RuPaul's Drag Race UK (series 1)
RuPaul's Drag Race UK | |
---|---|
Series 1 | |
![]() Promotional poster for series one | |
Hosted by | RuPaul |
Judges |
|
No. of contestants | 10 |
Winner | The Vivienne |
Runner-up | Divina de Campo |
Country of origin | United Kingdom |
No. of episodes | 8 |
Release | |
Original network | BBC Three (UK) WOW Presents Plus (International) |
Original release | 3 October 21 November 2019 | –
Series chronology | |
The first series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK began airing on 3 October 2019 on the BBC Three section of BBC iPlayer and WOW Presents Plus's WOW Presents Plus streaming service.[1] It ran for eight episodes.
The winner of first series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK was The Vivienne, with Divina de Campo as the runner-up.[2][3]
The song "Break Up (Bye Bye)", which was featured in the fifth episode, was released as a single and reached number 35 on the UK Singles Chart.[4] It also peaked at number 44 on the Billboard Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart in the US.[5]
Contestants[]
The cast was announced on 21 August 2019 via YouTube and Instagram.[6]
Ages, names, and cities stated are at time of filming.
Contestant | Age | Hometown | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
The Vivienne | 26 | Liverpool, England | Winner |
Divina De Campo | 35 | Brighouse, England | Runner-up |
Baga Chipz | 29 | East London, England | 3rd Place |
Cheryl Hole | 25 | Essex, England | 4th Place |
Blu Hydrangea | 23 | Belfast, Northern Ireland | 5th Place |
Crystal | 34 | East London, England | 6th Place |
Sum Ting Wong | 30 | Birmingham, England | 7th Place |
Vinegar Strokes | 34 | North London, England | 8th Place |
Scaredy Kat | 19 | Wiltshire, England | 9th Place |
Gothy Kendoll | 21 | Leicester, England | 10th Place |
Contestant progress[]
Legend:
Contestant | Episode | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1[7] | 2[8] | 3[9] | 4[10] | 5[11] | 6[12] | 7[13] | 8[14] | |
The Vivienne | WIN | SAFE | SAFE | WIN | BTM | WIN | SAFE | Winner |
Divina De Campo | SAFE | SAFE | WIN | SAFE | WIN | SAFE | WIN | Runner-up |
Baga Chipz | SAFE | WIN | SAFE | WIN | WIN | SAFE | BTM | Eliminated |
Cheryl Hole | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | BTM | ELIM | Guest |
Blu Hydrangea | SAFE | BTM | SAFE | SAFE | WIN | ELIM | Guest | |
Crystal | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | BTM | ELIM | Guest | ||
Sum Ting Wong | SAFE | SAFE | BTM | ELIM | Guest | |||
Vinegar Strokes | BTM | SAFE | ELIM | Guest | ||||
Scaredy Kat | SAFE | ELIM | Guest | |||||
Gothy Kendoll | ELIM | Guest |
Lip syncs[]
Episode | Contestants | Song | Eliminated | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Gothy Kendoll | vs. | Vinegar Strokes | "New Rules" (Dua Lipa) |
Gothy Kendoll |
2 | Blu Hydrangea | vs. | Scaredy Kat | "Venus" (Bananarama) |
Scaredy Kat |
3 | Sum Ting Wong | vs. | Vinegar Strokes | "Would I Lie To You?" (Eurythmics) |
Vinegar Strokes |
4 | Crystal | vs. | Sum Ting Wong | "Spice Up Your Life" (Spice Girls) |
Sum Ting Wong |
5 | Crystal | vs. | The Vivienne | "Power" (Little Mix) |
Crystal |
6 | Blu Hydrangea | vs. | Cheryl Hole | "Call My Name (Wideboys Remix)" (Cheryl) |
Blu Hydrangea |
7 | Baga Chipz | vs. | Cheryl Hole | "Tears Dry on Their Own" (Amy Winehouse) |
Cheryl Hole |
8 | Divina De Campo | vs. | The Vivienne | "I'm Your Man" (Wham!) |
Divina De Campo |
- The contestant was eliminated after their first time lip-syncing.
- The contestant was eliminated after their second time lip-syncing.
- The contestant was eliminated after the final lip-sync of the season.
Guest judges[]
Listed in chronological order:
- Andrew Garfield, actor
- Maisie Williams, actress, internet entrepreneur
- Twiggy, model, actress, and singer
- Geri Halliwell, singer, songwriter, author, actress, fashion designer, model and television personality
- Jade Thirlwall, singer, songwriter
- Cheryl, singer, television personality, dancer, and author[15]
- Michaela Coel, actress, singer[16]
Special guests[]
Guests who appeared in episodes, but did not judge on the main stage.
