Since the franchise's inception in 2009, RuPaul's Drag Race has slowly been taking over the world, and newly announced details about the upcoming spinoff, UK Versus the World, establish that the global empire's reign has only just begun. With each sprouting iteration of the hit drag competition, fans have gotten a taste of a variety of LGBTQ cultures and all of the different countries are set to collide in the upcoming contest. From the release date to the possible cast of queens vying for the international crown, here's everything there is to know about the next entry in RuPaul's burgeoning franchise, RuPaul's Drag Race: UK Versus the World.
When RuPaul's Drag Race started over a decade ago, the series' appeal appeared to be very limited. In addition to having a less-than-desirable budget, the drag queen competition aired on Logo, a network that wasn't available to many audiences. The show flew under the radar for years until RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 2 debuted in 2016. The crossover event combined fan-favorite queens that starred in various seasons throughout the franchise's run. This season became so popular that the following entry in the series, RuPaul's Drag Race season 9, earned almost 1 million viewers for the premiere. Drag Race grew exponentially from this point, expanding into nations like the UK, Canada, and Thailand.
Although it's impossible to predict what RuPaul has in store for Drag Race's millions of fans around the world, one certainty is that crossovers are sure-fire successes for the drag queen competition. As exhibited by the adored the 6 All Stars seasons, fans love to watch their favorite Drag Race alumni return for another chance at the crown while interacting with queens from other seasons. The concept of All Stars is about to level up as the competition welcomes popular contestants from franchises across the world. In an Instagram post, RuPaul, herself, announced, "RuPaul’s #DragRace U.K. vs. The World’ to Kick Off Relaunched BBC Three." More details about the unprecedented upcoming season were shared by Entertainment Weekly, including that the UK will serve "as the host region for the series' first-ever international all-stars edition." This suggests future seasons will be hosted by other international countries RuPaul has launched series in.
Because the UK will host the first international Drag Race crossover competition, viewers can anticipate the same crew of judges to decide which queen will be crowned the "Global Drag Race Superstar." This means RuPaul, Michelle Visage, Alan Carr, and Graham Norton are set to return early next year. Although the release date remains a mystery, fans will be able to watch the worldwide series on BBC Three or through a Wow Presents Plus subscription. Lastly, Drag Race fans can expect nine memorable queens to return for another chance at the crown. Regrettably, RuPaul has opted to hold off on announcing which queens are making their comeback. Several suspicious tweets from the past year suggest that popular queens such as UK's Blu Hydrangea and Canada's Jimbo could be starring in the international feat, however.
RuPaul has continued to build upon her international empire, making a global All Stars the next logical step in the drag queen's universal domination. From its brilliant set of Drag Race UK judges to the nine fan-favorite queens set to fight for the throne, RuPaul's Drag Race: UK Versus the World is set to be one of the most exciting additions to the franchise. Fortunately, the upcoming competition proves the sun is far from setting on RuPaul's queendom.
Queen of the Universe: Trixie Mattel Reveals Most Embarrassing Moments
Sources: RuPaul/Instagram, Entertainment Weekly