Drag Race Down Under
| Company type | Television series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment |
| Predecessor | RuPaul's Drag Race |
| Founded | May 1, 2021 |
| Founder | World of Wonder, Warner Bros. International Television Production New Zealand |
| Headquarters | Australia, New Zealand |
Area served | Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Canada, International |
Key people | RuPaul (host, mentor, lead judge until 2024; executive producer thereafter), Michelle Visage (judge, host from 2024), Rhys Nicholson (judge) |
| Products | Reality competition television series |
| Owner | World of Wonder, Warner Bros. International Television Production New Zealand |
| Website | www |
Drag Race Down Under (initially titled RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under) is a reality competition series adapted from the American show RuPaul's Drag Race. It is produced collaboratively by World of Wonder and Warner Bros. International Television Production New Zealand. The program showcases Michelle Visage alongside a panel of judges as they seek to discover "Down Under's next drag superstar," featuring contestants hailing from Australia and New Zealand. For the first three seasons, RuPaul fulfilled the roles of host, mentor, and lead judge, joined by judges such as Michelle Visage and Rhys Nicholson. The series debuted on 1 May 2021 across TVNZ 2 and TVNZ OnDemand in New Zealand, Stan in Australia, and WOW Presents Plus for international viewers. Additionally, it is available on BBC Three in the United Kingdom and broadcasts on Crave in Canada.
As the sixth international version of RuPaul's Drag Race, following adaptations in Chile, Thailand, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the Netherlands, it has since been complemented by editions produced in Spain, Italy, France, the Philippines, Belgium, Sweden, Mexico, Brazil, Germany, and South Africa.
The inaugural season featured ten drag performers vying for the title of "Down Under's first Drag Superstar," along with a year-long supply of Revolution Beauty Cosmetics and a cash award of A$30,000. Kita Mean emerged as the winner of season one. In September 2021, the show was renewed for a second season which premiered on 30 July 2022; Spankie Jackzon claimed victory. Casting for season three commenced in October 2022; this season aired from 28 July to 15 September 2023 with Isis Avis Loren winning the competition.
On 11 March 2024, WOW announced that RuPaul would step down from hosting and judging responsibilities but continue as an executive producer. Michelle Visage assumed the role of host and lead judge for season four, which premiered on 1 November 2024. Following RuPaul’s departure from on-screen hosting duties, the series was retitled Drag Race Down Under, aligning its branding with other international franchises that do not feature RuPaul as main host. Lazy Susan won season four.
Format
RuPaul performs multiple key functions on the show: as host, mentor, and judge. In his hosting capacity, he introduces guest celebrities, reveals weekly challenges, and announces eliminations. As a mentor, RuPaul supports contestants throughout their challenges. In his judging role, he evaluates their performances critically. The competition follows a progressive elimination format that reduces an initial group of ten contestants (in series one) to a final four. Each episode typically comprises a mini challenge, maxi challenge, runway presentation, judging panel deliberation, lip sync showdown, and elimination.
Mini challenges
Mini challenges require participants to complete diverse tasks within strict time constraints. Some mini challenges recur across multiple seasons or are adapted from those featured in the American version. For instance, the opening mini challenge often involves a themed photo shoot conducted with RuPaul or a professional photographer and may include elements such as water sprays or strong fans to add difficulty. Another recurring mini challenge centers on "reading," where contestants humorously insult fellow competitors—an idea inspired by Paris Is Burning. Winners of these mini challenges sometimes receive advantages for the subsequent main challenge. While most episodes include a mini challenge segment, some omit it entirely.
Maxi challenges and runway presentations
Maxi challenges differ from episode to episode and can be either individual contests or team efforts. Winners are awarded special prizes. The ultimate maxi challenge features a fully choreographed singing and dancing performance set to a RuPaul track.
Each maxi challenge is built around a distinct theme and specific objective. Contestants frequently create bespoke costumes, occasionally incorporating unusual materials. Other tasks assess skills such as on-camera charisma, musical talent, or comedic ability. Classic challenges include the "Snatch Game," where participants impersonate famous personalities in a spoof of Match Game, as well as themed balls and makeover challenges where queens craft drag personas for fellow contestants. Runway presentations align with the maxi challenge or assigned theme, and these runway looks are evaluated alongside the maxi challenge results.
