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 WOW Presents Plus's WOW Presents Plus streaming service.[1] It ran for eight episodes.

RuPaul's Drag Race UK
Series 1
Promotional poster for series one
Hosted byRuPaul
Judges
No. of contestants10
WinnerThe Vivienne
Runner-upDivina de Campo
Country of originUnited Kingdom
No. of episodes8
Release
Original networkBBC Three (UK)
WOW Presents Plus (International)
Original release3 October (2019-10-03) 
21 November 2019 (2019-11-21)
Series chronology

The winner of first series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK was The Vivienne, with Divina de Campo as the runner-up.[2][3]

The song "Break Up (Bye Bye)", which was featured in the fifth episode, was released as a single and reached number 35 on the UK Singles Chart.[4] It also peaked at number 44 on the Billboard Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart in the US.[5]

Contestants

Ages, names, and cities stated are at time of filming.

Contestants of RuPaul's Drag Race UK series 1 and their backgrounds[6]
Contestant Age Hometown Outcome
The Vivienne 26 Liverpool, England Winner
Divina de Campo 35 Brighouse, England Runner-up
Baga Chipz 29 East London, England 3rd place
Cheryl Hole 25 Chelmsford, England 4th place
Blu Hydrangea 23 Belfast, Northern Ireland 5th place
Crystal 34 East London, England 6th place
Sum Ting Wong 30 Birmingham, England 7th place
Vinegar Strokes 34 North London, England 8th place
Scaredy Kat 19 Cricklade, England 9th place
Gothy Kendoll 21 Leicester, England 10th place

    Contestant progress

    Legend:

      The Vivienne won RuPaul's Drag Race UK series 1.
      Divina de Campo was the runner-up.
      WIN indicates that the contestant won the challenge.
      SAFE indicates that the contestant was declared safe by the judges.
      BTM (Bottom) indicates that the contestant was up for elimination.
      ELIM (Eliminated) indicates that the contestant was eliminated.
      Guest indicates that the contestant returned as a guest.
    Progress of contestants including placements in each episode
    Contestant Episode
    1[7] 2[8] 3[9] 4[10] 5[11] 6[12] 7[13] 8[14]
    The Vivienne WIN SAFE SAFE WIN BTM WIN SAFE Winner
    Divina de Campo SAFE SAFE WIN SAFE WIN SAFE WIN Runner-up
    Baga Chipz SAFE WIN SAFE WIN WIN SAFE BTM Eliminated
    Cheryl Hole SAFE SAFE SAFE SAFE SAFE BTM ELIM Guest
    Blu Hydrangea SAFE BTM SAFE SAFE WIN ELIM Guest
    Crystal SAFE SAFE SAFE BTM ELIM Guest
    Sum Ting Wong SAFE SAFE BTM ELIM Guest
    Vinegar Strokes BTM SAFE ELIM Guest
    Scaredy Kat SAFE ELIM Guest
    Gothy Kendoll ELIM Guest

    Lip syncs

    Legend:

      The contestant won the Lip Sync for the Crown and was declared the winner of the season.
      The contestant was eliminated after their first time in the bottom.
      The contestant was eliminated after their second time in the bottom.
    Episode Contestants Song Eliminated
    1[7] Gothy Kendoll vs. Vinegar Strokes "New Rules"
    (Dua Lipa)
    Gothy Kendoll
    2[8] Blu Hydrangea vs. Scaredy Kat "Venus"
    (Bananarama)
    Scaredy Kat
    3[9] Sum Ting Wong vs. Vinegar Strokes "Would I Lie to You?"
    (Eurythmics)
    Vinegar Strokes
    4[10] Crystal vs. Sum Ting Wong "Spice Up Your Life"
    (Spice Girls)
    Sum Ting Wong
    5[11] Crystal vs. The Vivienne "Power"
    (Little Mix)
    Crystal
    6[12] Blu Hydrangea vs. Cheryl Hole "Call My Name (Wideboys Remix)"
    (Cheryl)
    Blu Hydrangea
    7[13] Baga Chipz vs. Cheryl Hole "Tears Dry on Their Own"
    (Amy Winehouse)
    Cheryl Hole
    Episode Contestants Song Winner
    8[14] Divina de Campo vs. The Vivienne "I'm Your Man"
    (Wham!)
    The Vivienne

    Guest judges

    Listed in chronological order:

    Special guests

    Guests who appeared in episodes, but did not judge on the main stage.

    Episode 3

    Episode 4

    Episode 5

    • MNEK, singer and music producer

    Episode 6

    Episode 8

    Episodes

    No.
    overall
    No. in
    series
    TitleOriginal air date
    11"The Royal Queens"3 October 2019 (2019-10-03)

    Ten queens enter the workroom. For the first mini-challenge, the queens will do an "Off with Your Heads" photoshoot. Scaredy Kat wins the mini-challenge. For this week's main challenge, the queens will present two looks on the runway: Queen of Your Hometown and a look inspired by Queen Elizabeth II.

