Iconic queens we want cast on a future Drag Race UK All Stars
It’s for a Drag Race UK All Stars. (BBC/Canva)
As RuPaul’s Drag Race UK season six comes to a close, it’s time to look ahead to the future. But if that future doesn’t include the commissioning of Drag Race UK All Stars, frankly, we don’t want it.
After six seasons – some astonishingly good, some less so, but none downright awful – it’s time that the queens of Drag Race UK get a second shot at the crown. No season has proved that more than the recent season six, which honestly could result in a four-way tie.
Yes, we know that RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs The World exists, which has given both Belfast beauty Blu Hydrangea and Clapham queen Tia Kofi their much-deserved flowers. Kitty Scott-Claus nearly bagged the win on the recent season-that-shall-not-be-named, too.
But considering Drag Race UK is the third longest-running franchise, after the US and Thailand, there’s now a big enough cohort of queens to complete a simply unmatched All Stars cast list, without the addition of two-time or three-time competitors like Jujubee and Scarlet Envy.
While there are currently some very, very unofficial rumours circulating about UK vs The World season three being in the works, here’s to hoping that World of Wonder and the BBC are also considering a proper UK All Stars, too. After all, both Drag Race France and Drag Race España have done it – why can’t we?
While we wait for the producers to come to their senses, here’s our dream Drag Race UK All Stars cast list. We’ve not included any of the (legendary) queens from season six, considering they’re probably exhausted. A few of your faves might not be on the list, either – not because we don’t want to see them back, but because we know this 10-queen season would eat so hard, that a second season would be instantly commissioned. Gotta spread the talent around, y’know.
Tayce (season two, runner-up)
The cheek, the nerve, the gall, the audacity and the gumption of the Drag Race producers to not bring Tayce back to our screens is astounding.
Season two, widely considered one of the best seasons of Drag Race period, would not be the *chef’s kiss* success it is without this Welsh diva. She brought iconic confessionals, fashion week-worthy runways (not you, scourer look), a brilliant lyric game, and an even better lip-sync game. Plus, she knew how to brand herself: we bet you still remember how much she loves baked beans.
As she makes waves as a celebrity contestant on the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special this year, now is the perfect time for a fully-fledged re-Tayce-ance.
Dakota Schiffer (season four, sixth place)
Any reasonable Drag Race UK fan knows that trans superstar Dakota Schiffer was robbed, fleeced, burglarised and cheated during season four, as she was eliminated during the famously sketchy makeover challenge, despite her makeover look being, um, really good.
Her time on the show was characterised by her remarkably quick redemption arc, which saw her go from being in the bottom in episode one, to winning the next two episodes on the trot. And, if we’re being real, she could’ve won a third challenge for her impeccable Pete Burns Snatch Game impression. She’d be a shoo-in for the final.
Divina de Campo (season one, runner-up)
A Drag Race UK All Stars cast list without Divina de Campo is like a red wig without a silver dress: no one wants to see it. While it’s not right to say Divina was robbed – The Vivienne really deserved her win – Divina is one of those queens who the fandom are desperate to see with a crown on her head.
During her time on season one, she had so many highs – the highest being that whistle note during The Frock Destroyers’ “Break Up (Bye Bye)” performance – and very few lows (she was the only queen never to land in the bottom two). She’s since turned her attention to musical theatre, so she’d be a dead-cert for the Rusical win.
Kate Butch (season five, fifth place)
As a comedy legend with questionable fashion sense, Kate Butch embodies British drag. She may have had a lukewarm start to the competition last year, but towards the end she found her feet, excelling in the Rusical and Snatch Game, and winning the acting challenge.
Plus, she won over the judges – and the public – with her quick wit and iconic confessionals. She’d be to UK All Stars what Katya was to All Stars 2 – camp, chaotic, and a solid contender for the crown.
Cara Melle (season five, sixth place)
Cara Melle, season five’s London queen via Atlanta, Georgia, left Drag Race UK fans tapping their fingers and thwarping their fans the second she walked into the Werk Room. A self-assured Goddess with the looks, lyrics, and lip-sync abilities to back it up, she was a firm favourite for the win from day one.
