RuPaul's Drag Race UK (series 1)


The first series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK began airing on 3 October 2019 on the BBC Three section of BBC iPlayer and World of Wonder's WOW Presents Plus streaming service.
The song "Break Up ", which was featured in the fifth episode, was released as a single and reached number 35 in the UK Singles Chart. It also peaked at number 44 on the Billboard Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart in America.
The winner of this series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK was The Vivienne, with Divina de Campo as the runner-up. Contestant Scaredy Kat is both the youngest to vie for the title, at nineteen years old, but also the franchise’s first bedroom queen, so-called because she mainly confines her drag to the bedroom at home, as opposed to nightclubs and other public venues.

Contestants

The cast was announced on 21 August 2019 via YouTube and Instagram.
Ages, names, and cities stated are at time of filming.
ContestantAgeHometownOutcome
The Vivienne26Liverpool, EnglandWinner
Divina de Campo35Brighouse, West Yorkshire, EnglandRunner-up
Baga Chipz29London, England3rd Place
Cheryl Hole25Essex, England4th Place
Blu Hydrangea23Belfast, Northern Ireland5th Place
Crystal34East London, England 6th Place
Sum Ting Wong30Birmingham, England7th Place
Vinegar Strokes34London, England8th Place
Scaredy Kat19Wiltshire, England9th Place
Gothy Kendoll21Leicester, England10th Place

Contestant progress

Lip-syncs

Guest judges

Listed in chronological order:
Guests who appeared in episodes, but did not judge on the main stage.
Episode 3
Episode 4
Episode 5
Episode 6
Episode 8

Reception

The series received very positive reviews from critics, with The Guardian describing the series as having "saved RuPaul's Drag Race" as the recent seasons have had a less than positive reception. In their review of the series, iNews awarded the series "five stars" and described it as a "roaring success", despite criticising its omission of a stand-up comedy challenge.
In a more critical review, Vulture stated in its review of the finale that although the season "may have hit some true highs... it couldn’t save Drag Race from its worst impulses".