Judging panel
The judging panel critiques both the performances in challenges and the runway presentations, evaluating contestants onstage and during deliberations.
| Judge | Season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| RuPaul | colspan="3" Template:CMain | ||||
| Michelle Visage | colspan="4" Template:CMain | colspan="1" Template:TBA | |||
| Rhys Nicholson | colspan="4" Template:CMain | colspan="1" Template:TBA | |||
| Isis Avis Loren | colspan="1" Template:CMain | colspan="1" Template:TBA | |||
| Kita Mean | colspan="1" Template:CMain | colspan="1" Template:TBA | |||
| Spankie Jackzon | colspan="1" Template:CMain | colspan="1" Template:TBA | |||
RuPaul functions as the host and lead judge, with Michelle Visage and Rhys Nicholson serving as key judges.
Companion web series
Several supplementary web programs accompany the main series. How's Your Head, Queen? features interviews conducted by Michelle Visage with eliminated queens discussing their journeys and future endeavors. Fashion Photo RuView, hosted by Raja Gemini and Raven (drag queen), provides critiques of runway outfits from the inaugural season. Binge Queens, with hosts including Kita Mean, offers weekly viewing parties for season two.
| Show | Hosts | Season | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | ||
| Fashion Photo RuView | Raja and Raven | |||
| How's Your Head, Queen? | Michelle Visage | |||
| Bring Back My Girls | Ts Madison | |||
| Binge Queens | Kita Mean & Angeria Paris VanMicheals Jasmine Kennedie & June Jambalaya |
|||
Season 1 (2021)
The inaugural season of RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under debuted on 1 May 2021, airing on Stan in Australia, TVNZ 2 in New Zealand, and WOW Presents Plus for international audiences. This season consisted of 8 episodes. The judging panel included RuPaul, Michelle Visage, and Rhys Nicholson. The contestants were revealed on 6 March through a YouTube announcement. The final competitors were Art Simone, Karen from Finance, Kita Mean, and Scarlet Adams, with Kita Mean ultimately earning the title of the first Drag Superstar of Down Under.
Season 2 (2022)
The second season was officially announced with casting open from 9 September until 5 October 2021. Production was a collaboration between TVNZ, Stan, World of Wonder, Passion Distribution, and Warner Bros. International Television Production New Zealand. Filming took place in New Zealand and the season premiered in 2022.
Shooting reportedly started on 18 January and continued into mid-February 2022. During this time, judges Michelle Visage and Rhys Nicholson were spotted in South Auckland, confirming their participation once again. Spankie Jackzon was declared the winner, while Hannah Conda and Kween Kong finished as runners-up.
Season 3 (2023)
Casting for the third installment opened on 24 October 2022 and closed on 13 November 2022. Isis Avis Loren emerged as the season’s champion, with Gabriella Labucci securing the runner-up position.
Season 4 (2024)
Applications for season four were accepted from 24 October to 11 November 2023. The winner was Lazy Susan, followed by Mandy Moobs and Vybe as the runners-up.
Contestants
To date, RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under has featured a total of 40 contestants.
Discography
| Title | Season |
|---|---|
| "Queens Down Under" (Teams "Three and a Half Men" & "Outback Fake Hoes") | 1 |
| "I'm a Winner Baby" (Cast Version) | 1 |
| "Bosom Buddies" (Teams "BAB'Z" & "The Hung Divas") | 2 |
| "Who Is She" (Cast Version) | 2 |
| "BMX Bitches" (Teams "F.A.B. International" & "Sexy N Stupid") | 3 |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award event | Category | Nominee(s) | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | New Zealand Television Awards | Television Personality of the Year | Anita Wigl'it (Season 1) | Nominated |
| 2022 | Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Awards | Best Entertainment Program | Season 2 | Nominated |
| 2023 | TV Week Logie Awards | Graham Kennedy Award for Most Popular New Talent | Kween Kong (Season 2) | Nominated |
| Most Outstanding Entertainment Program | Season 2 | Nominated |
External links
- Official site (Australia)
- Official site (New Zealand)
- Articles with short description
- Articles with long short description
- Drag Race Down Under
- 2020s Australian LGBTQ-related reality television series
- 2020s New Zealand LGBTQ-related reality television series
- 2021 Australian television series debuts
- 2021 New Zealand television series debuts
- 2021 web series debuts
- Australian television series based on American television series
- Australian non-fiction web series
- Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the LGBTQ community
- Australian LGBTQ-related web series
- New Zealand television series based on American television series
- Stan (service) original programming
- Television series by World of Wonder (company)
- Television series by Warner Bros. Television Studios
- Television series impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic
- Television shows filmed in New Zealand
- Transgender-related television shows
- TVNZ original programming
- WOW Presents Plus original programming