Season three of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs the World is serving up a killer cast of finalists, fan-favourites, and lip-sync assassins.
On 8 January, BBC Three revealed the 10 queens competing for the coveted title of “Queen of the Mothertucking World,” a spot in the Hall of Fame alongside Blu Hydrangea and Tia Kofi, and a £50,000 cash prize.
Featuring queens from the American, British, German, Canadian, Mexican, Swedish, Filipino, and Thai franchises, season three will see the return of RuPaul, Michelle Visage, and Graham Norton and Alan Carr as regular panellists.
Joining them on the panel this season are The Bear star Will Poulter, pop music icon Anastacia, British TV legend Russell T Davies, Amandaland’s Lucy Punch, Pussycat Dolls members Ashley Roberts and Kimberly Wyatt, and music icons Sara Dallin and Keren Woodward of Bananarama.
Drag Race UK vs the World premieres Monday 27 January on BBC Three and iPlayer at 9pm. Time to stop talking and start gawking – meet the 10 queens of season three below (bios courtesy of BBC Three).
Kate Butch (Drag Race UK season 5)
“Kate Butch wheeled into the werkroom with an effervescent theatrical flourish, firmly establishing themself as a comedy queen, making all the judges laugh heartily, and most crucially, Mama Ru. A master of perfectly judged silliness, the Yorkshire beauty thrived in the acting and comedy challenges, serving up “a wild Kate Bush” for their Snatch Game, and taking home a RuPeter badge win for their melodramatic acting skills in Holedark.
“Kate exited the race after a little stumble on the makeover challenge, but they’ve been winning in life ever since with a flourishing stand up and theatre career, and multiple film and TV appearances. Kate has even made their mark on the TV quiz scene. With the Shrek films as their specialist subject, Kate took home the winning trophy on Celebrity Mastermind – whilst dressed as the Dragon from Shrek, because, why not?! Kate is ready to slay for the UK! Describing their drag as “glamour and camp: glamping” Kate is indeed the Queen of glamping.”
Sminty Drop (Drag Race UK season 4)
“Sminty Drop burst onto RuPaul’s Drag Race UK with a cocktail of chaos, and ice cool fashion. Constantly praised by Ru and the judges for her creative avant garde runway looks, Sminty’s look was certainly unique, with her BBC runway take on the Antiques Road Show proving to be a memorable hit with the judges.
“The Lancashire lass also brought a lot of charisma to the race and even after a fateful improv challenge, Sminty turned her saddest moment to joy, by bidding the cast and judges farewell with an unforgettable sad twerk as her final exit. The “sad-twerk exit moment” caught fire with the Drag Race community, and thus, a Drag Race icon was born. Since then, Sminty has sad-twerked her way round the world, releasing music and strutting the runways of Paris Fashion Week.
Zahirah Zapanta (Drag Race UK season 6)
“Zapanta entered the werkroom dripping in furs and diamonds – a befitting entrance for the Nottingham beauty queen, who went on to showcase herself as a talented seamstress, and a magician with the make-up brush. Often the loudest in the workroom, Zahirah is no wallflower, and her unfiltered commentary and team spirit made her a firm fan favourite. However, a ghoulish girl band challenge turned out to be Zahirah’s undoing.
“Born in the Philippines, Zahirah’s drag aesthetic is inspired by the stunning Filipino beauty pageant queens of her youth mixed with a little bit of modern-day British club kid. Zahirah is undoubtedly a powerhouse of a beauty queen, and with her initial Drag Race journey cut short, she plans to bring out the big guns for an epic comeback. Zahirah has a clear game tactic, declaring: “I ain’t scared of none of these girls. This time, I’m ready to fight tooth and nail.”
Mariah Balenciaga (Drag Race season 3, All Stars 5)
“Representing America and the mothership, here comes Mariah! A polished glamazon with an acerbic wit, Mariah is an OG legend in every sense. Aged 18, she made her debut on New York’s ballroom scene in 1999, where she quickly became a legend of the scene. And in 2011, when Drag Race was still in its early infancy, Mariah was chosen by Ru to compete in season three. The Atlanta beauty served up glamourpuss and one-liners in equal measure, establishing herself as one of the famed “early season girls”.
