A DRAG queen has announced he will be moving out of Brighton after more than 23 years.

Lola Lasagne, real name Stephen Richards, said it was time for “new challenges” after moving to Brighton in 1998 and he will be moving to Manchester this Friday.

He said: “If Brighton and I were in a relationship, then I still love her but we stopped having sex a while ago.

“Manchester offers me new paths to take and new people to meet.”

Stephen also said that the death of James Ledward, an LGBTQ+ campaigner who passed away after a short illness in 2019, “dulled our city and scene in so many ways”.

The performer will still be performing in Brighton on occasion and said he “definitely” will be involved in next year’s Pride celebrations.

Stephen took to the main stage as Lola at the Pride festival on Saturday, paying tribute to James and introducing Christina Aguilera to the stage.

In his speech, he said that Pride remains a protest and the LGBTQ+ community needs to prevent progress toward equal rights from being eroded.

He said: “Our rights are being threatened in some parts of the world - we’re going to say it is not going to happen in the UK.”

The Argus: Lola Lasagne on stage at Brighton Pride on SaturdayLola Lasagne on stage at Brighton Pride on Saturday

Looking back on his time in Brighton, Stephen said: “I’ve watched the LGBTQ+ scene evolve quite beautifully and through my gig, association with Pride, The Rainbow Fund and James Ledward, I’ve learnt how to produce shows, make my voice heard and more importantly learnt the right words to say when doing so.

“I’ve worked with mayors, the council, the police, and I boycotted Pride during those two awful years in 2010 and 2011 when it lost its purpose and abandoned much of the community.

“I’ve had some of the best gigs and times of my life here. Brighton has been quite magnificent.”

Stephen will be back for his first Brighton gig as Lola on September 4 at Charles Street Tap in Marine Parade.