Northern Ireland drag queen Elle Vosque has taken second place in the series seven final of Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK.

Elle, known as Evan Keating out of drag, appeared in the final alongside fellow drag queens Silllexa Dixon, Catrin Feelings and the series winner Bones.

Friends and fans went along to a watch party for the west Belfast finalist at Union Street bar in the city centre on Thursday night.

Drag Race was Elle’s first foray into performing outside of Northern Ireland.

Trudy Scrumptious hosted the viewing party and told BBC News NI that “the community wanted to support” Elle.

Trudy said she was “absolutely buzzing” that Elle was in the final.

“Elle being on and representing. There’s been an amazing lineup of talent from Northern Ireland from such a small wee country.

“It’s really exciting to showcase Belfast Drag at its best.”

The Only Sassie is a friend of Elle’s, he said: “I adore her so very much.”

He met her “years and years ago” when he was a creative director at Libertine.

“She had auditioned to come in and work with us and I just seen utter magic in her and she is so fabulous and so gorgeous and so genuine and I thought this Queen is for me and we’ve been best friends ever since.”

He added that he is “just so proud” of Elle.

“She has such a craft and such an art to what she does in drag,” he said.

Aisling Campbell said Elle is “the perfect representation of Belfast”.

“I feel like Belfast has so much to offer in the drag scene and especially in the slightly alternative view, whereas Elle is so fashion forward and I think it’s a great representation of Belfast.”

She added that Elle perform drag with “class but a bit of craic at the same time”.

“We’re very proud of her.”

Roxy Tumbledryer was another of the hosts at the watch party.

Although a win for Elle would have been the ideal outcome, Roxy said: “I’m so proud of her.”

“I’m so over the moon she got so far.”

Roxy added that Elle really “represented Belfast”.

“She represented us so well. She brought our humour, she brought her own unique self.

“We can’t wait to have her back.

“The world is now her oyster.”

Daniel Stinson said he knows Elle from “years ago”.

“It’s been amazing, it’s nice to see and hear someone with your own accent,” he said.

He said the Elle that viewers saw on the show was her “through and through”.

He added: “The sky’s the limit for Elle.”

Lee Potter said he has been watching Elle “every single week”.

“She’s been amazing. She’s going to have a long career.”

He added that he will “always be team Elle”.

Etta Stiletta said Elle had brought a “hint of Belfast throughout” the show, saying she is “beyond her years when it comes to fashion”.

“The only way is up for her, she is wise beyond her years.

“She is like a wee west Belfast ma. We’ll celebrate her.

“She will never forget where she came from.”

The Ulster University student has been performing as Elle Vosque in Northern Ireland for almost five years.

She has recently taken a gap year from her degree in textiles and fashion, a qualification which came in very handy for design challenges on the show.

But with a surname inspired by Broadway singer Jessica Vosk, it was the music-based challenges Elle was most looking forward to.

“I am a queen who does it all, but musical theatre was what got me into drag,” she previously told BBC News NI.

“I just love to perform.”