RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under season 1
| Company type | Television series season |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment, Television |
| Founded | May 1, 2021 |
| Headquarters | Auckland , New Zealand |
Area served | Australia and New Zealand |
Key people | RuPaul, Michelle Visage, Rhys Nicholson |
| Products | Reality competition television |
| Website | www |
The inaugural season of RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under was broadcast from 1 May through 19 June 2021. This competition brought together ten drag performers hailing from both Australia and New Zealand, all vying for the distinction of being crowned "Down Under's first Drag Superstar." The grand prize included a year-long supply of Revolution Beauty Cosmetics and a monetary award of $30,000. Ultimately, Kita Mean secured the championship, with Art Simone, Karen from Finance, and Scarlet Adams finishing as runners-up.
Production
Initially revealed in 2019 as a series focused solely on Australia, the production location was later relocated to New Zealand due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. The filming took place in Auckland, showcasing contestants representing both nations competing for the coveted title.
Joining RuPaul and Michelle Visage on the judging panel was Australian comedian Rhys Nicholson. The official cast of ten participants was unveiled during the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras event on 6 March 2021.
It is noteworthy that the three queens based in New Zealand had previously appeared on House of Drag. On that show, Anita Wigl'it and Kita Mean acted as judges, while Elektra Shock achieved runner-up status in its second season.
Contestants
The ages, names, and hometowns listed correspond to the time of filming.
| Contestant | Age | Hometown | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kita Mean | 34 | Auckland, New Zealand | Template:Sort |
| Art Simone | 28 | Melbourne, Australia | Template:Sort[lower-alpha 1] |
| Karen from Finance | 32 | Melbourne, Australia | |
| Scarlet Adams | 27 | Perth, Australia | |
| Elektra Shock | 28 | Auckland, New Zealand | 5th place |
| Maxi Shield | 46 | Ballina, Australia | 6th place |
| Etcetera Etcetera | 22 | Canberra, Australia | 7th place |
| Anita Wigl'it | 31 | Auckland, New Zealand | 8th place |
| Coco Jumbo | 29 | Coffs Harbour, Australia | 9th place |
| Jojo Zaho | 30 | Newcastle, Australia | Template:Sort |
Lip syncs
Key:
| Episode | Competitors | Performance Song | Eliminated / Winner | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1[1] | Elektra Shock vs. Jojo Zaho | "Tragedy" (Bee Gees) |
Jojo Zaho | ||
| 2[2] | Art Simone vs. Coco Jumbo | "I'm That Bitch" (RuPaul) |
Art Simone | ||
| 3[3] | Coco Jumbo vs. Elektra Shock | "Shake Your Groove Thing" (Peaches & Herb) |
Coco Jumbo | ||
| 4[4] | Anita Wigl'it vs. Karen from Finance | "I Begin to Wonder" (Dannii Minogue) |
Anita Wigl'it | ||
| 5[5] | Etcetera Etcetera vs. Maxi Shield | "Absolutely Everybody" (Vanessa Amorosi) |
Etcetera Etcetera | ||
| 6[6] | Maxi Shield vs. Scarlet Adams | "Better the Devil You Know" (Kylie Minogue) |
Maxi Shield | ||
| 7[7] | Elektra Shock vs. Kita Mean | "Untouched" (The Veronicas) |
Elektra Shock | ||
| Episode 8[8] | Performance Song | Winner | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Art Simone vs. Karen from Finance vs. |
bgcolor="#D4AF37"| Kita Mean |
Guest Judges
Presented in order of appearance:
- Elz Carrad, actor from New Zealand
- Rena Owen, New Zealand-based actress known for work in theatre, television, and film
Special Guests
Individuals featured during episodes who did not serve as main stage judges.
Episode 1
- Taika Waititi, director and filmmaker from New Zealand
Episode 2
- Kylie Minogue, Australian singer and actress
- Dannii Minogue, Australian singer and actress
Episode 3
- Troye Sivan, Australian singer-songwriter
- Leland, American vocalist
Episode 5
- Suzanne Paul, television presenter and infomercial host
Episode 6
- Aunty Donna, Melbourne-based Australian absurdist comedy troupe
Episode 7
- Raven, American drag performer and two-time RuPaul's Drag Race runner-up
- The Veronicas, pop duo originating from Brisbane, Australia
Episode 8
- Dame Olivia Newton-John, British-Australian singer, songwriter, actress, and entrepreneur
- Chloe Lattanzi, American singer and actress, daughter of Olivia Newton-John
- Lance Savali, dancer and choreographer from Wellington, New Zealand
Episodes
Controversies
After the cast announcement, photographs emerged showing Scarlet Adams wearing a shirt emblazoned with the Aboriginal flag, sporting heavily tanned skin and blackened teeth. These images, captured in 2012 during Australia Day festivities, also depicted Adams in blackface representing an African American woman, as well as embodying Asian stereotypes while dressed in a sari. Adams issued apologies through social media platforms both in 2020 and again in March 2021. During Episode 5, RuPaul addressed this issue directly, with Adams expressing remorse for leveraging her visibility to mock individuals enduring systemic racial discrimination.
Karen from Finance encountered criticism over a tattoo featuring a golliwog. The contestant publicly admitted that getting the tattoo was an uninformed and regrettable choice, explaining that they discarded the related dolls and covered the tattoo once recognizing its offensive nature.
The reinstatement of Art Simone in Episode 4 triggered debate around racial representation, as audiences questioned why a white contestant was brought back while two contestants of color were not given the same opportunity.
Etcetera Etcetera’s Snatch Game impersonation of Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton was met with significant outrage for making light of the tragic death of Chamberlain’s daughter by using a bloodstained dingo puppet—an act widely considered harsh and disrespectful given Chamberlain-Creighton’s wrongful conviction.
Anita Wigl’it’s Snatch Game jokes targeting Prince Andrew were removed by the BBC for broadcasts within the UK. Subsequently, Wigl’it faced allegations of joke plagiarism from comedian Anthony Lehmann, who claimed the material originated from him in August 2020; Wigl’it issued an apology on Instagram, explaining that the joke had been shared by friends who had heard it elsewhere.
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award ceremony | Category | Nominee | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | New Zealand Television Awards | Television Personality of the Year | Anita Wigl'it | Template:Nom |
External links
- Official website (Australia)
- Official website (New Zealand)
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