RuPaul's Drag Race UK

For the current series, see RuPaul's Drag Race UK series 6.

RuPaul's Drag Race UK
GenreReality competition
Based onRuPaul's Drag Race
Written byPhil Mount
Directed byTony Grech-Smith
Presented byRuPaul
Judges
Theme music composerRuPaul
Opening themeRuPaul's Drag Race theme
Ending theme"Rock It (To the Moon)"
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series6
No. of episodes56 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Bruce McCoy
  • Sally Sanders
  • RuPaul Charles
  • Fenton Bailey
  • Randy Barbato
  • Tom Campbell
ProducerMichelle Visage
Production locations
AnimatorJamie Hewlett
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time60–70 minutes
Production companyWorld of Wonder
Original release
NetworkBBC Three / BBC One (Series 1–3)
BBC Three / BBC One (Series 4–)
WOW Presents Plus (International)
Release3 October 2019 (2019-10-03) –
present (present)
Related
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

RuPaul's Drag Race UK is a British reality competition television series based on the American television series of the same name. The television series, a collaboration between the BBC and World of Wonder, premiered on 3 October 2019.[1][2] The show is the fourth installment of the Drag Race franchise, and the second fronted by RuPaul. The show documents RuPaul and a panel of judges' search for "the United Kingdom's next drag superstar", the first series title dubbed "UK's First Drag Superstar". RuPaul plays several roles on the show including host, mentor and head judge for the series, as the contestants are given different challenges to participate in each week. The show also employs a panel of judges: RuPaul, Michelle Visage, Alan Carr, and Graham Norton.[3]

The show was renewed for a second series in 2019;[4][5] however, production was suspended in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[6] Production of the second series resumed later in the year, with filming concluding in late 2020. The cast of 12 new queens was announced on 16 December 2020 and the series premiered on 14 January 2021. The show was renewed for a third (2021), fourth (2022) and fifth (2023) series.[7][8] After the first series aired, the show received numerous award nominations from the twenty-fifth National Television Awards including: "The Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Award" and "Best TV Judge" with both Visage and RuPaul receiving a nomination.[9]

The show was critically acclaimed in the UK,[10] with 15.6 million streams during the first season.[10] The show's success is credited for being the driving force behind the BBC bringing back the defunct television channel BBC Three.[11][12] Spin-off show RuPaul's Drag Race: UK vs. the World relaunched the television channel in February 2022. The return proved successful, with the show securing five times more viewers than any other show broadcasting during the channel's first day.[13] The show is now recognised as one of the BBC's most popular non-scripted shows.[13] The show's success has also paved way for contestants to break into the music industry, as well as creating drag pop groups: Frock Destroyers and United Kingdolls, with both groups charting on the Official UK Charts.[14][15] Bimini Bon-Boulash who was a member of the latter group, was the first drag queen from any Drag Race franchise to sign a major mainstream record deal, signing a joint deal with Relentless Records and Sony Music in July 2022.[16] A number of contestants from the show have also signed major modelling contracts.[16] The show also produced spin-off series God Shave the Queens, which follows the Drag Race contestants on tour together after the completion of the show.[17] The show's success also resulted in the BBC purchasing broadcasting rights for both Canada's Drag Race and RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under.[18]

  1. ^ "Michelle Visage is our ninth celebrity for Strictly 2019!". BBC. 5 August 2019. Archived from the original on 5 August 2019. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
  2. ^ "'RuPaul's Drag Race' launching U.K. version with RuPaul, Michelle Visage reportedly returning". EW.com. Archived from the original on 5 December 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  3. ^ Abbott, Kate (14 February 2019). "'They better werk!' Graham Norton and Alan Carr join RuPaul's Drag Race UK". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 14 February 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  4. ^ Earp, Catherine (7 November 2019). "RuPaul's Drag Race UK gets a second series on BBC Three". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 7 November 2019. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  5. ^ "Shantay, you stay! Ru Paul's Drag Race UK renewed for second series". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 7 November 2019. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  6. ^ Harp, Justin (18 March 2020). "RuPaul's Drag Race UK season 2 halts filming due to coronavirus pandemic". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 1 April 2020. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference pink1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ "Drag Race UK will return to screens for a fifth season". Gay Times. 2 September 2022. Archived from the original on 2 September 2022. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  9. ^ "NTA nominations 2020: the full shortlist of National Television Awards nominees, and how to vote for the NTAs". i. Archived from the original on 17 January 2021. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  10. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference series 2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference bbc3c was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Smith, Reiss (2 March 2021). "BBC Three to return as a proper TV channel after Drag Race UK's runaway success". PinkNews. Archived from the original on 13 March 2021. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  13. ^ a b Wiseman, Andreas (2 February 2021). "BBC Three's RuPaul's Drag Race UK brings in five times the viewers of any other show". Deadline. Archived from the original on 6 August 2022. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  14. ^ Bradley, Sian (27 September 2021). "RuPaul's Drag Race UK contestants enjoy chart success". PopBuzz. Archived from the original on 3 July 2022. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  15. ^ Firth, Abigail (27 November 2021). "RuPaul's Drag Race UK contestants enjoy chart success on season 2". Dork. Archived from the original on 6 August 2022. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  16. ^ a b Shatto, Rachel (11 July 2022). "Drag Race Contestant Bimini signs major record deal". Pride Magazine. Archived from the original on 11 July 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  17. ^ "'God Shave the Queens' Season 2 Trailer: Watch Your Favorite 'Drag Race UK' Stars Go on Tour! (Exclusive)". ET Online. 26 July 2022. Archived from the original on 30 July 2022. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  18. ^ Christopher Rudolph. "Grab Some Poutine Because "Drag Race Canada" Is Headed Your Way". NewNowNext. Archived from the original on 28 June 2019. Retrieved 28 June 2019.