Drag Race Down Under star Drag Race Down Under performer Maxi Shield has died at the age of 51, five months after being diagnosed with cancer.
The Sydney-based drag artist, born Kristopher Elliot, was widely celebrated as a stalwart of Australia’s drag community. News of her passing was shared by multiple friends and colleagues, prompting an outpouring of tributes across social media.
Dillion Shaw, from Sydney LGBTQ+ nightclub Universal, said the community was “shocked and deeply saddened” by her death, praising her “big personality” and “heart of gold”.
“In all my years in this community, there has never been a time I can remember when Maxi wasn’t an iconic presence (and she’d absolutely smack you for reminding her of that),” Shaw wrote.
“Maxi worked across every queer venue in Sydney, touching hearts not only across the country but around the world through her appearance on Drag Race Down Under. This Mardi Gras will feel different. It will be more solemn, as so many of us gather carrying the space left by her smile, her quick wit, and her remarkable spirit.”
Australian drag wig company Wigs By Vanity also confirmed the news, describing Maxi as “an incredible icon, friend, and our beloved sister”.
“It’s with the heaviest of hearts that we share the news that our dearest sister, Maxine, has passed away,” the company wrote.
“We are all mourning the loss of an incredible icon, friend, and our beloved sister. Thank you for the laughs, the cackles, and the magic you brought into our lives.
“I will cherish every second of our 30 year friendship and I’m so grateful that I was a part of your chosen family. You will be forever loved and deeply missed. I love you old girl.”
A Trailblazer in Australian Drag
Maxi Shield rose to international recognition in 2021 as a contestant on the inaugural season of Drag Race Down Under, where she quickly became a fan favourite and ultimately placed sixth.
Long before her television debut, she had built a formidable reputation on the Australian drag circuit. In 2000, she performed at the closing ceremony of the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney and later helped open the Gay Games in the city in 2002. She was also a familiar and beloved figure along Oxford Street, Sydney’s historic LGBTQ+ precinct.
Illness and Final Performances
In August last year, Maxi was performing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland alongside fellow season one queen Art Simone when she was hospitalised. She was forced to withdraw from their show, Fountain Lakes In Lockdown: A Drag Parody Play, after a swollen gland in her throat led to further medical complications.
The following month, she confirmed the growth had been diagnosed as cancerous. Over subsequent months, she underwent chemotherapy and radiotherapy, sharing regular updates with fans about her treatment and recovery journey.
Earlier this month, Maxi returned to the stage for the first time since her diagnosis — a performance that would become one of her final public appearances.
Season one winner Kita Mean paid tribute on Instagram, describing Maxi as “the kindest queen that has ever been”.
“Your love for drag, your wicked sense of humour, your giving spirit. There will forever be a void in my heavy heart where your fabulousness hit me like a tonne of bricks,” she wrote.
“Your strength over the last few months has been incomprehensible and I will go forward with such pride in my heart knowing I was friends with the best sister in the business.”
Maxi Shield’s death marks the loss of a performer whose warmth, humour and decades-long dedication helped shape Australia’s modern drag landscape.