    On the runway, Baga Chipz, Sum Ting Wong and The Vivienne receive positive critiques, with The Vivienne winning the challenge. Cheryl Hole, Gothy Kendoll and Vinegar Strokes receive negative critiques, with Cheryl Hole being safe. Gothy Kendoll and Vinegar Strokes lip-sync to "New Rules" by Dua Lipa. Vinegar Strokes wins the lip-sync and Gothy Kendoll is the first queen to sashay away.

    • Guest Judge: Andrew Garfield
    • Alternating Judge: Alan Carr
    • Mini-Challenge: "Off with Your Heads" photoshoot
    • Mini-Challenge Winner: Scaredy Kat
    • Main Challenge: Present two looks on the runway
    • Runway Themes: Queen of Your Hometown and a look inspired by Queen Elizabeth II
    • Challenge Winner: The Vivienne
    • Challenge Prize: A RuPeter Badge
    • Bottom Two: Gothy Kendoll and Vinegar Strokes
    • Lip-Sync Song: "New Rules" by Dua Lipa
    • Eliminated: Gothy Kendoll
    • Farewell Message: "I'm the UK's Porkchop! Love you, friends for life! x x x Gothy"
    22"Downton Draggy"10 October 2019 (2019-10-10)

    For this week's main challenge, the queens will perform in drag film adaptions of Downton Abbey, called "Downton Draggy".

    • Team Scaredy Kat: Blu Hydrangea, Cheryl Hole, Crystal, Divina De Campo and Scaredy Kat
    • Team The Vivienne: Baga Chipz, Sum Ting Wong, The Vivienne and Vinegar Strokes

    On the runway, category is Bond Girl Glamourama. Team The Vivienne is the winning team, with Baga Chipz winning the challenge. Team Scaredy Kat is the losing team. Blu Hydrangea, Cheryl Hole and Scaredy Kat receive negative critiques, with Cheryl Hole being safe. Blu Hydrangea and Scaredy Kat lip-sync to "Venus" by Bananarama. Blu Hydrangea wins the lip-sync and Scaredy Kat sashays away.

    • Guest Judge: Maisie Williams
    • Alternating Judge: Graham Norton
    • Main Challenge: Perform in drag film adaptations of Downton Abbey, called "Downton Draggy"
    • Runway Theme: Bond Girl Glamourama
    • Challenge Winner: Baga Chipz
    • Challenge Prize: A RuPeter Badge
    • Bottom Two: Blu Hydrangea and Scaredy Kat
    • Lip-Sync Song: "Venus" by Bananarama
    • Eliminated: Scaredy Kat
    • Farewell Message: "Scaredy the whole way. 19 now, what's gonna happen when I'm 35. :P Thanks girls. Cya later! Meowx"
    33"Posh on a Penny"17 October 2019 (2019-10-17)

    For this week's mini-challenge, the queens will do some intriguing dance moves around a maypole. Cheryl Hole wins the mini-challenge. For the main challenge, the queens will create an outfit made from junk found at a car boot sale.

    On the runway, Crystal, Divina De Campo and The Vivienne receive positive critiques, with Divina De Campo winning the challenge. Cheryl Hole, Sum Ting Wong and Vinegar Strokes receive negative critiques, with Cheryl Hole being safe. Sum Ting Wong and Vinegar Strokes lip-sync to "Would I Lie To You?" by Eurythmics. Sum Ting Wong wins the lip-sync and Vinegar Strokes sashays away.

    • Guest Judge: Twiggy
    • Alternating Judge: Graham Norton
    • Mini-Challenge: Do some intriguing dance moves around a maypole
    • Mini-Challenge Winner: Cheryl Hole
    • Main Challenge: Create an outfit made from junk found at a car boot sale
    • Challenge Winner: Divina De Campo
    • Challenge Prize: A RuPeter Badge
    • Bottom Two: Sum Ting Wong and Vinegar Strokes
    • Lip-Sync Song: "Would I Lie To You?" by Eurythmics
    • Eliminated: Vinegar Strokes
    • Farewell Message: "Long live the OG RPDRUK SLAAAAGS! You're all amazing ♥️ Hodge Podge FOREVER! xxx"
    44"Snatch Game"24 October 2019 (2019-10-24)

    For the maxi challenge, the queens will play the Snatch Game. Lorraine Kelly and Stacey Dooley star as guest judges. The cast consisted of:

    On the runway, category is Weird Science. Baga Chipz and The Vivienne receive positive critiques, with both queens winning the challenge. Crystal, Divina De Campo and Sum Ting Wong receive negative critiques, with Divina De Campo being safe. Crystal and Sum Ting Wong lip-sync to "Spice Up Your Life" by Spice Girls. Crystal wins the lip-sync and Sum Ting Wong sashays away.

