RuPaul’s Drag Race has spawned two spin-off series, several sellout world tours and skyrocketed the careers of dozens of drag performers. Now the reality TV phenomenon is gearing up to Death Drop down under.
ITV Studios Australia, the production company behind The Voice and I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here! has secured local format rights for Drag Race, according to TV Tonight. The CEO, David Mott, told TV Line: “We are set to shantay on to Australian screens in 2020.”
Drag Race is currently in its 11th US season, and has won nine Emmys. The show is a cross between Project Runway, Next Top Model and Australia’s Got Talent, and its contestants are expected to compete in drag challenges and design and make their own costumes. To avoid elimination, contestants are asked to “lip-sync for your life”.
The show is known for its camp theatrics, but it has become a flashpoint for discussions of race and representation in the queer community and trans-inclusivity. Contestants in the workroom preparing their drag looks discuss everything from coming-out stories to life with HIV, and occasionally cry on camera.
RuPaul’s Drag Race and RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars stream in Australia on Stan. The service will also stream RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, which premieres in October. However, ITV Studios have not yet commenced discussions with broadcast and streaming services for the Australian iteration of the competition.
At present, all three shows in the RuPaul’s Drag Race franchise are hosted by RuPaul Andre Charles, although there are spin-offs in other regions not hosted by the titular star. A host for the Australian edition is yet to be confirmed.
Australia has already proven a lucrative canvas for Drag Race stars to sew their sequins. In 2014, drag queen and former Celebrity Big Brother winner Courtney Act placed runner-up on RuPaul’s Drag Race season six, making the performer arguably Australia’s most successful drag export since The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.
Series alumni, including Bianca Del Rio, Trixie Mattel and Alyssa Edwards, have mounted successful national tours of Australia. Several more Drag Race-affiliated live shows are coming to Australia in February 2020, including the show’s official Werq the World tour.
While many Drag Race contestants worked full-time as drag queens prior to being cast, the show is almost singular in its ability to turn drag into a viable career for contestants. For many, this prospect is as tempting as the show’s $100,000 prize money.
• This article was amended on 26 August 2019. Courtney Act won Celebrity Big Brother, not Australian Idol as stated in an earlier version.
