EXCLUSIVE: The BBC may have pulled the plug on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK but the show must go on and its new home is keeping production local.
Streamer WOW Presents Plus, where the new RuPaul’s Drag Race UK All Stars will launch next fall, will remain in the UK rather than moving to an international production hub, we can reveal.
WOW Presents Plus, which is run by RuPaul’s Drag Race producer World of Wonder, revealed it would be keeping the Drag Race UK flame alive with an All Stars version on the day it emerged the BBC had axed the main series.
Drag Race UK All Stars will feature Queens from the eight previous seasons of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK. The final one of those is currently airing. The show has been a big hit for BBC Three and also spawned three seasons of a different spin-off, RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs. The World, but its cancellation emerged a few weeks back amid big content cuts at the BBC. All seasons of Drag Race UK and UK vs the World will be available on Wow Presents Plus alongside the new All Stars show.
The Drag Race franchise is a global phenomenon with local editions around the world including Canada, México, Belgium, France, Brazil, Australia and the Philippines. Many, although not all, international versions are filmed in a production hub in the Philippines, but World of Wonder has been clear the new UK show will stay in Britain. Host RuPaul Charles has a fondness for the Brits, while lead judge Michelle Visage has a home in the UK.
“Thanks to the extraordinary support from our fans and brand partners, we are thrilled to confirm that RuPaul’s Drag Race UK All Stars will be produced right here in the UK” said World of Wonder co-founders Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato. “We could not be more grateful to our community for making this possible, and we can’t wait to bring this new chapter to WOW Presents Plus members worldwide.”