For many, Drag Race UK was one of the few highlights in a difficult and dreary year in 2020. Thankfully, the BBC Three show is returning with a new series, and sooner than you might expect.
The new season will be Drag Race 's third UK appearance, coming less than a year after Ru crowned her second British drag star, Lawrence Chaney, in March this year. So, when can we expect season 3? Below you'll find everything we know about the upcoming season.
When will Drag Race UK season 3 air?
The third series of Drag Race UK returns on BBC iPlayer on 23 September at 7pm, with new episodes arriving every week.
What is the line-up for Drag Race UK S3?
In August, the BBC introduced the 12 new queens who will compete for the crown in this year's competition. Among the new contestants is a familiar face, Veronica Green, whose time on the show in season two was cut short due to testing positive for COVID-19. The 35-year-old star, from Rochdale, said: "I hope, because I'm not a newbie, that the second time will give me an advantage. I'm having the time of my life again. I love it!"
Joining Veronica are Anubis, Choriza May, Elektra Fence, Ella Vaday, Kitty Scott-Claus, Krystal Versace, River Medway, Scarlett Harlett, Vanity Milan, Victoria Scone and Charity Kase.
However, the BBC faced criticism after revealing the new queen, with fans and even one former rival questioning the lack of diversity. Season 2 finalist Tess (who uses she/her pronouns when in drag) wrote on Twitter: "Congratulations to all the s3 S**GS! I'm so proud to see so many familiar faces and so Excited to get to know so many unfamiliar faces, having said that, I was a little surprised by the lack of diversity in the cast, especially since I personally know so many incredible POC, trans, and AFAB people. assigned female at birth) performer.”
She concluded by saying: "Hopefully things will improve and for now I just wish the best for the 3rd term girls. You deserve all the love today, this is your moment, enjoy it and never screw up."
Weeks later, the Season 3 cast came under scrutiny again when it was discovered that Charity Kase had previously used racist language on her Twitter page. The new contestant (who uses she/her pronouns when in drag) issued an apology, saying "I take full responsibility for these unacceptable tweets and I hope you can understand that they do not represent me now nor do they On my behalf today. I feel ashamed of myself for seeing them again. I want to unequivocally apologize to my fans for feeling disappointed and offended by me, and especially to anyone I may have caused trauma in any way. forgive me."
Elsewhere, contestant Choriza May, from Valencia, Spain, was forced to respond to online trolls who questioned her participation in the show. On September 6, the new contestant tweeted, "Some of you guys have been saying, 'Choriza should do drag queen shows in Spain instead of the UK,' and this really feels like the gay version 'Go back to your country'. "I decided to attend DRUK because I am a British citizen and I have lived here for almost 6 years. "
Who are the guest judges on Drag Race UK S3?
There are some very exciting stars joining the judging panel this year including Emma Bunton, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Alesha Dixon, Oti Mabuse, Matt Lucas and Kathy Burke. Russell Tovey, Lulu and Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan also have a place in the coveted group. They will, of course, join the regular British judging panel made up of RuPaul, Michelle Visage, Graham Norton and Alan Carr.
Celebrity guest judges keep coming, with Drag Race also revealing that Girls Aloud star Nadine Coyle and comedian Judy Love will join RuPaul in the iconic Snatch Game challenge. Both are huge fans of the show and Ru Paul, with Coyle revealing her drag name will be "Sarine Nadine." "It was so awesome to be on the show!" the singer shared. "I met my long-time love Ru and I got to see the new season's queens up close!"
Contributions by Kay Leong, Sam Ramsden and L'Oréal Blackett.
