Hit musical show Glee has featured gay characters from the beginning – but now it’s getting even more LGBT, with the addition of a male student who transforms into a stunning diva.

A shy boy named Wade pops on a shiny black dress and finds confidence as Unique, joining the cast in its new disco-themed episode.

The actor playing Unique is Alex Newell, who auditioned in drag on the show’s spin-off reality contest The Glee Project, won his spot to appear with the main cast in actual episodes.

We’re not sure yet whether Wade will transition into Unique full-time – he could simply be enjoying a turn as a drag diva – but following the recent high-profile story of transgender Miss Universe Canada contestant Jenna Talackova we can imagine the show’s writers will be keen to explore that topical and inclusive angle.

Take a look at Unique’s star number Boogie Shoes – complete with five-inch hells – below:

As its third season continues, the Glee guest stars keep coming. We’ve recently seen Ricky Martin, and now Whoopi Goldberg and even mischievous blogger Perez Hilton are set visit McKinley High.

Glee has also paid tribute to Whitney Houston – watch Mercedes, Santana, Rachel and Kurt perform her 1985 hit How Will I Know below.