Madame Yoko (drag queen)

Madame Yoko
Madame Yoko in 2022
Born
Ian Lejeune

1990 or 1991 (age 34–35)[1]
Cần Thơ, Vietnam
NationalityBelgian-Luxembourgish
Other namesLady Sushi
OccupationDrag queen
Years active2016–
Known forDrag Race Belgique
Drag Race Philippines: Slaysian Royale

Madame Yoko is the stage name of Ian Lejeune, a Vietnamese-born Belgian-Luxembourgish[2] drag performer who competed on the second season of Drag Race Belgique[3] and on Drag Race Philippines: Slaysian Royale.

Early life

Ian Lejeune was born in Vietnam and adopted by parents from Radelange, Martelange, Belgium. He attended primary school in Martelange and secondary school at the Athénée royal d'Arlon in Arlon.[1] Lejeune was openly gay as a teenager.[4] He studied interior design at the Institut Saint-Luc in Liège and Brussels.[5]

Career

Lejeune began performing in drag on April 16, 2016 under the name Lady Sushi.[6][7] Lady Sushi's first performance was to the song "Blue Jeans" by Lana Del Rey.[7] She saw her first drag show at La Boule Rouge in Brussels. Her "drag mother" is the Swiss drag queen Catherine d'Oex.[8] Catherine, not wanting to call her Lady Sushi, began referring to her as Yoko in reference to the science fiction comic strip Yoko Tsuno. The idea to add the title "Madame" to her name came from Chez Maman, a popular gay bar in Brussels.[7] She ran the Brasserie Barnum drag cabaret and restaurant in Redange-sur-Attert with her husband, Alex Goedert, from 2019 until its closing in 2024.[6][9][10]

Madame Yoko was announced as part of the cast of Drag Race Belgique season 2 in 2024, becoming the first Asian contestant on the show and the first Luxembourgish contestant on the Drag Race franchise.[3] She placed eighth out of nine contestants, being eliminated on the third episode after losing a lip-sync to "Bruxelles je t'aime" by Angèle against La Veuve.[11] In 2025, she was revealed as a part of the inaugural Drag Race Philippines: Slaysian Royale cast.[12]

Filmography

References

  1. ^ a b Guidi, Nicolas. "Madame Yoko, candidate à « Drag Race »". barnum.lu (in French). L'Avenir. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
  2. ^ Rodrigues, Ricardo J. "Day 6: A drag refuge deep in the Luxembourg countryside". luxtimes.lu. Luxembourg Times. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
  3. ^ a b "Say 'bonjour, hi' to the queens of 'Drag Race Belgique' season two!". Yahoo News. 2024-01-16. Retrieved 2025-07-16.
  4. ^ Jacquemot, Patrick. "L'envol de Madame Yoko". land.lu (in French). D'Lëtzebuerger Land. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference lequotidien was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ a b Kapgen, Jang; Kleren, Lex. "About kings and queens". journal.lu. Lëtzebuerger Journal. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
  7. ^ a b c Da Costa Oliveira, Carmelinda. "Ian Lejeune, Alias Madame Yoko seule représentante de la province du Luxembourg dans l'émission Drag Race Belgique". rtbf.be (in French). RTBF. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
  8. ^ Oblet, Guillaume. "Madame Yoko, la reine des drag-queens luxembourgeoises". lequotidien.lu (in French). Le Quotidien. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
  9. ^ Jäger, Franziska. "Cabaret Barnum hopes for second life after landlord ends lease". luxtimes.lu. Luxembourg Times. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
  10. ^ Rodrigues, Fabian. "Barnum, le cabaret résilient". paperjam.lu (in French). Paperjam. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
  11. ^ "Jawadde Dadde". Drag Race Belgique. Season 2. Episode 3. February 15, 2024. Tipik / WOW Presents Plus.
  12. ^ Fernando, Jefferson (July 15, 2025). "Drag Race Philippines returns with Slaysian Royale all-star showdown". Daily Tribune. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
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