Canada's Drag Race is coming to the UK - how to watch the RuPaul spin-off

This summer, when you’re not watching Love Island: Australia, there’ll be the chance to get obsessed with season one of Canada’s Drag Race on BBC Three, via BBC iPlayer. That’s 12 new Queens, lots more challenges and a brand new judging line-up.

But don’t worry, Mama Ru is still keeping a close eye on proceedings…

The ten-part series, which will air in July, close to the Canadian broadcast, is on the hunt for ‘Canada’s First Drag Superstar’ and promises to blend RuPaul’s Drag Race with Drag Race UK.

The judging panel is made up of season 11 Drag Race star Brooke Lynn Hytes, LGBTQ+ activist Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman and supermodel Stacey McKenzie, with the usual mix of guest judges. We’re promised Michelle Visage will pop up at some point, while RuPaul will be sending Rumail to set the weekly challenges.

Mama Ru is thrilled to be expanding the Drag Race empire a little further. “Canada’s Drag Race airing on BBC is further proof that self-expression, creativity and the tenacity of the human spirit resonates around the globe,” she says.

We’re promised the same warmth, humour and outlandish sense of fun that we’re used to with the US Drag Race. The series is billed as the Olympics of Drag – “not only do they need to serve their finest drag looks, but they will need to sing, dance, act, improv, tuck, sew, glue, beat, work in teams, work alone, throw shade, death drop, and lip sync for their lives if they are to avoid the weekly elimination, and hear “shantay you stay” – no pressure, then!

Fiona Campbell, the big boss at BBC Three, promises we’re in for a treat. “With a brilliant combination of contestants, judges and challenges, it has all the ingredients of a spectacularly fun series - get ready to fall in love with these Canadian Queens!”

Canada’s Drag Race starts on BBC Three on Friday 3^rd July. To find out what else is on, check out our TV Guide.