Start your engines, RuPaul’s Drag Race fans: there’s a new competition in town. After the Season 14 premiere became one of the series’ highest-rated debuts in years, drag legend RuPaul has another Drag Race spinoff that will gather together some of the world’s finest charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent and draw serious interest from potential judges.
The core show may be commonly referred to as the ‘Olympics of drag,’ but the latest spin-off seems to be more deserving of the title. Entertainment Weekly has reported that RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Versus The World will feature nine queens who have all been featured in past seasons of the show. The contestants will duke it out for a yet-to-be announced grand prize and a global crown. The format has not been confirmed, but it will presumably follow the established model of maxi challenges and weekly eliminations.
Out of the plethora of Drag Race spinoff series, five will be represented on UK Versus The World. As the "host country," the United Kingdom has the most contestants vying for the top spot. Drag Race UK alumni Baga Chipz, Cheryl Hole, and Blu Hydrangea will all be playing on the home team for merry old England. They finished Season 1 in 3rd, 4th, and 5th place, respectively.
On the side of the United States will be veteran Jujubee, as well as Season 10/All Stars 4 alum Mo Heart (who previously went by the name Monique Heart). Jujubee will be an extremely familiar face to longtime viewers, having competed on Season 2 of the original Drag Race and on Seasons 1 and 5 of All Stars. She was also a contestant on the first season of Queens of the Universe, a reality show best described as a combination of RuPaul's franchise and American Idol.
Two past contestants from Canada’s Drag Race will also be up for the crown: Season 1 graduates Lemon and Jimbo. LIke their British counterparts, they left the competition fairly late in the game but did not manage to snag a runner-up title. The cast is rounded out by Janey Jacké from the inaugural season of Drag Race Holland and Pangina Heals from Drag Race Thailand. Oh, y’all wanted a twist? Pangina Heals was actually a judge on the first season of that show, not a contestant. She’ll be the first ever contestant to have judged an iteration of the show before entering the competition.
And, of course, it wouldn’t be RuPaul’s Drag Race without RuPaul. The Emmy-winning television personality will return to judge the series alongside Michelle Visage, Graham Norton, and Alan Carr.
The Season 1 premiere of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Versus The World will air on February 1 at 4 pm ET on WOW Presents Plus. The milestone Season 14 of RuPaul’s Drag Race is currently airing on Fridays at 8 pm ET on VH1.
