RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under | |
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Season 1 | |
Hosted by | RuPaul |
Judges |
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No. of contestants | 10 |
Winner | Kita Mean |
Runners-up | |
No. of episodes | 8 |
Release | |
Original network | Stan (AU) TVNZ 2 & TVNZ OnDemand (NZ) WOW Presents Plus (International) |
Original release | 1 May – 19 June 2021 |
Season chronology | |
The first season of RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under began airing on 1 May and concluded on 19 June 2021.
Ten Australian and New Zealand-based drag queens competed for the title of the "Down Under's first Drag Superstar", a one-year supply of Revolution Beauty Cosmetics, and a cash prize of $30,000. The winner of the first season of RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under was Kita Mean, with Art Simone, Karen from Finance and Scarlet Adams as runners-up.
Initially announced as a solely Australian version in 2019, [1] production was moved to New Zealand due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. [2] Filmed in Auckland, the series features drag queens from both Australia and New Zealand competing to be "Down Under's first Drag Superstar". [3]
Australian comedian Rhys Nicholson was confirmed to join RuPaul and Michelle Visage as a judge. [4] They officially announced the ten contestants at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras on 6 March 2021. [5]
The three New Zealand-based queens were on House of Drag , with Anita Wigl'it and Kita Mean as judges and Elektra Shock as the runner-up on season 2.
Ages, names, and cities stated are at time of filming.
Contestant | Age | Hometown | Outcome |
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Kita Mean | 34 | Auckland, New Zealand | Winner |
Art Simone | 28 | Melbourne, Australia | Runners-up [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 | 10th place |
Legend:
Contestant | Episode | |||||||
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1 [6] | 2 [7] | 3 [8] | 4 [9] | 5 [10] | 6 [11] | 7 [12] | 8 [13] | |
Kita Mean | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | WIN | BTM | Winner |
Art Simone | SAFE | ELIM | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | Runner-up | |
Karen from Finance | WIN | SAFE | SAFE | BTM | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | Runner-up |
Scarlet Adams | SAFE | SAFE | WIN | WIN | SAFE | BTM | WIN | Runner-up |
Elektra Shock | BTM | SAFE | BTM | SAFE | WIN | SAFE | ELIM | |
Maxi Shield | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | BTM | ELIM | ||
Etcetera Etcetera | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | ELIM | |||
Anita Wigl'it | SAFE | WIN | SAFE | ELIM | ||||
Coco Jumbo | SAFE | BTM | ELIM | |||||
Jojo Zaho | ELIM |
Legend:
Episode | Contestants | Song | Eliminated | ||
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1 [6] | Elektra Shock | vs. | Jojo Zaho | "Tragedy" (Bee Gees) | Jojo Zaho |
2 [7] | Art Simone | vs. | Coco Jumbo | "I'm That Bitch" (RuPaul) | Art Simone |
3 [8] | Coco Jumbo | vs. | Elektra Shock | "Shake Your Groove Thing" (Peaches & Herb) | Coco Jumbo |
4 [9] | Anita Wigl'it | vs. | Karen from Finance | "I Begin to Wonder" (Dannii Minogue) | Anita Wigl'it |
5 [10] | Etcetera Etcetera | vs. | Maxi Shield | "Absolutely Everybody" (Vanessa Amorosi) | Etcetera Etcetera |
6 [11] | Maxi Shield | vs. | Scarlet Adams | "Better the Devil You Know" (Kylie Minogue) | Maxi Shield |
7 [12] | Elektra Shock | vs. | Kita Mean | "Untouched" (The Veronicas) | Elektra Shock |
Episode | Contestants | Song | Winner | ||
8 [13] | Art Simone vs. Karen from Finance vs. Kita Mean vs. Scarlet Adams | "Physical" (Olivia Newton-John) | Kita Mean | ||
Listed in chronological order:
Guests who appeared in episodes, but did not judge on the main stage.
