RuPaul is expanding his queendom to Australia and New Zealand with the brand-new series RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under, and the fans are dying to get to know these queens better. After more than a decade into the Drag Race franchise, the series has yielded spin-offs such as All Stars, Drag U, Secret Celebrity Drag Race, and Vegas Revue, as well as international editions for the United Kingdom, Canada, Thailand, Spain, Holland, and now Australia and New Zealand. RuPaul has always had a close connection with Australia given that he's been in a relationship with an Australian man - who is now his husband - for nearly 30 years. Australia has also been a very welcoming country to Drag Race queens, as even the earliest world tours that came off of the show would sell out tickets in the country. Now, it's time for the world to get to know the Down Under drag performers.
Anita Wigl'it
From Auckland, New Zealand, Anita Wigl'it is a veteran drag queen who is ready to snatch the crown on RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under. At 31 years old, Anita is the owner of Caluzzi Cabaret and has hosted her own TV shows before, House Of Drag and Drag Wars. On Instagram, Anita has over 11,000 followers as of this writing.
Art Simone
28-year-old Art Simone is from Geelong, Australia. She is the current "Queen of Australia" titleholder and has been crowned the Drag Performer Of The Year for the last two consecutive years. It's no surprise that Art Simone already has 143,000 followers on Instagram before Down Under even premieres. Among her TV appearances, this queen made a cameo on The Bachelor Australia and was featured in several commercials.
Coco Jumbo
Also joining this international cast of Drag Race is Coco Jumbo, who is 30 years old and lives in Sydney, Australia. This queen has won many titles in the past, such as Entertainer Of The Year in 2017 and Sydney's Favorite Showgirl in the years between 2016 and 2019. On Instagram, Coco currently has 16,000 followers.
Elektra Shock
From Auckland, New Zealand, Elektra Shock is 27 years old and is known as the Dancing Queen of Tāmaki Makaurau. She is best known for her dancing skills, which she regularly highlights on her Instagram profile.
Etcetera Etcetera
Etcetera Etcetera is the youngest contestant in the Drag Race Down Under cast, at just 22 years old. This non-binary drag performer is from Sydney, Australia, where she is also known for being an activist. On Instagram, Etcetera has 18,000 followers right now.
Jojo Zaho
Jojo Zaho is here to prove that homosexuality can also be a part of indigenous culture. She is from Newcastle, Australia, has 30 years old, and has already gotten 13,000 followers on her Instagram account. Jojo started her drag career in 2015 in response to a politician that made problematic remarks.
Karen From Finance
With 70,000 followers on Instagram, Karen From Finance is one of the most famous queens going into this season of RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under. As her name would suggest, Karen's aesthetic and sense of humor are based on her "office-themed character drag" style. She is from Melbourne, Australia, but has attended DragCon events in the United States for many years now.
Kita Mean
Kita Mean is another Down Under queen from Auckland, New Zealand. She is 34 years old and has been doing drag for many years after one night getting dressed up for New Year's Eve. Fun fact: Kita was in a drag duo with Anita Wigl'it, who is a dear friend and a close peer to her. On Instagram, Kita has nearly 17,000 followers as of this writing.
Maxi Shield
Maxi Shield has been doing drag for 23 years, making her one of the most veteran contestants on Drag Race Down Under. A queen from Sydney, Australia, Maxi worked as the official hostess for Madonna's Rebel Heart Tour and kickstarted an Olympics-like competition called Gay Games. She is also known for the "Drag Storytime" series of events where drag artists read books to kids. On Instagram, Maxi has 18,000 followers.
Scarlet Adams
From Perth, Australia, Scarlet Adams works as a burlesque performer, pole dancer, and costume designer. In fact, she was the first drag queen in history to win the Miss Burlesque Australia title. Scarlet has 17,000 followers on Instagram.
RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under premieres Saturday, May 1 on WOW Presents Plus.
Source: World of Wonder