When “Drag Race UK” first dropped, it was so different than the original show that fans immediately jumped on board.
Longtime host Michelle Visage, who also appeared on the British iteration alongside eponymous leader RuPaul Charles, acknowledged as much in an interview with the Gay Times. Visage made it clear that “UK” was inherently its own thing, explaining, “I don’t want them to be compared to the American queens, they have different cultures, different aesthetic, different approach.”
The LGBTQ+ ally added, “Drag queens have always been about the performance and the talent, so I don’t want people to think that because they’re not highly polished and they don’t look like [Season 10 winner] Aquaria, that they’re not good.”
In a review of the show, The Guardian argued that the very British sense of humor on display made each interaction with a demonstrably confused Ru even funnier, especially when the queens referenced homegrown soaps such as “Eastenders.”
There was a realness to “Drag Race UK” that had long been absent from the highly produced and super-sleek main show, which made it more entertaining, while it’s tough to imagine a queen like Lawrence Chaney emerging victorious in the U.S. version, either. In fact, as the Daily Record pointed out, the addition of Chaney and fellow Scottish queen Ellie Diamond made Season 2 must-watch material.
