First came the tinder date for drag sensations Nick and Shameel Kennedy-Hall, then the romantic bar proposal and overseas travel, followed by purchasing their dream villa and taking turns starring on hit television series RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under.
Now, the much-loved couple, better known by their stage names Anita Wigl’it and Ivanna Drink, have another milestone up their sleeves, becoming first-time parents!
“There’s plans for children and I want three, while Nick wants two,” laughs Shameel, 27, who works at a bank when he’s not entertaining audiences as the loud and fabulous Ivanna Drink. “Kids gravitate towards him because he has such a kind, patient and child-like personality. I’m more of the hard one, apparently.
“We’re leaning towards surrogacy, or I’d love to give a child a home who needs one, but we’re also aware the surrogate and adoption laws in New Zealand are outdated.”
By the time the couple will be ready to become doting dads in a few years, they’re hoping it’ll be easier for gay couples to fulfil their parenthood dreams in Aotearoa, since they have friends advocating for change.
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In the meantime, the Auckland couple of eight years are focusing on their most recent highlight, Shameel’s debut television role on the latest series of RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under, which British-born Nick, 32, also competed on as an audience favourite in the first season during 2021.
“Nick went home for the sewing challenge, so before going on the show, I learnt to sew,” teases Shameel, dad to adorably fluffy Japanese spitz dogs Koko and Lockie.
“But you can’t ever really understand the experience until you’re in it. It was a lot of fun and I’d do it all again. Plus, every drag queen wants to meet RuPaul!”
Shameel as Ivanna (second from left) on RuPaul’s Drag Race.
When Shameel matched with Nick on Tinder as a 19-year-old, he’d only done drag once for a play at high school, where he dressed as Snow White’s sister Rose Red. Nick was already well into his career as the silly and high- energy Anita Wigl’it, after he saw a musical of Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert while working at a theatre, and decided to have a Priscilla-themed 21st birthday.
“Drag became a part of me and now I do it full-time,” says Nick, who played trumpet for the Royal New Zealand Navy band for four years. “I can never see myself retiring fully. I think I’ll always be doing
drag. Even in my eighties and nineties I’ll be doing a show once or twice a month!”
When Nick matched with Shameel on the dating app, he didn’t have any photos of him dressed in drag. Instead, he preferred to showcase himself in his most comfortable state, wearing men’s clothing.
“But I had all my catfish photos that make me look way better than I actually do,” quips Nick, who shared a first date with his hubby at Mezze Bar on Queen Street in Auckland, where Shameel later proposed in 2019.
“We met for tea and got along really well – there was no awkwardness. We ended up getting dinner because we talked for so long, and then walked around the Viaduct and talked some more. It was great.”
When Shameel decided to dress in drag for Halloween not long after they met, he won a competition and there was no turning back. Shameel taught himself how to do drag make-up by watching YouTube videos and he borrowed his hubby’s outfits sometimes, which Nick didn’t like.
“Now I’m the one saying no to Nick when he wants to borrow a wig,” smiles Shameel, who proposed to Nick on his 30th birthday, after a day that started with breakfast and a tour through the back rooms
of Auckland department store Smith and Caughey’s, because Nick loves the building.
After lunch and horse riding, and giving his partner little presents throughout the day, Shameel took Nick to Mezze Bar, where he handed him a little card he pretended was a clothes voucher.
“It said, ‘Will you marry me?’ and as I read it, he put a ring on the table. Then the waiter came over and asked what we’d like to order,” laughs Nick, who hosted House Of Drag from 2018 to 2020. “I asked if he was serious and he said yes. I hadn’t expected a proposal and thought I’d have to propose to Shameel!”
The happy couple went to Europe the following day for a two-month holiday, but not before they bought Shameel a silver ring and had the date of their engagement engraved on each of their bands.
When they got married in 2020 at Kumeu Valley Estate in Auckland, just five days after New Zealand’s Covid lockdown lifted to level one, they also had the date of their 13 June wedding engraved.
Shameel (left) and Nick on their special day.
“It was such a special day because with the prior lockdown, it was a real party for everyone. We all had such a good time,” enthuses Nick, who enjoyed a traditional Indian mehndi (henna) night the evening before the wedding to celebrate Shameel’s heritage.
“We didn’t do drag at our wedding, but some friends were in drag because we told everyone to just come as they felt comfortable.”
The couple describe their big day as rustic and homely, featuring decorations such as cut branches from Shameel’s parents’ bay leaf tree and the couple’s magnolia tree, which they turned into beautiful table centrepieces.
“It was nice and simple because we’re really not showy people,” confides Nick, who loves his quiet time and running multiple businesses, including the pair’s new “baby”, dragqueenbingo.co.nz.
“I’m actually a lot calmer and more sensible than Anita, who is always on the go and full of energy.
“When Shameel and I aren’t entertaining, we’re working towards a house extension on our villa – our goal is to be mortgage-free by the time I’m 40. We’ve been doing no-spending challenges. Really,
we’re pretty boring!”
RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under screens Fridays at 7pm on TVNZ+.