No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original air date | |
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1 | 1 | "G'day, G'day, G'day" | 1 May 2021 | |
Ten queens enter the workroom. For the first mini-challenge, the queens audition for the Intergalactic Superhero movie "Thar". Elektra Shock wins the mini-challenge. For the main challenge, the queens present two looks for the Get to Know You Ball: Born Naked and No Place Like Home. On the runway, Art Simone, Karen from Finance and Scarlet Adams receive positive critiques, with Karen from Finance winning the challenge. Coco Jumbo, Elektra Shock and Jojo Zaho receive negative critiques, with Coco Jumbo being safe. Elektra Shock and Jojo Zaho lip-sync to "Tragedy" by Bee Gees. Elektra Shock wins the lip-sync and Jojo Zaho is the first queen to sashay away.
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2 | 2 | "Snatch Game" | 8 May 2021 | |
For this week's main challenge, the queens play the Snatch Game. Michelle Visage and Rhys Nicholson star as the celebrity contestants. The characters are as follows:
On the runway, category is Sea-Sickening. Anita Wigl'it wins the challenge. Art Simone, Coco Jumbo, Elektra Shock, Karen from Finance, Maxi Shield and Scarlet Adams receive negative critiques, with Art Simone and Coco Jumbo being announced as the bottom two. They lip-sync to "I'm That Bitch" by RuPaul. Coco Jumbo wins the lip-sync and Art Simone sashays away.
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3 | 3 | "Queens Down Under" | 15 May 2021 | |
For this week's mini-challenge, the queens create a slow-motion surf rescue for "Babewatch". For the main challenge, the queens write, record, and perform verses to "Queens Down Under".
On the runway, category is Bogan Prom Realness. Anita Wigl'it, Kita Mean and Scarlet Adams receive positive critiques, with Scarlet Adams winning the challenge. Coco Jumbo, Elektra Shock and Maxi Shield receive negative critiques, with Maxi Shield being safe. Coco Jumbo and Elektra Shock lip-sync to "Shake Your Groove Thing" by Peaches & Herb. Elektra Shock wins the lip-sync and Coco Jumbo sashays away.
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4 | 4 | "Rucycled" | 22 May 2021 | |
At the beginning of the episode, it is revealed that Art Simone will be returning to the competition. For this week's main challenge, the queens create an outfit made from items found in the local op shop. On the runway, Art Simone, Maxi Shield and Scarlet Adams receive positive critiques, with Scarlet Adams winning the challenge. Anita Wigl'it, Etcetera Etcetera and Karen from Finance receive negative critiques, with Etcetera Etcetera being safe. Anita Wigl'it and Karen from Finance lip-sync to "I Begin to Wonder" by Dannii Minogue. Karen from Finance wins the lip-sync and Anita Wigl'it sashays away.
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5 | 5 | "Marketing Hats" | 29 May 2021 | |
For this week's mini-challenge, the queens read each other to filth. Art Simone wins the mini-challenge. For the main challenge, the queens create an infomercial for their own Yeast Spread.
On the runway, category is Finest Sheila in the Bush. Elektra Shock and Kita Mean receive positive critiques, with Elektra Shock winning the challenge. Etcetera Etcetera, Karen from Finance and Maxi Shield receive negative critiques, with Karen from Finance being safe. Etcetera Etcetera and Maxi Shield lip-sync to "Absolutely Everybody" by Vanessa Amorosi. Maxi Shield wins the lip-sync and Etcetera Etcetera sashays away.
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6 | 6 | "Family Resemblance" | 5 June 2021 | |
For this week's mini-challenge, the queens interact with local wildlife. Maxi Shield wins the mini-challenge. For the main challenge, the queens makeover rugby players. On the runway, category is Drag Family Resemblance. Karen from Finance and Kita Mean receive positive critiques, with Kita Mean winning the challenge. Elektra Shock, Maxi Shield and Scarlet Adams receive negative critiques, with Elektra Shock being safe. Maxi Shield and Scarlet Adams lip-sync to "Better the Devil You Know" by Kylie Minogue. Scarlet Adams wins the lip-sync and Maxi Shield sashays away.
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7 | 7 | "Talent Show Extravaganza" | 12 June 2021 | |
For this week's main challenge, the queens perform a talent show in front of the judges.
On the runway, category is How's Your Head Piece? Scarlet Adams wins the challenge. Elektra Shock and Kita Mean receive negative critiques, are announced as the bottom two. They lip-sync to Untouched" by The Veronicas. Kita Mean wins the lip-sync and Elektra Shock sashays away.