    • Guest Judge: Geri Horner
    • Alternating Judge: Alan Carr
    • Main Challenge: Snatch Game
    • Runway Theme: Weird Science
    • Challenge Winners: Baga Chipz and The Vivienne
    • Challenge Prize: A RuPeter Badge
    • Bottom Two: Crystal and Sum Ting Wong
    • Lip-Sync Song: "Spice Up Your Life" by Spice Girls
    • Eliminated: Sum Ting Wong
    • Farewell Message: "Love you ALL! Believe in yourselves more than I believe in me you've got in the bag ♥️ Love you long time xoxo STW"
    55"Girl Groups Battle Royale"31 October 2019 (2019-10-31)

    For this week's mini-challenge, the queens will read each other to filth. Crystal wins the mini-challenge. For the main challenge, the queens will write, record, and perform verses to "Break Up (Bye Bye)".

    • Team Filth Harmony: Cheryl Hole, Crystal and The Vivienne
    • Team The Frock Destroyers: Baga Chipz, Blu Hydrangea and Divina De Campo

    On the runway, category is Day at the Races. Team The Frock Destroyers is the winning team, with Baga Chipz, Blu Hydrangea and Divina De Campo all winning the challenge. Team Filth Harmony is the losing team. Crystal and The Vivienne receive negative critiques, and are announced as the bottom two. They lip-sync to "Power" by Little Mix. The Vivienne wins the lip-sync and Crystal sashays away.

    • Guest Judge: Jade Thirlwall
    • Alternating Judge: Graham Norton
    • Mini-Challenge: Reading is Fundamental
    • Mini-Challenge Winner: Crystal
    • Main Challenge: Write, record, and perform verses to "Break Up (Bye Bye)"
    • Runway Theme: Day at the Races
    • Challenge Winners: Baga Chipz, Blu Hydrangea, and Divina De Campo
    • Challenge Prize: A RuPeter Badge
    • Bottom Two: Crystal and The Vivienne
    • Lip-Sync Song: "Power" by Little Mix
    • Eliminated: Crystal
    • Farewell Message: "YOU'RE A BUNCH OF UGLY, TALENTLESS LITTLE WITCHES – I'M GOING TO MISS YOU!! X"
    66"Thirsty Werk"7 November 2019 (2019-11-07)

    For this week's mini-challenge, the queens will play a game of Boxers, Briefs or Commando with the pit crew. Divina De Campo wins the mini-challenge. For the main challenge, the queens will campaign, market and design a brand of bottled water.

    On the runway, category is Rainy Day Eleganza. Divina De Campo and The Vivienne receive positive critiques, with The Vivienne winning the challenge. Baga Chipz, Blu Hydrangea and Cheryl Hole receive negative critiques, with Baga Chipz being safe. Blu Hydrangea and Cheryl Hole lip-sync to "Call My Name (Wideboys Remix)" by Cheryl. Cheryl Hole wins the lip-sync and Blu Hydrangea sashays away.

    • Guest Judge: Cheryl
    • Alternating Judge: Graham Norton
    • Mini-Challenge: Boxers, Briefs or Commando
    • Mini-Challenge Winner: Divina De Campo
    • Mini-Challenge Prize: A video call and insider advice from RuPaul's Drag Race Royalty Katya
    • Main Challenge: Campaign, market and design a brand of bottled water
    • Runway Theme: Rainy Day Eleganza
    • Challenge Winner: The Vivienne
    • Challenge Prize: A RuPeter Badge
    • Bottom Two: Blu Hydrangea and Cheryl Hole
    • Lip-Sync Song: "Call My Name (Wideboys Remix)" by Cheryl
    • Eliminated: Blu Hydrangea
    • Farewell Message: "Not just a look Queen! BLU came, BLU slayed, BLU conquered for N.I.♥️ Love you ALL! BLU Hydrangea ♥️"
    77"Family That Drags Together"14 November 2019 (2019-11-14)

    For this week's mini-challenge, the queens will have a bitchfest with puppets. Divina De Campo wins the mini-challenge. For the main challenge, the queens will makeover a family member.

    On the runway, Divina De Campo and The Vivienne receive positive critiques, with Divina De Campo winning the challenge. Baga Chipz and Cheryl Hole receive negative critiques, and are announced as the bottom two. They lip-sync to "Tears Dry on Their Own” by Amy Winehouse. Baga Chipz wins the lip-sync and Cheryl Hole sashays away.

