PRIDE OF PECKHAM

A firm fixture of London’s clubbing scene for more than a decade, Mark-Ashley Dupé has DJed at some of London’s most iconic clubs and parties, from uber-cool Shoreditch raves, to hardcore Vauxhall all-nighters, via the iconic Heaven.

In March 2019, he set up his own club night, Jungle Kitty, an Afrobeat and dancehall event for queer people of colour. It was doing some serious business and Mark was seemingly at the top of his DJ game, when, of course, the pandemic hit. He, along with hundreds of others in the industry, saw his bread and butter disappear overnight.

Despite the setback, Mark found ways to continue working and has managed to rejuvenate himself and his career in the process, from starting a radio show to the recently launched Black Indigo at The Ministry. And on top of these, a big opportunity materialised from an unexpected source.

“I got a call from a friend saying ITV2 is doing a reality TV show,” recalls Dupé. “For ages, I just said, ‘No, no, I’m not doing it. I’m not ready for this.’ But a friend said, ‘This show is made for you!’ He works in production, so I trusted his advice.