Conchita Wurst

“I have so many incredible fans in Russia, I really badly want to go there.”

“I'm jealous, I'm moody, I'm really not good to be around as a boyfriend.”

“It's just unbelievable that nearly every gay human being knows who I am now - that's overwhelming.”

“I do love to have pictures taken and to pose and wear fabulous gowns, so red carpets are a comfort zone.”

“Maybe I'll never get the Grammy. But maybe I will get things that are worth much, much more than any Grammy which could stand on my shelf.”

“If you want to be a bearded lady then you are allowed to do that because you're not hurting anybody.”

“As I always say, you don't have to love me, but you have to respect that I'm here.”

“Once I decided to be a different person on stage, I got the chance to be larger than life and over the top, which I love.”

“If you are prepared to admit to others and to yourself who you really are, then you can have a fantastic life. Of course, you need to have a thick skin to get through it all.”

“I took to the Eurovision stage as an opportunity to talk to Europe about tolerance and acceptance.”

“Being LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender) in Russia is anything but fun.”

“I'm a drag artist, and we put so much effort into creating characters, so the easiest way to show us respect is to call us by the name we gave ourselves and refer to the gender we have chosen to be on stage.”

“I prefer to do my own make-up.”

“Seriously I just don't get why straight people are so afraid of the fact that gay people can get married.”

“The main topic I'm always talking about is equality, and I get that it's politics, but it shouldn't be. It should be the most normal thing ever. There's bullying and discrimination about the colour of your skin, your religion. And it must end.”

“My goal is a Grammy so my songs will have to be good.”

“I don't see myself as a political figure.”

“People only look at my beard for a moment. Then it melts away and it's just another part of me. It's like the most natural thing, that this is what a bearded lady looks like. It's beautiful to see.”

“When not dressed as Conchita I am a man, and a lazy one at that.”

“But I would not refuse a meeting with Putin. I would like to spend a week with Putin, so that I could better understand him.”