Episode 3
- Raven, runner-up of US Drag Race season two & All Stars season one
Episode 4
- Stacey Dooley, investigative journalist
- Lorraine Kelly, TV presenter
Episode 5
- MNEK, singer
Episode 6
- Katya, a contestant from US Drag Race season seven, and runner up of All Stars season 2
Episode 8
- AJ & Curtis Pritchard, ballroom dancers
Episodes[]
No. overall | No. in series | Title | Original air date | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | "The Royal Queens" | 3 October 2019 | |
Ten new queens enter the workroom. For the first mini-challenge, the queens will do a "off with your heads" photoshoot. Scaredy Kat wins the mini-challenge. For the main challenge, the queens must show off two looks, a look explaining that they are the queen of their hometown and a look inspired by Queen Elizabeth II. On the runway, Baga Chipz, Sum Ting Wong and The Vivienne receive positive critiques, with The Vivienne winning the challenge. Cheryl Hole, Gothy Kendoll and Vinegar Strokes receive negative critiques, with Cheryl Hole being safe. Gothy Kendoll and Vinegar Strokes lip-sync to "New Rules" by Dua Lipa. Vinegar Strokes wins the lip-sync and Gothy Kendoll is the first queen to sashay away.
| ||||
2 | 2 | "Downton Draggy" | 10 October 2019 | |
At the start of the episode, previous challenge winner The Vivienne was asked to rank the queens from top to bottom. The Vivienne placed herself first and placed Scaredy Kat last. They were both then declared team captains for the main challenge. For the main challenge, the queens will star in different drag film adaptions of Downton Abbey called "Downton Draggy". Scaredy Kat chooses Blu Hydrangea, Cheryl Hole, Crystal and Divina De Campo. The Vivienne chooses Baga Chipz, Sum Ting Wong and Vinegar Strokes for her team. On the runway, category is Bond Girl Glamourama. Team The Vivienne is declared the winning team, with Baga Chipz winning the challenge. Team Scaredy Kat is the losing team. Blu Hydrangea, Cheryl Hole and Scaredy Kat receive negative critiques, with Cheryl Hole being safe. Blu Hydrangea and Scaredy Kat lip-sync to "Venus" by Bananarama. Blu Hydrangea wins the lip-sync and Scaredy Kat sashays away.
| ||||
3 | 3 | "Posh on a Penny" | 17 October 2019 | |
For this week's mini-challenge, the queens do intriguing dance moves around a maypole. Cheryl Hole wins the mini-challenge. For the main challenge, the queens must create a show-stopping outfit from junk found at a car boot sale. On the runway, Crystal, Divina De Campo and The Vivienne receive positive critiques, with Divina De Campo winning the challenge. Cheryl Hole, Sum Ting Wong and Vinegar Strokes receive negative critiques, with Cheryl Hole being safe. Sum Ting Wong and Vinegar Strokes lip-sync to "Would I Lie To You?" by Eurythmics. Sum Ting Wong wins the lip-sync and Vinegar Strokes sashays away.
| ||||
4 | 4 | "Snatch Game" | 24 October 2019 | |
For the main challenge, the queens play the Snatch Game. Lorraine Kelly and Stacey Dooley star as guest judges. The cast consisted of:
On the runway, category is Weird Science. Baga Chipz and The Vivienne receive positive critiques and both are declared the winners of the challenge. Crystal, Divina De Campo and Sum Ting Wong receive negative critiques, with Divina De Campo being safe. Crystal and Sum Ting Wong lip-sync to "Spice Up Your Life" by Spice Girls. Crystal wins the lip-sync and Sum Ting Wong sashays away.
| ||||
5 | 5 | "Girl Group Battle Royale" | 31 October 2019 | |
For this week's mini-challenge, the queens read each other. Crystal wins the mini-challenge. For the main challenge, the queens will team up and write original lyrics and perform them to "Break Up (Bye Bye)". Team 1 consisted of Baga Chipz, Blu Hydrangea and Divina De Campo and they form "The Frock Destroyers". Team 2 consisted of Cheryl Hole, Crystal and The Vivienne and they form "Filth Harmony". On the runway, category is Day at the Races. Team "The Frock Destroyers" are declared the winning team, with Baga Chipz, Blu Hydrangea and Divina De Campo all winning the challenge. Team "Filth Harmony" is the losing team. Cheryl Hole is declared safe, with Crystal and The Vivienne landing in the bottom two. They lip-sync to "Power" by Little Mix. The Vivienne wins the lip-sync and Crystal sashays away.
| ||||
6 | 6 | "Thirsty Werk" | 7 November 2019 | |
For this week's mini-challenge, the queens play Boxers, Briefs or Commando with the pit crew. Divina De Campo wins the mini-challenge. For the main challenge, the queens will campaign, market and design their own brand of bottled water. On the runway, category is Rainy Day Eleganza. Divina De Campo and The Vivienne receive positive critiques, with The Vivienne winning the challenge. Baga Chipz, Blu Hydrangea and Cheryl Hole receive negative critiques, with Baga Chipz being safe. Blu Hydrangea and Cheryl Hole lip-sync to "Call My Name (Wideboys Remix)" by Cheryl. Cheryl Hole wins the lip-sync and Blu Hydrangea sashays away.
