While season one of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK eased us in gently with a light snack, a Baga Chipz you could say, season two served us an absolute feast of content. This season has brought more personalities, looks, drama, shade, outbursts, and pure chaos than I could have possibly imagined. It’s not just the best UK season so far, it’s one of the best seasons of Drag Race ever. With so much to digest, the only way to review this season is to take a look back at its ten most iconic moments.
10. The running order drama
The stand-up comedy challenge is always a bit of a wildcard, but one thing is guaranteed: the running order will cause drama. Ellie Diamond’s strategic approach that left certain queens in unwanted positions led to a bitter saga of arguments and accusations that was dragged out over several episodes. In the end, the pointless spat about the running order was funnier than the actual stand-up show. I’m with Tayce on this one – it’s a game, so expect shadiness. As the judges love to remind us, it’s not RuPaul’s Best Friend Race!
9. Ru’s unexplained yellow wig
In episode five, Ru stepped into the Werk Room inexplicably wearing a neon yellow party wig and Twitter lost its shit. Was she channelling Ginny Lemon after her shock exit? Was she trying something new? Was she just a bit cold? No one could work it out, but it certainly made an impact.
8. Rats: The Rusical
Just when you thought you’d overcome the nightmare of Cats (2019), RuPaul hits you with Rats: The Rusical. This is by far the most bizarre musical challenge I’ve ever seen on Drag Race. Bimini Bon-Boulash as ‘Depravity’ singing like Keith from the Prodigy, Ginny Lemon looking like a dishevelled Miriam Margolyes, Tia Kofi belting a Rusical version of ‘Memory’ dressed as a lab rat with a giant ear growing on her back. It’s the musical we didn’t know we needed. Watching the guest judge and darling of the West End stage Sheridan Smith lapping it all up just made it even better.
7. Tia Kofi’s ‘adequate dress’
Tia’s runway commentary for her ‘adequate dress’ was the funniest fashion moment of the season: ‘Vintage? No. Elegant? No. Still stuck on me? Just about!’. Tia was the relatable hot mess of the competition, certainly not the best seamstress but so damn likeable. Her fashion faux pas can be forgiven because she’s such a delight to watch.
6. Ginny and Bimini’s non–binary chat
Drag Race is known for its emotional chats in the Werk Room. This season, Ginny Lemon and Bimini Bon-Boulash’s discussion of gender identity really stood out, especially as a topic that isn’t productively talked about on mainstream TV. For a show that has been criticised for excluding trans and non-binary queens, this was such an important conversation to have. It even inspired many viewers to come out and share their stories after watching the show. The power of positive representation!
5. BeastEnders
It’s about time Drag Race tackled the British institution of the soap opera. As a lifelong EastEnders fan, I literally screamed when I found out this was happening. The outrageously camp drama of soap is a perfect fit for drag and BeastEnders had it all: the Kween Dick, Karen Bitchell, Scat Slater. The vulgarity was totally needless yet so in keeping with British drag that you couldn’t help but manically cackle at every line like a six-year-old at a Christmas panto. There were more leather jackets and leopard print miniskirts than you could shake a stick at, and that’s just Michelle Visage!
4. Ginny Lemon’s punk exit
After landing in the bottom two and having to lip-sync against her best friend in the competition, Ginny surprised us with one final iconic act: walking off with her head held high. A rarity on Drag Race, Ginny’s self-elimination gets my respect. The show can be tough on the queens and sometimes enough is enough. Judging by her comments backstage (‘I’m ready to go home, Babs. I’m knackered!), she did the right thing, and we love her for it.
3. UK Hun?
The Frock Destroyers were a hard act to follow, but the United Kingdolls gave them a run for their money. This season’s Eurovision-inspired challenge, ‘RuRu-Vision’, brought us the upbeat energy we all needed in lockdown, along with fierce lyrics, pop princess looks, and Bimini jumping into the splits from a pink bar stool. ‘UK Hun?’ was such an earworm that it even Bing Bang Bonged its way to number 1 in the iTunes charts. Drag queens are fast becoming the new pop icons and I’m totally here for it.
2. *That* H&M outburst
In the aftermath of RuRu-Vision, it was all fun and games until Ru went full Tyra Banks. Everything about this was shocking, it’s like it all happened in slow motion. Joe Black gets clocked for wearing a dress that looks like it came from Primark. Joe cheekily whispers ‘H&M’. Ru is not amused and loses her shit. The line ‘I don’t want to see any f*cking H&M’ now lives rent-free in my mind.
1. Bimini’s Snatch Game
Snatch Game is the most anticipated episode of any season and Bimini’s Katie Price is up there with the best of them. There is so much comedy gold in these iconic British huns and Bimini absolutely killed it. Last season’s Donald Trump and Margaret Thatcher impersonations were all well and good, but as the Pricey herself said, it’s been a hectic year and sometimes I just want to stay in my trashy, pink, fluffy reality TV bubble thank you very much.