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8 | 8 | "Down Under Grand Finale" | 19 June 2021 | |
For the final challenge of the season, the queens write, record and perform verses to RuPaul's song "I'm A Winner, Baby" On the runway, category is Best Drag. The four finalists are told that they will be lip-syncing to "Physical" by Olivia Newton-John. It is announced that Kita Mean is the winner, leaving Art Simone, Karen from Finance and Scarlet Adams as the runners-up.
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Following the cast reveal, video footage and images surfaced of Scarlet Adams "wearing a shirt with the Aboriginal flag, with dark tanned skin and two teeth blacked out". Guardian Australia reported that the image was taken in 2012 during Australia Day celebrations. Other images feature Adams in blackface as an African American woman and playing Asian stereotypes by wearing a sari as part of a Bollywood character. Adams apologised via social media in 2020 before being revealed as a cast member and later released a new apology in March 2021. [15] In the series fifth episode, RuPaul addressed the controversy during the judges' critiques. Adams said, “I can’t deny that that happened. As a dumb, ignorant teenager, I made some mistakes that I’m really not proud of, and every day, I regret those decisions, I regret the fact that I used my platform as a performer to ridicule people who have faced systemic racism for hundreds of years and I’m so ashamed of the person I once was. I’m really sorry to you and to everyone that I have hurt.” [16]
Another contestant, Karen from Finance, was also reported to be involved in racial insensitivity after photos emerged showing a tattoo of a golliwog. Karen from Finance addressed the controversy on their social media by saying "I made the uninformed, ignorant and regrettable decision to have one of these dolls tattooed. In the years that followed ... I realised how irresponsible and stupid I had been so I disposed of the dolls to landfill and had my tattoo covered." [15]
Art Simone's return to the competition in Episode 4 also led to accusations of racism, with the show's lack of explanation for Simone's return leading to some viewers to question why a white contestant was allowed to return, but not the two recently eliminated contestants of colour. [17] [18]
Etcetera Etcetera's performance as Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton in the Snatch Game (episode 2) draw widespread condemnation, as her impersonation heavily mocked the death of Chamberlain's baby daughter, accompanied with a bloodstained dingo puppet, which was criticised as being cruel, offensive and insensitive considering how Chamberlain-Creighton was wrongfully convicted for her daughter's death. [19] [20]
Certain jokes made by Anita Wigl'it about Prince Andrew during her Snatch Game appearance as Elizabeth II in Episode Two were censored by the BBC for the UK screenings of the episode. [21] Wigl'it was later accused of plagiarism by Australian comedian Anthony Lehmann, who claimed that Wigl'it stole a joke that he had originally cracked in August 2020. Wigl'it later issued an apology on her Instagram, saying “Oh no! I do apologise!! When I was doing research for the Queen character I knew that there was something funny about the letter writing[...]Friends suggested the text. Turns out they had heard it somewhere before!” [22]
Year | Award ceremony | Category | Nominee | Results | Ref. |
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2022 | New Zealand Television Awards | Television Personality of the Year | Anita Wigl'it | Pending | [23] |
RuPaul's Drag Race is an American reality competition television series, the first in the Drag Race franchise, produced by World of Wonder for Logo TV, WOW Presents Plus, VH1 and, beginning with the fifteenth season, MTV. The show documents RuPaul in the search for "America's next drag superstar". RuPaul plays the role of host, mentor, and head judge for this series, as contestants are given different challenges each week. Contestants are judged by a panel that includes RuPaul, Michelle Visage, one of three rotating judges, as well as one or more guest judges, who critique their progress throughout the competition. The title of the show is a play on drag queen and drag racing, and the title sequence and song "Drag Race" both have a drag-racing theme.
The eleventh season of RuPaul's Drag Race aired on VH1 from February 28, 2019, to May 30, 2019. The cast featured fourteen new queens and one returning queen, making it the largest cast of the series at the time; the contestants were announced in a live stream hosted by season 10 winner Aquaria and Adam Rippon on January 24, 2019.
The fifth season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars was announced by VH1 on August 19, 2019.
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. It ran for eight episodes.
