Ginger Johnson is the stage name of Donald Marshall, an English drag queen, who won the fifth series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK and the twentieth series of Celebrity MasterChef.
Drag career Marshall began performing in drag at university in the late 2000s. As part of his degree, he wrote a radio play about a woman with whom he had grown up. Without the budget to pay an actress to record it, Marshall "put on a voice and did it myself". He would soon perform the character for live audiences. Marshall also created a child star character called Little Jimmy Johnson, who he described as "a little s**t who's nine-and-three-quarter years old."
Early in his drag career Marshall made costumes for the performance artist Scottee. When someone dropped out of one of Scottee's pageants, Marshall stepped in. Scottee was "so impressed with my clothes that they said they would pay me £100 a week to make outfits. Three days later, I packed up and moved to London."
Marshall's drag alter ego Ginger Johnson was inspired by the "amazing, fiery redheaded women from the Golden Age of Hollywood", including Lucille Ball, Rita Hayworth, Carol Channing and Kay Thompson. As the character has evolved, Marshall thinks of Johnson as a "time traveller" saying "she's this character that can exist anywhere that I dare drop her." Other influences include David Hoyle, Dina Martina and Danny La Rue plus Drag Race alumni Jinkx Monsoon, BenDeLaCreme and Tammie Brown. In 2014 Johnson joined the "defunct but game-changing" queer nightlife collective Sink the Pink for which she wrote, directed and co-produced six "surreal spins" on panto including: Down the Rabbit Hole, The Queen's Head (for Selfridges), How to Catch a Krampus and Escape from Planet Trash. Johnson also performs at and hosts various club events. Johnson appeared at the UKs first ever drag karaoke bar, The Karaoke Hole in Dalston, London which opened in May 2018. Johnson is a London Associate Artist of the Pleasance Islington, London. In 2020, Johnson co-presented the online breakfast show Wakey! alongside Love Island contestant Chris Taylor. Johnson has written children's stories, including Glamourous Gran and Other Tall Stories which she has performed at the Southbank Centre. Johnson has also created a puppet video series.
In 2023, Ginger Johnson won the fifth series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK. She has described herself as "a helium balloon in the shape of a woman" and her drag as "silly" and "camp". During her time on the show, she impersonated Barbara Cartland for the Snatch Game challenge. In preparation for the show, she prepared "roast" jokes in advance for all the queens on the "rumour lists" which circulated before filming started. As at December 2023, Johnson is one of only a few queens who have won three challenges in a row in any of the Drag Race franchises, alongside Lawrence Chaney, Chad Michaels, Envy Peru and Manila Luzon. In December 2025, Johnson won the twentieth series of Celebrity MasterChef.
Personal life Marshall was born in Lanchester, County Durham. He attended a Catholic secondary school and studied scriptwriting at university in Newcastle. As a child, Marshall wanted to be a pantomime dame, considering Chris Hayward of the Theatre Royal, Newcastle one of the "all-time greats". Marshall's first memory of making people laugh as a child was doing "magic shows in my local library".
Marshall played for the Newcastle Falcons rugby team. In 2017 he said, "I often joke that being a drag queen and being a rugby player are very similar: they involve a lot of physical pain, and it’s quite aggressive." The flat where Marshall lives with his partner featured in an IKEA article, with design by Ashlyn Gibson.
Shows Year Show Venue 2014 Some Mothers 2014-2018 Little Jimmy Johnson Various 2015 Suddenly, Last Summer The Glory 2016-2018 Awful 2016 Down the Rabbit HoleSelfridges, London 2017 The Queen’s Head 2018 How to Catch a Krampus Pleasance Theatre, London2019 Ginger Johnson's Happy Place Edinburgh Festival Escape from Planet TrashPleasance Theatre, London 2020 Ginger Johnson's Christmas Egg2021 Dog Show Ginger Johnson and Pals2022 Good Clean Fun The Ginger and Jonbers Show The Glory, London Ginger Johnson’s Festive Spread Pleasance Theatre, London2023 David Hoyle and Ginger Johnson Hebden Bridge Ginger All The Way! Soho Theatre, London 2024 Angels of the North Newcastle, London, Liverpool and Birmingham
Discography Featured singles Title Year Album Don't Ick My Yum (The M-52s Version)(RuPaul featuring Banksie, Kate Butch, & Miss Naomi Carter) 2023 Pant-Oh She Better Don't: The Rusical 2023 Pant-Oh She Better Don't: The Rusical Album
Filmography Television Year Title Role Notes2023 RuPaul's Drag Race UK Winner (Series 5) Lorraine Guest 2024 Bring Back My Girls Guest Ginger's House Main role bbc.co.uk 2025 Celebrity MasterChef Contestant; winner
References