| ||||
7 | 7 | "Family That Drags Together" | 14 November 2019 | |
For this week's mini-challenge, the queens have a bitchfest with puppets. Divina De Campo wins the mini-challenge. For the main challenge, the queens will give a member of their family a drag makeover. On the runway, Divina De Campo and The Vivienne receive positive critiques, with Divina De Campo winning the challenge. Baga Chipz and Cheryl Hole receive negative critiques and are the bottom two. They lip-sync to "Tears Dry on Their Own” by Amy Winehouse. Baga Chipz wins the lip-sync and Cheryl Hole sashays away.
| ||||
8 | 8 | "Grand Finale" | 21 November 2019 | |
For the final challenge of the season, the queens will write, record and perform their own verses to RuPaul's song "Rock It (To The Moon)". The queens walk the runway one last time. All the previously eliminated queens make an appearance. RuPaul then tells Baga Chipz that she has been eliminated, leaving Divina De Campo and The Vivienne as the final two. They lip-sync to "I'm Your Man" by Wham!. The Vivienne is crowned the winner, leaving Divina De Campo as the runner-up.
|
Reception[]
The series received very positive reviews from critics, with The Guardian describing the series as having "saved RuPaul's Drag Race" as the recent seasons have had a less than positive reception.[17] In their review of the series, iNews awarded the series "five stars" and described it as a "roaring success", despite criticising its omission of a stand-up comedy challenge.[18]
In a more critical review, Vulture stated in its review of the finale that although the season "may have hit some true highs... it couldn’t save Drag Race from its worst impulses".[19]
Future appearances[]
In 2022, Baga Chipz, Blu Hydrangea, and Cheryl Hole were announced as three of the nine contestants on RuPaul's Drag Race: UK Versus the World.
RuPaul's Drag Race[]
Contestant | Year | Season | Role | Outcome | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Baga Chipz | 2022 | RuPaul's Drag Race: UK Versus the World | Contestant | TBA | |
Blu Hydrangea | 2022 | RuPaul's Drag Race: UK Versus the World | Contestant | TBA | |
Cheryl Hole | 2022 | RuPaul's Drag Race: UK Versus the World | Contestant | TBA |
References[]
- ^ "'Graham Norton and Alan Carr confirmed as celebrity judges for RuPaul's Drag Race UK – series to air on BBC Three in 2019". BBC. Archived from the original on 22 July 2019. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
- ^ "HuffPost is now a part of Verizon Media". consent.yahoo.com. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
- ^ Welsh, Daniel (10 March 2020). "RuPaul's Drag Race UK: Scaredy Kat Takes On 'Bedroom Queen' Critics". HuffPost UK. Archived from the original on 4 June 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
- ^ "CAST OF RUPAUL's DRAG RACE UK | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Archived from the original on 8 November 2019. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
- ^ "EDM Music & Dance Songs Chart – November 16, 2019". Billboard. Archived from the original on 15 November 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
- ^ "RuPaul's Drag Race UK: Meet the queens for the first UK series". BBC News. BBC. 21 August 2019. Archived from the original on 8 October 2019. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
- ^ "The Royal Queens". RuPaul's Drag Race UK. Season 1. Episode 1. 3 October 2019.
- ^ "Downton Draggy". RuPaul's Drag Race UK. Season 1. Episode 2. 10 October 2019.
- ^ "Posh on a Penny". RuPaul's Drag Race UK. Season 1. Episode 3. 17 October 2019.
- ^ "Snatch Game". RuPaul's Drag Race UK. Season 1. Episode 4. 24 October 2019.
- ^ "Girl Group Battle Royale". RuPaul's Drag Race UK. Season 1. Episode 5. 31 October 2019.
- ^ "Thirsty Werk". RuPaul's Drag Race UK. Season 1. Episode 6. 7 November 2019.
- ^ "Family That Drags Together". RuPaul's Drag Race UK. Season 1. Episode 7. 14 November 2019.
- ^ "Grand Finale". RuPaul's Drag Race UK. Season 1. Episode 8. 21 November 2019.
- ^ "Episode 6". BBC. Archived from the original on 28 October 2019. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
- ^ "Episode 7". BBC. Archived from the original on 5 November 2019. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
- ^ Bromwich, Kathryn (22 November 2019). "Fierce competition: how a Brit makeover saved RuPaul's Drag Race". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 22 November 2019. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
- ^ Baker, Emily (21 November 2019). "RuPaul's Drag Race UK's first series was outstanding — all thanks to the queens". iNews.
- ^ Curto, Justin (21 November 2019). "RuPaul's Drag Race U.K. Finale Recap: The Queen of England". Vulture. Archived from the original on 22 November 2019. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
- 2019 British television seasons
- 2019 in LGBT history
- RuPaul's Drag Race UK seasons