The thirteenth season of RuPaul's Drag Race premiered on January 1 and concluded on April 23, 2021. The cast was announced via Twitter on December 9, 2020. The competition is broadcast on VH1 in the United States and showcases 13 new queens competing for the title of "America's Next Drag Superstar". VH1 renewed both RuPaul's Drag Race and its spin-off RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars for a thirteenth and sixth season respectively on August 20, 2020. Casting calls for season 13 were opened in December 2019. In addition to airing on VH1, the premiere episode was simulcast across 5 other channels: Logo, MTV, MTV2, Pop, and The CW, becoming the most-watched episode in the franchise's history.
The sixth season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars premiered on June 24 and concluded on September 2, 2021. The first two episodes of the season aired on the same day. On August 20, 2020, VH1 renewed both RuPaul's Drag Race and All Stars for its thirteenth and sixth season respectively. On February 24, 2021, ViacomCBS announced the sixth season of the show would move from VH1 to Paramount+, an online streaming service. However, the season is still broadcast by the same networks abroad.
The third series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK began airing on 23 September 2021.
The first season of Canada's Drag Race premiered on July 2, 2020. The cast was announced on May 14, 2020. The winner of the first season of Canada’s Drag Race was Priyanka, with Rita Baga and Scarlett BoBo as runners-up.
Drag Race Down Under is a reality competition television series based on the American television series of the same name produced by World of Wonder and Warner Bros. International Television Production New Zealand. The show documents RuPaul and a panel of judges' search for "Down Under's next drag superstar". Contestants of Drag Race Down Under are either from Australia or New Zealand. RuPaul has played several roles on the show including host, mentor, and head judge for the series, as the contestants are given different challenges to participate in each week. The show has also employed Michelle Visage and Rhys Nicholson as judges. The series premiered on TVNZ 2 and TVNZ OnDemand in New Zealand, Stan in Australia, and on WOW Presents Plus internationally on 1 May 2021. The series is also streaming on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer in the United Kingdom, and broadcast by both Crave and its associated streaming service in Canada.
Nick Hall, better known by the stage name Anita Wigl'it, is a British-New Zealand based drag performer best known for hosting House of Drag from 2018 to 2020, and competing on the first season of RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under in 2021. She competed in Canada's Drag Race: Canada vs. the World in 2022.
James Luck, better known by the stage name Elektra Shock, is a New Zealand drag performer best known for competing on the first season of RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under and the second season of House of Drag.
Etcetera Etcetera is the stage name of Oliver Levi-Malouf, an Australian drag performer who competed on season 1 of RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under.
The second series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK began airing on 14 January 2021 on the BBC Three section of BBC iPlayer and WOW Presents Plus streaming service. The series was confirmed and casting was closed on 15 November 2019. Production was suspended mid 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic but resumed late 2020. The cast of 12 new queens was announced on 16 December 2020 and the series premiered on 14 January 2021. It was also announced a special episode RuPaul's Drag Race UK: Queens on Lockdown would air, following the queens during the first lockdown. This special episode was released on 12 February.
The fourth series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK began airing on BBC Three on 22 September 2022. RuPaul returned to his role as main host and head judge, and was again joined on the judging panel by Michelle Visage, Alan Carr and Graham Norton, all of whom returned for their respective fourth series. The series was filmed in Pinewood Studios in February 2022. The cast for the fourth series was revealed on 7 September 2022 on social media. The cast also featured Dakota Schiffer, the first out trans woman to compete in the British version of the show.
The second season of RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under premiered on 30 July 2022 and concluded on 17 September 2022. The cast was announced via TVNZ's Instagram account and a live interview with Kween Kong on TVNZ's Breakfast show on 7 July 2022.
The third season of Canada's Drag Race premiered on July 14 and concluded on September 8, 2022. The season airs on Crave in Canada, BBC Three in the United Kingdom and WOW Presents Plus internationally.
Drag Race Sverige is a Swedish reality competition television series based on the American series RuPaul's Drag Race. It is broadcast by SVT1 and SVT Play in Sweden and airs on WOW Presents Plus elsewhere.
The third season of RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under premiered on July 28, 2023, through Stan in Australia, TVNZ+ in New Zealand, and on WOW Presents Plus internationally. The season was confirmed by World of Wonder on October 24, 2022.
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