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Everything We Know About Canada's Drag Race So Far
A 'Drag Race' alum has never been a part of the permanent panel of the show, before now.
It's too much. Really! It's too much!
Let's count 'em up ladies: There's RuPaul's Drag Race, RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars, RuPaul's Drag Race UK (which has a Brit Crew), Drag Race Thailand, The Switch (which is in Chile), and even a Drag Race Australia (on the way). Oh and yes, there's Canada's Drag Race. For a show that started, in part, modeled off of America's Next Top Model, it seems to be following its predecessor pretty well. Canada's Drag Race was initially announced back in June, with the casting call for queens going out shortly after. And,as Drag Race likes to do, the news has been slowly trickling out ever since.
Here's what we know:
Who is judging?
Pro tip: When the proper name of a Drag Race show is just Drag Race (or something completely different), you can go ahead and assume that Mama Ru is not getting flewed out for it. Such seems to be the case in the Great White North. On September 26, the show announced that actor Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman and America's Next Top Model mentor Stacy McKenzie will be permanent judges, rounded out by a selection of unannounced guest cameos.
Oh... and they will be joined on the permanent panel by a little queen named Brooke Lynn Hytes.
"Being hand selected as one of the judges of Canada's Drag Race is a dream come true," Hytes said in a statement. The news makes her the first Drag Race alum, of any iteration, to return as a permanent judge. "Being able to share everything I've learned and guide my Canadian sisters is going to be amazing!" she added.
Hytes, of course, had tons of competition experience prior to the show, competing and winning in the Miss Continental pageant. Maybe all of this is why Hytes launched a new site today.
If the show follows after Thailand, you can expect one or two video cameos by RuPaul.
When and where to watch?
So, we don't really have a definite on when the 10-episode season will air. All we know so far is that it will stream on Crave and OUTtv in Canada. And though it's being produced by Blue Ant Studios, we are wagering a bet that since it's in collaboration with World of Wonder, the show will eventually stream on WOW Presents Plus. Maybe it will even go to Logo like Drag Race U.K. is -- although we are thinking not, since Ru isn't hosting.
Who are the queens?
Well, guys, we knew that wasn't going to be released so early. But what we do know is that, in a role that seems to be close to Tim Gunn, formerly of Project Runway, Canada will have its very own Squirrel Friend in Traci Melchor. She will be making house visits and provide the queens, seemingly with mini-challenges.
Mikelle is the former editorial director of digital for PrideMedia, guiding digital editorial and social across Out, The Advocate, Pride.com, Out Traveler, and Plus. After starting as a freelancer for Out in 2013, he joined the staff as Senior Editor working across print and digital in 2018. In early 2021 he became Out's digital director, marking a pivot to content that centered queer and trans stories and figures, exclusively. In September 2021, he was promoted to editorial director of PrideMedia. He has written cover stories on Ricky Martin, Miss Fame, Nyle DiMarco, Jeremy O. Harris, Law Roach, and Symone.
Mikelle is the former editorial director of digital for PrideMedia, guiding digital editorial and social across Out, The Advocate, Pride.com, Out Traveler, and Plus. After starting as a freelancer for Out in 2013, he joined the staff as Senior Editor working across print and digital in 2018. In early 2021 he became Out's digital director, marking a pivot to content that centered queer and trans stories and figures, exclusively. In September 2021, he was promoted to editorial director of PrideMedia. He has written cover stories on Ricky Martin, Miss Fame, Nyle DiMarco, Jeremy O. Harris, Law Roach, and Symone.
