"The RuRuvision Song Contest" | |
---|---|
RuPaul's Drag Race UK episode | |
Episode no. | Series 2 Episode 5 |
Original air date | February 11, 2021 |
Guest appearances | |
MNEK Ian Masterson [1] | |
"The RuRuvision Song Contest" is the fifth episode of the second series of the UK version of the American reality competition television series RuPaul's Drag Race , which aired on BBC Three, on 11 February 2021. This is the first episode filmed after the production of RuPaul's Drag Race UK was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, seven months after the previous episode. Veronica Green was forced to withdraw from the competition due to testing positive for COVID-19. As a result, the first three contestants eliminated, Joe Black, Cherry Valentine and Asttina Mandella, were brought back and the remaining contestants voted on whom they wanted to return to the competition. Joe Black was voted to return to the competition. Ginny Lemon was not included due to having eliminated themself from the competition.
The episode has contestants participate in a Eurovision style performance for the main challenge. There was no mini-challenge. MNEK served as a guest judge, alongside regular rotating judge Graham Norton, as well as regular judges RuPaul, and Michelle Visage. [1]
The episode begins in the Werk Room after the self-elimination of Ginny Lemon. The contestants read Ginny's message and retire to a sofa. A loud klaxon sounds and a message from RuPaul is played informing the contestants that filming of the competition was being halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic and all of the contestants are sent home. The filming of the show continues 7 months later with 7 of the 8 original remaining contestants present. [2] It was announced by RuPaul that Veronica Green tested positive for the COVID-19 and had been removed from the remainder of the competition, but was given an open invitation to return for the third series. [3]
In the hiatus period of the show, the 12 contestants for the series documented their time during the lockdown, which was made into a stand-alone special called Queens on Lockdown. [4]
Joe Black, Cherry Valentine and Asttina Mandella were brought back into the Werk Room in animal costumes. Each returning contestant was asked to make a short pitch as to why they should be allowed to return. Then each of the remaining 7 contestants voted by writing in lipstick on a handmirror the name of who they were voting for. [5]
Contestant | Joe Black | Asttina Mandella | Cherry Valentine |
---|---|---|---|
A'Whora | ![]() | ||
Bimini Bon-Boulash | ![]() | ||
Ellie Diamond | ![]() | ||
Lawrence Chaney | ![]() | ||
Sister Sister | ![]() | ||
Tayce | ![]() | ||
Tia Kofi | ![]() | ||
Votes | 5 | 2 | 0 |
Joe Black and Lawrence Chaney were made team captains and had to select members to form a Eurovision style group to perform the song "UK Hun?" for the RuRuvision Song Contest. The groups were as follows:
United Kingdolls | Bananadrama |
---|---|
Lawrence Chaney | Joe Black |
A'Whora | Ellie Diamond |
Bimini Bon-Boulash | Sister Sister |
Tayce | Tia Kofi |
Each group had to write and record their own versions of the song. MNEK was the vocal coach for each group. On the main stage, the judges watch the performances of both groups. The contestants performed a mixture of sung and rapped vocals. [1]
RuPaul introduces guest judge MNEK and returning judge Graham Norton, and reveals the runway theme for the runway category: A Day at the Seaside. Sister Sister and A'Whora both did the same outfit of a bag of chips. This caused tension between the two backstage. [1]
RuPaul declares United Kingdolls as the winners, and all of the members receive a RuPeter badge. They are then sent backstage while the Bananadrama members are critiqued. Sister Sister and Ellie Diamond received mixed critiques and were ultimately declared safe. Joe Black was praised for their runway look, but strongly criticised for their look in the Main Challenge: Michelle Visage stated their challenge outfit could have been bought from Primark, to which Joe Black responded it was from H&M. This led to RuPaul stating "I don’t wanna see any fucking H&M". Tia Kofi was also criticised for their outfit being "too regional" and not up to the standard of RuPaul's Drag Race. [1] The four were then sent to the back and the judges deliberated. When all the contestants returned to the stage, RuPaul apologised for their comments. [6]
Contestant | Result |
---|---|
A'Whora | WIN |
Bimini Bon-Boulash | WIN |
Lawrence Chaney | WIN |
Tayce | WIN |
Ellie Diamond | SAFE |
Sister Sister | SAFE |
Tia Kofi | BTM |
Joe Black | ELIM |
The bottom two were Joe Black and Tia Kofi who lip-synced to "Don't Leave Me This Way" by The Communards, with Joe Black leaving the competition for a second time. [6]
Episode | Contestants | Song | Eliminated | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
5 | Joe Black | vs. | Tia Kofi | "Don't Leave Me This Way" (The Communards) | Joe Black |
The United Kingdolls version of "UK Hun", reached Number 27 in the Official UK Charts. [7]
In response to the events during the runway critique, H&M sent Joe Black a cake with the inscription "Roses are red, violets are blue, we loved your fit, don't listen to Ru!, Love H&M.", along with a bunch of red roses, which arrived on Valentine's Day. [8]
Isobel Lewis of The Independent wrote that the episode was responsible for breathing new life back into the Drag Race franchise. Lewis stated the episode recaptured the unselfconscious fun of the earlier US series, showing that the contestants do not need to turn everything into a recognisable reality TV "moment". She highlighted an exchange from the episode between Lawrence and Bimini, where Bimini suggests Lawrence to keep a "Positive Mental Attitude" (PMA), to which Lawrence bluntly replies, "get fucked". [9]
The song was alluded to in the second episode of the second season of Canada's Drag Race , with the "Under the Big Top" Rusical featuring a trio of clowns named Bing, Bang and Bong. [10]
Bimini's verse in "UK Hun" was nominated for a BAFTA TV Award in 2022 in the category of Must-See Moment. [11]
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.
