'RuPaul’s Drag Race UK' Season 3 — release date, contestants, trailer, and everything you need to know

RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Season 3 is set to hit our screens on BBC3 this autumn, jam-packed with all the glitter, shade, and slaying Queens you could ask for!

After a sparkling second series, the prestigious Queen herself, RuPaul will be coming back, along with a new line-up of celebrity guests, to crown the next vibrant hopeful as The Next Drag Race Superstar.

RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Season 3 release date

Start your engines! RuPaul's Drag Race UK Season 3 finally has a confirmed release date, and will start on Thursday September 23rd at 7pm on BBC3.

Who are the contestants?

Victoria Scone

Withdrew from the competition in week 3.

Victoria Scone is a 27-year-old drag performer from Cardiff, and describes herself as "camp, Cardiff, cabaret, disco diva, with a lot of spunk". Her style is inspired by traditional drag, pantomime, and the older Welsh queens. She cites Ceri Dupree as a main inspiration for her drag career. She is also the first cis-female to take part in the UK competition. 

Unfortunately Victoria's time on Drag Race UK came to an abrupt halt, after she was forced to withdraw from the competition due to an injury.

Veronica Green 

Eliminated in week 3.

Fans of Drag Race might recognise 35-year-old Rochdale based Veronica, as she appeared in season 2 but had to leave the competition due to testing positive for COVID-19 as filming resumed. But she's been invited back by RuPaul for another chance. She cites her sister Veronica as the inspiration for her drag persona and her outfits.

Veronica was sadly eliminated in week 3 after a lip-sync battle against Vanity Milan.

Vanity Milan

29-year-old Vanity Milan hails from South London, describing herself as "sophisticated, sexy and savage". Her drag name came from her mother, who would frequently tell her "Look, you're always stuck in the mirror’ you might as well just call yourself Vanity!", and she added Milan based on her love of fashion. 

Scarlett Harlett

Scarlett Harlett is a 26-year-old queen from East London, whose look has been inspired by the film industry. She described her drag persona as "a beautiful woman, with movie star looks. She’s a glamorous diva and when she talks she’s a proper mouthy, cheeky cockney. She’s like Danny Dyer in drag!". She's also been inspired by old-school divas like Joan Rivers, Barbara Streisand and Shirley Bassey. 

River Medway

Taking her drag name from her hometown in Kent, 22-year-old River Medway describes herself as 50% White British, 50% Singaporean. Her drag style is "camp, feel good and shallow" and doesn't take herself too seriously. Hannah Montana was a big inspiration for River, saying she loved the transformation that happened on the Disney series.

Krystal Versace

19-year-old Kent based drag queen Krystal Versace has been playing with makeup since the age of 13, and describes her first experience performing in drag as "magical". Describing her style as "different and refreshing", it was the original RuPaul's Drag Race series that inspired her to perform.

Kitty Scott-Claus

29-year-old Birmingham based queen Kitty Scott-Claus describes herself as "all singing, all dancing" and "always funny". She did musical theatre and revealed that instead of the boy parts she "wanted to be Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, wanted to be Roxy Hart in Chicago, wanted to be Glinda in Wicked", so it's these iconic roles that have inspired her style.

Ella Vaday

Ella describes her drag persona as "a bit garish, a bit classy, a bit Essex-y", and as a 32-year-old performer from Dagenham, she tries to embody her hometown when she performs. As a professionally trained actor, Ella cites wanting to have both roles as a main inspiration, saying: "I like to be larger than life.  My drag is the feminine side of me, which as a male actor I’ve never been allowed to show, so it’s two fingers up to everyone who has ever told me I must look like a leading man."

Elektra Fence 

Eliminated in week 2.

Elektra Fence is "death defying, electrifying and just up for a good time". She actually got her drag name after a video of her accidentally electrocuting herself on an electric fence went viral! A 29-year-old performer from Burnley, her main inspirations are Miley Cyrus, Kris Jenner and Madonna.

Sadly Elektra's time on Drag Race UK ended after losing a lip-sync battle against Vanity Milan in week 2.

Charity Kase

Known for her outlandish looks, Charity Kase is a 24-year-old queen from Lancashire. Her name comes from her "ability to craft stuff on a very low budget and transform the grotesque to glamorous ". She describes her style as "not being entry level" and adds you can expect "shock, horror, gore, glamour and maybe a little bit of vomit" from her performances.

