Strictly Come Dancing's La Voix's accidental link to biggest jewellery heist in UK history
La Voix is taking part in the current series of Strictly Come Dancing where she has quickly become a fan favourite as well as a favourite among her fellow celebrities
Strictly Come Dancing star La Voix has a bizarre link to a jewellery heist, it has been revealed. The former Ru Paul's Drag Race UK contestant got caught up in one of the biggest heists in British history – a far cry from her usual day job.
The strange story has resurfaced as she has now appeared on the BBC show, with many left confused how she would even be involved in the crime in the first place.
Back in 2009, drag queen La Voix, whose real name is Chris Dennis, was working at her day job as a theatrical makeup artist when she was booked for an interesting challenge. Two men booked her to do their makeup to make them look much older.
However, the star was told that the makeover was for a music video, not a jewellery heist. La Voix took four hours to makeover the men; Aman Kassaye and Craig Calderwood.
Just an hour after the makeup, the two men arrived at Graff diamond store on New Bond Street, London and threatened the staff to clear the cases at gunpoint. They went on to leave with £40m worth of gems.
Ultimately, Calderwood was found guilty of robbery and possessing a firearm and sentenced to 21 years in jail. Meanwhile, ringleader Kassaye was sentenced to 23 years for conspiracy to rob, for possessing a firearm and for kidnap.
The 2009 heist, with a value of approximately £40 million, is considered the biggest jewellery heist in UK history.
La Voix opened up in 2021 about how she was tricked into doing the makeup for the criminals. On the Little Did You Know podcast in 2021, she said: "I was booked to do two men who wanted to be made to look older, and I was told it was for a music video. We started doing things you could do with latex and all the ageing makeup."
The men paid La Voix £450 for the transformation before going to the jewellery store. It was just the next day that La Voix was reading the paper to find that she recognised the grainy CCTV images.
She said: "I thought, 'That’s those two men that I did the makeup on yesterday!'" Scotland Yard detectives interviewed the TV personality and also took the makeup brushes, gowns, banknotes and rubber masks to test for DNA.
La Voix also had to give evidence in court which she said was "very frightening". Friends and fans of the star have taken to social media to discuss the wild story.
Fellow drag star Marmalade wrote on X: "Morning everyone! Quick question, am I suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning or did I ready this correctly? Lmk!"
While another said: "This is an insane piece of lore to drop," with a third person adding: "I’m so so deeply obsessed with La Voix."
Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One this Saturday at 6:35pm.
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