RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs The World is headed to BBC3 and will see iconic queens battling it out as they try and impress RuPaul and the panel of judges with the UK as the host country.
The exciting new series welcomes queens from different franchises and cultures to compete in an international arena, showcasing their country’s finest drag in their bid to become the Queen of the World.
On top of this, a great line-up of celebrity judges are joining RuPaul to give their verdict on the various challenges and looks, so there's plenty of great talent to enjoy!
Here's everything we know so far...
'RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs The World' release date
The new series lands on BBC3 and BBC iPlayer from Tuesday, Feb. 1 at 9pm, with new episodes airing weekly on Tuesdays.
Who are the contestants?
Baga Chipz - United Kingdom
Season 1's Baga Chipz came 3rd place in the original UK series, but now she's determined to make a comeback and win this season. Baga is originally from London, and now has a dedicated fan following since appearing on the show.
Speaking about taking part in RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Versus The World, she said: "People will remember me from season 1 of Drag Race UK for being a method actress… I’m a comedienne, song queen, dance queen, make-up queen, look queen… I’m just everything."
Blu Hydrangea - United Kingdom
Season 1's Blu Hydrangea is back again, with the Belfast-born queen making it to 5th place in the first Drag Race UK season. Now, she's hoping she can take the crown for herself and beat all the other queens.
Blu revealed: "I’m ready to make it to the top. I deserve to reign supreme. When I walked into season one, I said let’s paint the town blue. Well how about we paint the world blue!"
Cheryl Hole - United Kingdom
Essex's Cheryl Hole returns to Drag Race, and she's also feeling confident about winning this time around. In season 1, she came fourth but is now determined to conquer and become Queen of the World.
She said: "YES! I am the one to beat! And I’m ready to show that I’m not mediocre anymore! This is the queen of the huns right here. I’m gonna have all the badges. I’m gonna be walking sideways because it’s so heavy because I’ve got all the badges… and I’ll be QUEEN OF THE WORLD!"
Janey Jacké - Holland
After becoming runner-up on season 1 of Drag Race Holland, Janey is back in the competition hoping to become Queen of the World as she faces off against the other queens.
She said: "I’m going to approach it with a lot of fire… they think I’m just a pretty girl. But I want to break the stereotypes of what people think of the Netherlands. I’ve got it all! I’ve got the performances, I got jokes, I got everything in this package!"
Jimbo - Canada
Jimbo is best known for appearing on season 1 of Canada's Drag Race, where she finished fourth place. Now she's looking to snatch the crown for herself as she prepares to take on the world.
She said: "I was the robbed queen from Canada’s Drag Race season one. But I’ve moved on… and I’m here to rob someone else now. Let’s do this!"
Jujubee - United States of America
Jujubee appeared on season 2 of the original RuPaul's Drag Race, where she finished in 3rd place. She has also competed in All Stars 1 and 5 and is keen to prove to the judges that she's got what it takes.
Speaking about the new series, she said: "There’s no way that I’m NOT getting to the top every single time. I am a pro at this competition. These girls can learn something from me! Ru might as well just give me the crown now! I’ll buy a farm, have a whole bunch of chickens and cats - I won’t bother her anymore!"
Lemon - Canada
After finishing fifth in season 1 of Canada's Drag Race, Lemon is back and wants to show off her comedy and dancing prowess in order to impress the judges and viewers at home.
She said: "On my season, I came in as a dancing queen diva and I ended up dominating in these comedy challenges. So I don’t know if you’ll remember me as a dancer or a funny gal… but guess what? I’m all of the above."
Mo Hart - United States of America
Mo Hart appeared on season 10 of RuPaul's Drag Race, where she finished 8th place. She now wants to prove she's got what it takes to be Queen of the World as she takes on the new competition.
She said: "When RuPaul gives you an opportunity baby, you’d better take it to the max. From the depths of my heart, I knew I would love to be able to do this one more time. And then I got a phone call! I took that call! And So I came! This is the biggest stage in the world."
Pangina Heals - Thailand
Finally, co-host of Drag Race Thailand Pangina Heals has never competed before but she's determined to make an impression when she takes to the stage against other queens for the first time.
Pangina revealed: "I can sing, I can dance, I can act! I am an Asian chameleon. I love serving you a different variety of drag. I’m excited to compete with all the queens from the world – but they don’t know who I am. I am going to be the dark horse of this competition! I know what they can do, but they don’t know what I can do."
Only one can be crowned "Queen of the Mothertucking World!" 🌍👑 #DragRaceUKStarts 1 Feb 9PM on @BBCThree and @BBCiPlayer. Outside the UK? Check the link in our bio. pic.twitter.com/KL7MyHYtwmJanuary 17, 2022
Who are the judges?
The main judging panel will be made up of RuPaul, Michelle Visage, Alan Carr, and Graham Norton, who will be joined by some special celebrity guests to help them decide who to crown as Queen of the World.
The confirmed guest judges are as follows:
Strictly Come Dancing pro dancer Johannes Radebe will make an appearance to help with choreography for a maxi-challenge and Katie Price will be joining Michelle Visage to play the Snatch Game.
Is there a trailer?
Yes! A trailer has arrived for RuPaul's Drag Race UK vs The World where we get to meet the queens, and hear some critiques from our guest judges ahead of the series launch.