Choriza May

Choriza May is a 30-year-old Spanish queen living in Newcastle, but says her drag was "born in the UK". Her style is very storyteller in nature, and she says she "uses puppets, live singing, a bit of dancing, projection, spoken word, lip-syncing" when performing. 

Anubis

Eliminated in week 1.

Anubis is a 19-year-old drag performer from Brighton, who chose her drag name to honour her Egyptian heritage. It's also a tribute to her dad, who passed away three years ago. Her drag style is influenced by her mother and grandmother, describing the latter as "an absolute legend" and "really wacky with a really kind heart".

Unfortunately for Anubis, she was eliminated in the first week of the competition after Elektra Fence beat her in the lip-sync battle.

What happens in RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Season 3?

After Glaswegian queen Lawrence Chaney was crowned the UK’s Next Drag Race Superstar in Season 2, 12 new fabulous Drag-athletes will compete in the Olympics of Drag for the esteemed title this year. 

Across ten episodes, the queens will face challenges that will test their Drag mastery to the max. Watch them slay and lip sync like their lives depended on it and sashay their way to victory. 

Also, “Prepare for even more dips, trips, splits, and kicks all served with a healthy loving dose of shade!” the BBC has teased. What would this series be without it?

Is there a trailer?

A full length trailer has not been released yet, but the BBC3 Twitter account posted an exciting eleven-second teaser clip, showing an array of hands with long nails and colourful accessories popping through the backgrounds with upbeat and lively music playing along, followed by the words “Release The Queens!” 

Who are the guest judges?

There's some exciting guest judges joining RuPaul's Drag Race UK Season 3. They'll be joining RuPaul, Michelle Visage, Graham Norton and Alan Carr when the show returns to help decide who'll be the next Drag Race superstar.

Here's who's been confirmed so far...

Matt Lucas

Actor, comedian and presenter Matt Lucas will appear in the very first episode. Talking about his experience, he said: "It was on my bucket list to be on the show, but my years of wearing tights are behind me, so I was both relieved and delighted to be asked to be on the panel! I was hugely impressed by the brilliance and invention on the show, and it was one of the most entertaining days I've ever had."

Oti Mabuse

Oti is best known for being a professional dancer (and two-time champion) on Strictly Come Dancing. When asked how it felt to be a part of Drag Race UK Season 3, she said: "I loved being on the set! It felt surreal - I've watched every episode since Season 1 in the States, Canada, Down Under and I was excited to be on the UK one and meet the Queens and work with them." 

Kathy Burke

Actor and comedian Kathy Burke is the third guest judge who will appear in the show. She said: "I'm a big Drag Race fan, so it was absolutely brilliant to meet RuPaul and Michelle Visage - and I loved the very-kind-to-old-ladies' lighting."

Steps

Pop group powerhouse Steps are joining this series, with H saying "This show means so much to me! It’s been at THE TOP of my bucket list! To be part of a show that champions diversity & equality in the LGBTQI+ community, and encourages all of us to be our authentic selves. It was an incredible moment! A total professional and personal highlight for me! I want to do drag now!"

Charity Shop Sue

YouTube sensation Sue Tuke (played by Selina Mosinski) is also joining the series this year. When asked what she loves about the show, she said: "We love that it gives people the confidence to be their authentic selves and to shine bright – no one should ever dim our light for anybody."

Jay Revell 

Award-winning choreographer Jay Revell is returning for season 3 too, and said: "I think RuPaul’s Drag Race is so important to the culture, it’s amazing to be a part of something which you can see really builds people up and allows them to express their full selves. Also the laughs and epic personalities, never a dull moment!"

Russell Tovey

Being Human star Russell Tovey is a big fan of the series, and will be guesting as a judge this season. He hasn't yet released a statement about his involvement in the programme, but we can't wait to see his episode!

Nicola Coughlan

Derry Girls and Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan was finally able to break her silence recently, and revealed: "When RuPaul asked me on the panel I felt gorgeous, I felt perfect, I felt like Linda Evangelista, like a model."

Lulu

Award-winning pop legend Lulu is also taking part, she knows what it takes to be a performer so will definitely be able to provide some insights and feedback when it comes to our new Queens. 

Can you still watch the previous series?

Yes, great news! If you missed the first two series or simply want to rewatch the show again because both the first two series are available to watch right now on BBC iPlayer. That's 19 episodes to enjoy!

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