Conchita Wurst: "You just want to grab all the gays and take them away."

The winner of this year's Eurovision Song Contest, Conchita Wurst, reckons that Vladimir Putin is attractive.

Interviewed in today's Guardian (July 6), she said, when asked if she had any fashion tips for the Russian leader:

"Oh my God. No, not really. I have to say he's a very handsome man. I can separate things, you know?"

However, she is very much aware of the repression gays suffer in Russia:

"Such horrible things happened there, you just want to grab all the gays and take them away. But that's also not the right thing to do, because they deserve the right to live in their own country in peace and harmony."

Wurst's Eurovision win has launched her as an icon for the gay community worldwide. Of the responsibility, she admits:

"I'm not perfect, I just do what I think is right. So if I can't fulfil people's expectations, I'm sorry, but it's not my fault. I never said that I will change the world. I try to, you know?

"It's just unbelievable that nearly every gay human being knows who I am now – that's overwhelming."

Despite her international success, there have been a few haters, notably on Facebook where Austrians have created anti-Conchita Facebook groups, and hetero Russians have shaved off their beards in protest. Wurst is unfazed:

"It's funny that these people think I'm so powerful. I've figured out over the years, you can only hurt me if I love you; if I don't know you, I really don't care. There are people who want to kill me and I'm always like, 'Well, get in line, darling.'"

Conchita Wurst is the stage persona of Tom Neuwirth, a drag artist. Neuwirth admits it's a relief to be able to leave Wurst on stage:

"Like everyone, you're happy when you go home, take off your work clothes and relax. It's a completely different level of relaxation or stress.

"I love to be a boy when the wig is off, so I really won't change that."

Watch Conchita Wurst perform 'Rise Like A Phoenix' at Eurovision, her 'The Graham Norton Show' interview, and fan footage of her performance of Prince's 'Purple Rain' with Ruth Lorenzo below: