Drag Race UK season two: air date, queens, how to watch, eliminations, pit crew, judges and episodes
RuPaul’s Drag Race UK series 2 is set to be a wild ride (BBC)
Already 2021 has proven itself to be a hot mess, but there’s one shining bright spot amid the gloom: namely, the fact that RuPaul’s Drag Race UK season two is back on TV to help take our minds off the ongoing bin fire that is reality.
Wondering “when does Drag Race UK start”? You’re not alone. You’ll be able to tune in to RuPaul’s Drag Race UK on BBC iPlayer from Thursday 14th January 2021 at 7pm, and new episodes will drop weekly at the same time.
We certainly have high hopes after Drag Race UK season one, which exceeded all of our (already pretty high) expectations, delivering up a truly iconic winner in the form of The Vivienne – and who will ever forget the ultimate earworm that was “Break Up, Bye Bye” by the Frock Destroyers? Will this season deliver the same highs and lows? We certainly hope so. To satisfy our Drag Race UK cravings, we’ve taken a look at absolutely everything we know about DRUK2 so far.
Who are the Drag Race UK season 2 queens?
The new cast of Drag Race UK. (BBC)
We’ve got a guide to the entire cast and lineup below, and we’ll make a note when each one is eliminated from the show.
The cast of season two was officially revealed on December 16, 2020. The promo theme was Pride, with each queen wearing a different colour of the progress Pride flag.
Here’s a list of the contestants:
A’Whora.
A’Whora is the stage name of George Boyle, a 24 year old drag performer from Nottingham. She says her name is a spin on her ex’s insults. She told PinkNews and other outlets at a recent Q&A: “A whore can be many different things. So I thought I’m gonna brand myself as a whore, but replicate it in the finest ways and look the most expensive way possible, so that no-one can touch and no-one can afford.”
Asttina Mandella.
Asttina Mandella is a 27-year old drag queen from east London. She was one of the contestants who were leaked by Michelle Visage before the official cast reveal. She told the Radio Times: “I’m from East London where we love to play on being trashy and be a mess. That’s my drag scene. I love to get ugly and be silly.”
Bimini Bon Boulash.
Bimini (Tommy Hibbitts) is another 27-year-old Londoner (originally from Norfolk) who says her two biggest inspirations are Pamela Anderson and Vivienne Westwood. She describes her drag style as “mainly silly, which is what I love about drag. Expect the unexpected”.
Cherry Valentine.
Cherry Valentine is a 27-year-old mental health nurse from Darlington, who worked as a key worker during the pandemic. She told the Radio Times: “During the pandemic, I put my nursing kit back on and went back to the frontline and did what I could to help.” Cherry is Romani and grew up in a gypsy camp.
Ellie Diamond.
Ellie Diamond (Elliot Glen) is a Scottish queen from Dundee. She’s only 21, but has been doing drag for four years already. She says: “I’m 6ft 4 out of heels, and in drag, I love to go even taller. I like the biggest wigs, heels, outfits, lashes, makeup and ass. I would describe my drag as a cartoon character that has come to life.”
Ginny Lemon.
Ginny Lemon (Lewis Mandall) is known for her alternative and highly campy drag. If she looks familiar, it might be because she was on the X-Factor in 2017. She says: “I did X Factor in 2017, and I sang Liberty X’s Just A Little Bit. Really, I’m a singer-songwriter, and drag is how I do that. I’ve been doing drag since 2016 so I was quite a new drag queen when I did X Factor.” Ginny is from Worcester and is proud to represent non-binary queens on Drag Race UK.
Joe Black.
Joe Black is the stage name of… Joe Black. The Brighton queen describes her gothic style as “haunted glamour”, saying: “I love silent movies and old 1920 and 30s films. I love it when more is more, and I adore the grotesquely glamourous. I love Norma Desmond from Sunset Boulevard and Marlene Dietrich.”
Lawrence Chaney.