After a few slip-ups, including a bottom two placement in the improvisation and acting challenges, Cara Melle sashayed away way too early in sixth place. Yet this year, she’s starred alongside fellow Drag Race alum Crystal Methyd, Heidi N Closet, and Trinity The Tuck in horror-comedy Slay, so she’s probably levelled up her acting skills. A Cara Melle comeback would be oh-so-sweet, and we need to see it.
River Medway (season three, sixth/seventh place)
River Medway is a Drag Race UK herstory maker: the first Singaporean queen in the UK franchise; the first queen to wear a traffic cone on her head during a runway; and, sadly, the first queen to be sent home during a shock double elimination (alongside her season three sister, Choriza May).
While her Drag Race UK run wasn’t flawless, she brought oodles of charm, some pretty stellar looks (justice for River’s “Great Outdoors” design runway), and scored a win during the girl group challenge. Plus, she’s since appeared in several musical theatre roles, including in Ursula stage show Unfortunate and Steps musical Here & Now, so she’d be going toe-to-toe with Divina de Campo for that Rusical win.
A’Whora (season two, fifth place)
No Drag Race season hits the spot like one with just a little drama, and we can rest assured that A’Whora would bring it. During season two, she was known for whipping up just a little tension with her competitors, including Sister Sister, Tia Kofi, and Veronica Green, and it’s safe to say that the season wouldn’t have the impeccable reputation it does without her.
The best bit though, is that she’s got diverse drag skills to back it up. She made one of the franchise’s best-ever design looks, played a part in the iconic United Kingdolls’s “UK, Hun?” performance, kind of deserved the win during the “Morning Glory” acting challenge, and did not deserve a low placement during Snatch Game.
It’s rumoured that A’Whora was invited to compete in Canada’s Drag Race: Canada Vs The World but turned it down, so whether she’d come back for All Stars remains to be seen. But it would be good TV, that’s for sure.
Black Peppa (season four, third/fourth place)
Drag Race UK fans predicted Birmingham’s Black Peppa would be a potential winner from her jaw-dropping promo look alone, and became even more certain after she won the first week’s “Start Your Engines” runway challenge. Yet from that point on, this seasoned queen flat-lined a little, failing to win another challenge and ending up in the bottom two four times.
However, Peppa arguably delivered the season’s best runway looks and obviously knew how to kill a lip-sync, while her slightly lacklustre turn in the season made fans only want to see more of her. Stan Black Peppa!
Crystal (season one, sixth place)
There are few Drag Race UK queens who I believe were seriously overlooked during their initial runs, but season one’s hairy, Canadian, Laurence Fox-suing angle grinder Crystal is one of them.
She was arguably the show’s first full-on fashion queen, serving a high-concept look every run way. She could’ve won the design challenge (although Divina deserved it). She shouldn’t have been in the bottom during the Snatch Game (… Divina deserved it). She won the reading challenge (… Divina deserved it, again). Bonus points too for scaring the sh*t out of Geri Halliwell, too.
In the five years since season one, Crystal has become known for a very different reason: taking right-wing, anti-woke, two-time failed London mayor Laurence Fox to court, and winning. She’s also a frequent commentator on Sky News, mentored on drag reality show Call Me Mother, and hosted drag design show, Sew Fierce. A drag multi-hyphenate.
Ella Vaday (season three, runner-up)
If Ella Vaday ever gets cast on a Drag Race UK All Stars season, the other queens should be very scared indeed. Not only did she win an impressive four challenges, but she never landed below safe, excelling in every single type of challenge put before her.
She won comedy challenges (Roast, Snatch Game) and performance challenges (Girl Group, Acting), and did well in the both Ball challenges. That’s without season three even having a Rusical, and considering Ella made her name in shows like Wicked and The Book of Mormon, she likely would have won that, too.
In the years since, she’s begun a film career (Sumotherhood), started a fitness company (Fitti), and stripped off for charity (The Real Full Monty: Jingle Balls). On All Stars, she’d be one Ella VaThreat.
RuPaul’s Drag Race UK is streaming now on BBC iPlayer.
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