Photo: BBC

Scarlett Harlett has issued an emotional statement after opening up about her family life on the latest episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK.

Episode five of Drag Race UK sees the queens compete in two groups to create and market their own “Draglexa” assistant.

Come elimination day, Scarlett and Kitty Scott-Claus share an intimate moment as they do their makeup together.

Scarlett tells Kitty about her “tumultuous” upbringing, which she says is the reason she struggles to connect with people as an adult.

The London-based queen reveals that her mother has a disease called COPD, which means she has to live off an oxygen machine.

She states that after fighting with her mother a lot growing up, the diagnosis came as the two became incredibly close and now she is “desperately making up for lost time.”

“She loves me for everything I am,” Scarlett adds during the episode.

In the incredibly intimate scene, she cries to Kitty as she says she “knows that’s going to be gone soon” as her mother’s condition worsens.

Scarlett goes on to share that her appearance on Drag Race is so important to her as it will give her mother the chance to see her succeed at what she does best.

Shortly after the episode, the queen took to Instagram to write a lengthy post about how “grateful” she is for her mother.

“I couldn’t feel more grateful for my relationship with my mum. She’s always been my biggest supporter, when it felt like nobody else cared. My cheerleader. My best friend. But most importantly my heart,” Scarlett writes.

During the episode’s Untucked scenes, Scarlett has a confrontation with the other queens which results in her walking off the set.

In her statement, she explains that this is because she struggles to discuss her emotions so openly.

“Quite frankly I’m embarrassed by the way I acted in Untucked, but I just want you all to know that talking about my emotions is so hard for me,” Scarlett continues. “I [constantly] put on this persona that I’m a silly camp person all the time that.. I just struggle to form true connections in life. It’s lonely sometimes. And that’s why I cherish my relationship with my mum, because she knows the real me and loves me anyway.. and that means so much to me.

“I try to stay so strong and not let my wall crack because.. honestly I’m petrified of looking weak. So after that chat in the workroom I went onto the runway feeling quite raw.. And then WW3 hit.

“As hard as it was to watch, I did this for my mum. Flaws and all. And to know that she’s proud of me.. I couldn’t ask for any better validation than that.”

Next week’s episode will see the queens partake in the reading challenge before the highly anticipated Snatch Game.

Season three of Drag Race UK is available to stream now on BBC iPlayer.