How British drag queen La Voix unwittingly offered the make-up for a $73M jewel heist

[ad_1] As a drag performer, La Voix can do absolutely anything from comedy to singing and dancing — and, apparently, disguise jewel thieves.

La Voix, the drag persona of 45-year-old Englishman Chris Dennis, was a runner-up and fan favorite on the sixth season of RuPaul's Drag Race U.Okay. and is at the moment profitable hearts on the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing, the British counterpart to Dancing With the Stars.

However earlier than he was a TV star, Dennis labored as a make-up artist in London — the place, in 2009, he unwittingly performed a task in one of many greatest robberies in British historical past.

"I did the make-up for 2 robbers within the greatest jewellery heist within the U.Okay," mentioned Dennis, who first made the revelation in a 2021 episode of the Little Did You Know podcast.

The story resurfaced up to now week following an article by the Every day Mail.

On Aug. 6, 2009, two handgun-wielding males in fits walked into Graff Diamonds' flagship retailer in London's West Finish and stole round £40 million ($73 million on the time) price of rings, bracelets, necklaces and watches.

The lads have been disguised in prosthetics and make-up — and that is the place Dennis comes into the story.

'Nothing out of the bizarre' Then 29, Dennis was working as a contract make-up artist on the Charles Fox of Covent Backyard make-up studio, a well-known provider for movie and theatre productions.

"I used to be booked to do make-up for 2 males who wished to have ageing make-up," Dennis advised podcast host David McGillivray. "I used to be advised it was for a music video."

He mentioned there was "nothing out of the bizarre" in regards to the males apart from they have been "a bit standoffish and a bit impolite."

He recounted how he and a pal, who was aiding, utilized latex and make-up and "tweaked" all of it to the shoppers' liking — they reportedly thought the prosthetics have been too unrealistic — earlier than the 2 males paid in money and received right into a taxi.

The Every day Mail reported the boys paid him £450 (roughly $810 on the time) for 4 hours of labor.

Dennis mentioned he went house after the job was finished and "thought nothing of it" — till he picked up a free newspaper the subsequent morning.

On the entrance web page was a CCTV picture of the identical two males from the day earlier than.

<img loading="lazy" alt="A composite of five images taken from a security camera showing two men in suits walking into a store past another man in a suit who is holding the door. " srcset="https://i.cbc.ca/ais/feebad14-281e-478f-af38-2f2c0b288ab7,1761779107802/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C746%2C996%2C732%29%3BResize%3D805 805w,https://i.cbc.ca/ais/feebad14-281e-478f-af38-2f2c0b288ab7,1761779107802/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C746%2C996%2C732%29%3BResize%3D1104 1104w,https://i.cbc.ca/ais/feebad14-281e-478f-af38-2f2c0b288ab7,1761779107802/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C746%2C996%2C732%29%3BResize%3D1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 762px) 93.6vw,730px" src="https://i.cbc.ca/ais/feebad14-281e-478f-af38-2f2c0b288ab7,1761779107802/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C746%2C996%2C732%29%3B" style="aspect-ratio:1.360655737704918" data-cy="image-img"/> On this handout CCTV picture from the London Metropolitan Police Service, two suspects in fits enter Graff Diamonds on Aug. 6, 2009. (Metropolitan Police/Getty Photographs) Dennis and the make-up studio instantly contacted London Metropolitan Police and Scotland Yard.

He advised McGillivray he was whisked away by plain-clothed officers to be interviewed. He additionally handed over make-up brushes, robes, rubber masks and money for DNA testing.

He would later must testify after the boys have been caught and finally convicted together with three accomplices in 2010.

Dennis mentioned the ordeal was "scary" on the time.

However he shared an anecdote that prompt he should not have anxious an excessive amount of.

He mentioned a police officer advised him they have been in a position to monitor down the suspects at their houses.

"So, they don't seem to be the brightest bulbs within the field," Dennis joked.

WATCH | Chris Dennis, a.okay.a. La Voix, describes his unwitting position within the heist:

In keeping with The Guardian, a series of occasions and missteps led to their arrests.

The 2 thieves hit a cab whereas dashing away of their getaway automobile — by which they left a cellphone, a shotgun and 4 cartridges once they tried to vary autos.

It is unclear what in the end occurred to the jewels, however the Guardian reported in 2010 that that they had possible been damaged up and resold in different markets.

<img loading="lazy" alt="A composite image of diamond double-hooped earrings, a gold watch with a black and gold facade and brown leather strap, a diamond ring, and a white and yellow diamond piece of jewelry." srcset="https://i.cbc.ca/ais/1ffab169-025a-4f95-906c-874a534c738d,1761766648350/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C1007%2C612%29%3BResize%3D805 805w,https://i.cbc.ca/ais/1ffab169-025a-4f95-906c-874a534c738d,1761766648350/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C1007%2C612%29%3BResize%3D1104 1104w,https://i.cbc.ca/ais/1ffab169-025a-4f95-906c-874a534c738d,1761766648350/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C1007%2C612%29%3BResize%3D1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 762px) 93.6vw,730px" src="https://i.cbc.ca/ais/1ffab169-025a-4f95-906c-874a534c738d,1761766648350/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C1007%2C612%29%3B" style="aspect-ratio:1.6454248366013071" data-cy="image-img"/> A few of the objects stolen from Graff Diamonds within the 2009 theft. (Metropolitan Police/Getty Photographs) It wasn't the primary time the make-up studio had been reportedly tied to a high-profile theft.

In February 2006, armed thieves carried out the biggest money heist in U.Okay. historical past, stealing £53 million ($105 million on the time) from a Securitas money depository in Tonbridge, Kent.

They, too, employed a make-up artist to unknowingly make disguises for them — and she or he received the supplies at Charles Fox studio.

Dennis does not seem to have commented on the resurfaced story of his position within the Graff Diamonds heist, however he is clearly loving the limelight on Strictly Come Dancing.