RuPaul's Drag Race UK is a British reality competition television series based on the American television series of the same name. The television series, a collaboration between the BBC and World of Wonder, premiered on 3 October 2019. The show is the fourth installment of the Drag Race franchise, and the second fronted by RuPaul. The show documents RuPaul and a panel of judges' search for "the United Kingdom's next drag superstar", the first series title dubbed "UK's First Drag Superstar". RuPaul plays 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 also employs a panel of judges: RuPaul, Michelle Visage, Alan Carr, and Graham Norton.
"All Stars Supergroup" is the eighth episode of the second season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars. It originally aired on October 13, 2016. Travis Wall is a guest choreographer, and the juding panel includes RuPaul, Carson Kressley, Ross Mathews, and Todrick Hall. The episode has the final four contestants—Alaska, Detox, Katya, and Roxxxy Andrews—write, record, and perform original verses to RuPaul's song "Read U Wrote U" for the main challenge. After winning a three-way lip-sync to "If I Were Your Woman" by Gladys Knight & the Pips, Alaska wins the competition and Detox and Katya are runners-up.
"Break Up (Bye Bye)" is a song recorded by British drag girl group the Frock Destroyers for the Girl Group Battle Royale challenge during their stint on the first series of the reality television competition, RuPaul's Drag Race UK. During the episode the contestants had to create girl groups to participate in the challenge; there were two versions of the song released, the first being by Divina de Campo, Baga Chipz and Blu Hydrangea. The alternate version was released by Filth Harmony, consisting of Drag Race UK winner The Vivienne, Cheryl Hole and Crystal, however the latter did not chart. The song was released on 31 October 2019. The song was also included in the band's debut album, Frock4Life, which was released 11 December 2020. The song was primarily written by Leland and Freddy Scott, with De Campo, Chipzs and Hydrangea writing the lyrics for their individual verses.
God Shave the Queens is a documentary streaming television series about the tour following each series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK. The show originally premiered internationally on 10 September 2020 on WOW Presents Plus internationally, and BBC iPlayer on 15 November 2020 in the United Kingdom.
The third series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK began airing on 23 September 2021.
Frock4Life is the debut studio album by the Frock Destroyers, released by World of Wonder Records on 11 December 2020. It includes "Break Up Bye Bye", which was performed by group members Baga Chipz, Blu Hydrangea and Divina de Campo as contestants on the first series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK. The song was a commercial success, peaking at number 35 on the UK Singles Chart and number 44 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart, with it leading to the recording of the album. Leland served as executive producer and the main songwriter. "Her Majesty" and "Big Ben" served as singles for Frock4Life in 2020; the former also received a music video.
George Boyle, better known by the stage name A'Whora, is a British drag queen from Worksop, England. He is best known for competing on the second series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK.
Aston Joshua, better known by the stage name Asttina Mandella, is a British drag queen and dancer from East London. She is best known for competing on the second series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK, where she came eleventh on the series.
Thomas George Graeme Hibbitts, better known by the stage name Bimini Bon-Boulash or Bimini, is an English drag queen, author, recording artist and model based in East London, and born in Great Yarmouth, England. They are best known for competing on the second series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK, where they placed as a runner-up.
George Ward, better known by the stage name Cherry Valentine, was an English drag queen and mental health nurse who competed in the second series of the television show RuPaul's Drag Race UK. Raised in a Romanichal community, Ward has been credited as the first contestant on the Drag Race franchise to acknowledge his Romani heritage. In 2022, he addressed his background in the BBC documentary film Cherry Valentine: Gypsy Queen and Proud, and in an episode of the documentary series God Shave the Queens. Following Ward's suicide in 2022, a memorial concert and fundraiser was held at London's Clapham Grand.
Lewis Matthew Lumiere Mandall, née Croucher, known professionally as Ginny Lemon, is a British drag performer and recording artist best known for competing on the second series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK. They are known for their alternative and highly campy drag.
Joseph Lewis Black is a British musician and drag queen from Brighton, England. He is best known for competing on the second series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK and getting eliminated first and fifth, after being voted back on to the show in episode five.
Lawrence Chaney is a Scottish Glasgow-based drag queen. They are best known for winning the second series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK, becoming the first Scottish drag queen and the second Plus Size contestant to win across the franchise. Their role on the series later earned them the 2021 BAFTA Scotland Audience Award. As part of their Drag Race victory, Chaney was awarded their own online television series, later titled Tartan Around, which premiered in 2022.
Philip Doran, better known by the stage name Sister Sister, is a British drag queen from Liverpool, England who is best known for competing on the second series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK.
Tayce Szura-Radix is a Welsh drag queen, rapper, and model from Newport, Wales. She is best known for competing in the second series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK, in which she placed joint runner-up.
"UK Hun?" is a song recorded by British drag girl group United Kingdolls for The RuRuvision Song Contest challenge during their stint on the second series of reality television competition, RuPaul's Drag Race UK. The episode has contestants participate in a Eurovision-style performance. The song was released on February 11, 2021. It was primarily written by Leland, with Lawrence Chaney, Bimini Bon-Boulash, A'Whora and Tayce writing the lyrics for their individual verses.
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Louis Westwood, better known by his stage name Kitty Scott-Claus, is a British drag performer most known for competing on the third series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK. She will compete on RuPaul's Drag Race Global All Stars.