Drag Race UK: BBC drops Ru Paul show after eight series

After eight successful series, RuPaul’s Drag Race UK will no longer be broadcast on the BBC, the network has confirmed. The broadcaster, facing significant financial constraints, explained that it has been compelled to make “very difficult choices” amid ongoing budget pressures. While the show has aired on BBC Three and been available on iPlayer, upcoming seasons—including the spin-off Drag Race UK vs The World—will transition exclusively to Wow Presents Plus, a streaming service operated by the show’s production company.

At the height of its popularity, Drag Race UK attracted an audience of approximately 1.5 million viewers per episode. Since its inception in 2019, the programme played a key role in bringing British drag culture to a wider audience, elevating performers such as La Voix, Danny Beard, and Tia Kofi to household name status. The competition features drag queens competing in diverse challenges judged by RuPaul, Michelle Visage, Graham Norton, and Alan Carr, with celebrity guest judges regularly making appearances. Widely regarded as a touchstone of LGBTQ+ culture, the show has been celebrated for authentically representing the unique style of British drag.

The BBC is currently undergoing plans to reduce spending by £500 million, forcing the corporation to make tough decisions regarding its programming. A spokesperson reiterated that these financial realities have not been taken lightly, stating, “As the BBC continues to navigate significant financial pressures and deliver the savings required of us, we have had to make some very difficult choices.” Meanwhile, Wow Presents Plus announced via Instagram that it is ushering in a “new era” for Drag Race UK. An upcoming series titled Drag Race UK All Stars, set to feature returning fan favourites, will debut exclusively on the platform in Autumn 2027. The current series, which began airing in September 2026, is expected to continue airing on BBC Three and remain available on iPlayer until the transition is complete.

Tia Kofi, winner of the second series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs The World in 2024, voiced concern about the impact of the show’s departure from the BBC. Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Kofi highlighted that the series has been a crucial platform for performers who lack mainstream exposure. The drag queen expressed worry that cutting such shows alienates marginalised audiences, stating, “I think the mistake is that they seem to be dropping programmes that they consider to be for more niche audiences, which I just don’t think makes a lot of logical sense because the niche audiences are the ones who are very much staying on and watching these things.” She further pointed out the limited alternatives for drag performers in the UK and reflected on other recent BBC cancellations, including LGBTQ+ dating shows I Kissed a Boy and I Kissed a Girl, all of which diminish representation within mainstream media.

Despite these changes, the BBC continues to showcase LGBTQ+ stories through various programs including Mr Loverman, EastEnders, and Smoggie Queens, among others. The corporation has not clarified whether it will continue broadcasting other international editions of RuPaul’s Drag Race such as Drag Race Canada and Drag Race Down Under. Earlier in the year, the BBC announced it was canceling I Kissed a Boy, the UK’s first gay dating show, along with its companion series I Kissed a Girl. Jordan Burrow, a contestant from I Kissed a Boy’s second series, remarked that the decision “was an example of where we’re at within the queer community.” At the time, the BBC emphasized its pride in these programmes but cited funding difficulties as the cause for the cuts

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