Lawrence is another Scottish queen, from Glasgow. She’s 23, and has been doing drag for six years, describing her look as “a mix of Rab C. Nesbitt and Susan Boyle”. She says: “I love Irn-Bru, and a caramel wafer. I’m almost the Austin Powers ‘fat bastard’ of drag! I think of my Scottishness as an asset.”
Sister Sister.
Sister Sister is the stage name of Philip “Pip” Doran, a 32 year old queen from Liverpool. She loves ’80s fashion and says comedy is one her her strong suits, saying: “I’ve always had a strong aesthetic and I’ve always had a strong sense of what I think is funny and when you put those things together: it looks, and sounds like me.”
Tayce.
Tayce (Tayce Szura-Radix) is a 26-year-old queen from Newport, Wales, and says she’s been doing drag since she was born: “Since I was born, I have been prancing around in little skirts and wigs. I’ve always been full of life and energy. I’ve always got a smile on my face and I have been wearing crazy looks from day dot.”
Tia Kofi.
Tia Kofi, a 30-year-old Londoner (via Essex and Nottinghamshire), describes herself as a comedy queen, saying: “I’m looking forward to Snatch Game. I think I’ll smash it and as I often perform with a girl band, I hope there’s a girl group challenge – but I’m here to Beyoncé myself now!”
Veronica Green.
Veronica is a 34-year-old queen from Rochdale, and describes herself as a “quadruple threat”, saying: “I put a lot of effort into looking beautiful, and I can sing, dance and act. And I’m a quadruple threat, as I am really good at sewing too. My mum’s a professional seamstress, and she’s taught me a few techniques…also, I cope well in high-pressure environments.”
Who are the judges on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK season 2?
RuPaul is back, babes, once again joined by Michelle Visage, who is just as straight-talking as ever. They’ll be joined by Alan Carr and Graham Norton, who alternate, and a guest judge each week.
Who are the pit crew?
The Brit Crew are a threesome this year (BBC)
The season 2 pit crew – restyled as the Brit Crew for the UK version – were revealed in a very thirsty Insta post on 9 January.
They are Ashraf Kilburn, Bas Dublin and Tony Dorset.
Who are the celebrity guests and guest judges set to appear on season 2?
There’s a LOT to look forward to when it comes to celeb stars on Drag Race UK season two. The legendary Dawn French let her involvement slip back in December, saying “They did originally ask me if I would be a full-time judge, but I couldn’t – because I just don’t live in London. But I am going to be a guest judge in a couple of weeks.”
Liz Hurley will be appearing in the very first episode. Other guest judges include LGBT+ ally Lorraine Kelly, Sheridan Smith, Jourdan Dunn, recording artist MNEK and singer-songwriter Jessie Ware. Special appearances come from drag queen Jodie Harsh, Eastenders‘ Natalie Cassidy and Gemma Collins.
Full episode list for Drag Race UK season 2.
Episode one is titled “Royalty Returns” and aired on 14 January, 2021. As an introductory task, the queens are given a Wimbledon-themed photoshoot challenge, thrown onto the court with a racket and two members of the Pit Crew.
Joe Black was eliminated.
Episode two is titled “Rats the Rusical” and saw the queens taking part in a Cats homage with West End star Sheridan Smith joining Michelle Visage and Alan Carr on the judging panel.
Cherry Valentine was eliminated.
Episode three is called “Who Wore It Best”. RuPaul tested the queens’ sewing skills by pitting them against their BFFs in a sewing challenge that saw each pair sorted into winners and losers. Oh the drama.
Asttina Mandella was eliminated.
Episode four is titled “Morning Glory.” The queens hosted their own improvised daytime talk show called Morning Glory, with the help of national treasure and long time LGBT+ ally Lorraine Kelly.
Ginny Lemon quit instead of lip syncing.
Episode five is called “The RuRuvision Song Contest” and is noteworthy for introducing the world’s most impossible-to-get-rid-of earworm in history in the form of the undeniable bob UK Hun?
Joe Black was eliminated AGAIN after returning to replace Veronica Green who left due to COVID.
Stay tuned to PinkNews for all the latest RuPaul’s Drag Race UK season 2 coverage. You can find all of our Drag Race UK articles here.