“Nine years later, All Stars came knocking and Mariah returned to the mainstage, bringing grace, class, and maturity to the proceedings. Her self-penned powerful song “Stains on the Wall” left an indelible mark on many and garnered a showering of praise from Ru, and guest judge, Ricky Martin. In spite of a shock early exit, the Grand Dame remain undeterred and views her longevity as her super power. At 44, Mariah is the eldest of the cast, but with 27 years of drag evolution under her belt, she’s undoubtedly the most experienced of the cast: “Y’all are going to get Mariah 3.0,” she says. “I don’t care what it takes, I’m doing it!”
Gawdland (Drag Race Thailand season 3)
“Gawdland may be petite, but he has a colossal reputation on Bangkok’s drag scene. A formidable glamazon, Gawdland sailed through Drag Race Thailand, with only a brief stumble in the Snatch Game, collecting wins in the Rusical and Makeover challenge, on his way to the final.
“With a flawless face card, razor sharp drag, and a performance style powered by pure adrenaline, he embodies the creativity that Thai drag is celebrated for. Now entering the UK and global arena for the first time, Gawdland plans to be “as crazy as possible,” adding: “This is not RuPaul’s best friend race… I’m here to win.”
Fontana (Drag Race Sweden season 1)
“Born in Brazil, Fontana moved to Sweden aged twenty, where they quickly established themselves as one of Sweden’s finest drag queens serving up high octane performances, and a vibrant look inspired by their Brazilian roots. Fontana’s drag aesthetic is Brazilian splendour blended with fashion, and Scandinavian chic.
“Praised for their beauty skills, and polished looks, Fontana is a passionate and formidable racer, who made it all the way through to the final of their race. In their own words Fontana says: “I’m not here to play dirty, but I am here to take out the trash. I am ready to fight…””
Melinda Verga (Canada’s Drag Race season 4)
“Melinda Verga is an old-school entertainer with bags of charisma, as evidenced by his chosen drag name – see the Spanish translation! Storming his season to become one of Canada’s most talked-about queens, Melinda Verga is a force to be reckoned with. His meltdowns and unfiltered interviews made him instantly meme-able.
“Melinda showcased adept comedy skills by securing the Snatch Game win and after surviving lip sync after lip sync, the audiences admired his passion and nerve. Since Drag Race, the Filipino Canadian queen has become a Canadian reality TV star, appearing on Traitors Canada where yet again, he famously didn’t hold back. The experience has clearly informed his game tactics.”
Serena Morena (Drag Race Mexico season 1)
“Serena Morena had an unforgettable run on the first ever season of Drag Race Mexico. Finishing eighth and winning legions of fans with her charisma, uniqueness, and a fondness to shock audiences, Serena is a cheeky gal, who still lives with her mum!
“An enthusiastic siren, Serena is more than ready to represent Mexico in the Olympics of Drag. Thrilled to be in the UK “especially for the men”, Serena brings the promise of chaos, warning the competition: “I’m a nasty lady. I’m Mexican. Don’t mess with me!””
Minty Fresh (Drag Race Philippines season 1)
“In 2022, Minty Fresh walked into Drag Race Philippines and made an immediate impact. A frontrunner from the start, Minty sealed an immediate win for the talent show and went on to take another win for the design challenge. Garnering huge praise for his ultra stylish stunning looks, it was only a fateful girl group challenge that led to his exit at the semi-finals.
“Famed for serving a stunning face card and polished looks, Minty is a proud representative of the fierce Filipino drag scene. In fact, for Minty, it’s a matter of national pride. Minty promises to serve a spectacle: “It’s a full production, baby. You’ll be obsessed. I’m not a showgirl, I’m a headliner.””
The Only Naomy (Drag Race Germany season 1)
“The Only Naomy – Naomy for short – is a German supermodel. You may have already guessed that their name is inspired by another famous supermodel, with whom they share many similar traits including a beautiful face, and a statuesque presence. Naomy made their Drag Race debut on the first ever season of Drag Race Germany in 2023, where they received praise for their deft make up artistry and edgy looks.
“Exiting at the Rusical challenge, Naomy didn’t get the chance to show off their full bag of tricks, but this time round they are ready to go the full distance for Germany. Naomy issues this warning: “Don’t mess with me, I might be the villain of the season.””
