourite shows.
She said: “It’s amazing, it takes a full team to make a show happen, its just so nice that the Royal Television Awards have the craft awards to honour all those people.
“Its just such an honour to be a girl from Bury alongside such prestigious nominees, I’m just really grateful.”
When she’s not working with Michelle or behind the scenes for TV, Sam still bring a touch of glamour to the people of Bury at the Glam Box on weekends.
She added: "I love going and doing what I do,” she said “but nothing beats being in the salon on a Saturday.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here