    • Guest Judge: Michaela Coel
    • Alternating Judge: Alan Carr
    • Mini-Challenge: Everybody Loves Puppets
    • Mini-Challenge Winner: Divina De Campo
    • Main Challenge: Makeover a family member
    • Challenge Winner: Divina De Campo
    • Challenge Prize: A RuPeter Badge
    • Bottom Two: Baga Chipz and Cheryl Hole
    • Lip-Sync Song: "Tears Dry on Their Own” by Amy Winehouse
    • Eliminated: Cheryl Hole
    • Farewell Message: "I'm all gamed out! You're finally get rid of me! Kill it top 3 – So Proud! May the best GIRL win XOXO Cheryl Hole ♥"
    88"Grand Finale"21 November 2019 (2019-11-21)

    For the final challenge of the season, the queens will write, record and perform your own verse to RuPaul's song "Rock It (To The Moon)"

    On the runway, category is Final Three Eleganza Extravaganza. The eliminated queens all return to the runway. Baga Chipz is eliminated, leaving Divina De Campo and The Vivienne as the top two queens of the season. They lip-sync to "I'm Your Man" by Wham!. It is announced that The Vivienne is the winner, leaving Divina De Campo as the runner-up.

    • Alternating Judges: Alan Carr and Graham Norton
    • Main Challenge: Write, record and perform your own verse to RuPaul's song "Rock It (To The Moon)"
    • Runway Theme: Final Three Eleganza Extravaganza
    • Eliminated: Baga Chipz
    • Final Two: Divina De Campo and The Vivienne
    • Lip-Sync Song: "I'm Your Man" by Wham!
    • Runner-up: Divina De Campo
    • Winner of RuPaul's Drag Race UK Season One: The Vivienne

    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.[17] 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.[18]

    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".[19]

    References

    1. "'Graham Norton and Alan Carr confirmed as celebrity judges for RuPaul's Drag Race UK – series to air on BBC Three in 2019". BBC. Archived from the original on 22 July 2019. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
    2. "HuffPost is now a part of Verizon Media". consent.yahoo.com. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
    3. Welsh, Daniel (10 March 2020). "RuPaul's Drag Race UK: Scaredy Kat Takes On 'Bedroom Queen' Critics". HuffPost UK. Archived from the original on 4 June 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
    4. "CAST OF RUPAUL's DRAG RACE UK | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Archived from the original on 8 November 2019. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
    5. "EDM Music & Dance Songs Chart – November 16, 2019". Billboard. Archived from the original on 15 November 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
    6. "RuPaul's Drag Race UK: Meet the queens for the first UK series". BBC News. BBC. 21 August 2019. Archived from the original on 8 October 2019. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
    7. "The Royal Queens". RuPaul's Drag Race UK. Season 1. Episode 1. 3 October 2019. BBC iPlayer / WOW Presents Plus.
    8. "Downton Draggy". RuPaul's Drag Race UK. Season 1. Episode 2. 10 October 2019. BBC iPlayer / WOW Presents Plus.
    9. "Posh on a Penny". RuPaul's Drag Race UK. Season 1. Episode 3. 17 October 2019. BBC iPlayer / WOW Presents Plus.
    10. "Snatch Game". RuPaul's Drag Race UK. Season 1. Episode 4. 24 October 2019. BBC iPlayer / WOW Presents Plus.
    11. "Girl Groups Battle Royale". RuPaul's Drag Race UK. Season 1. Episode 5. 31 October 2019. BBC iPlayer / WOW Presents Plus.
    12. "Thirsty Werk". RuPaul's Drag Race UK. Season 1. Episode 6. 7 November 2019. BBC iPlayer / WOW Presents Plus.
    13. "The Family That Slays Together". RuPaul's Drag Race UK. Season 1. Episode 7. 14 November 2019. BBC iPlayer / WOW Presents Plus.
    14. "Grand Finale". RuPaul's Drag Race UK. Season 1. Episode 8. 21 November 2019. BBC iPlayer / WOW Presents Plus.
    15. "Episode 6". BBC. Archived from the original on 28 October 2019. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
    16. "Episode 7". BBC. Archived from the original on 5 November 2019. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
    17. Bromwich, Kathryn (22 November 2019). "Fierce competition: how a Brit makeover saved RuPaul's Drag Race". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 22 November 2019. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
    18. Baker, Emily (21 November 2019). "RuPaul's Drag Race UK's first series was outstanding — all thanks to the queens". iNews.
    19. Curto, Justin (21 November 2019). "RuPaul's Drag Race U.K. Finale Recap: The Queen of England". Vulture. Archived from the original on 22 November 2019. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
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