‘RuPaul’s Drag Race UK: All Stars’ Set to Premiere on WOW Presents Plus (EXCLUSIVE)

Developing story first seen 2 hours ago

Variety · 2 hours ago

"RuPaul's Drag Race UK" is leaving the BBC for World of Wonder's own streaming service, WOW Presents Plus, with a first-ever spin-off, "RuPaul's Drag Race UK: All Stars," set to launch in autumn 2027. The move follows reports that the BBC was axing the show amid budget cuts, and marks the first time the UK franchise will stream exclusively on WOW's platform rather than a national broadcaster, coming as the wider "Drag Race" franchise posts record viewing figures worldwide despite what its producers describe as a hostile political climate for LGBTQ+ communities.

The current eighth series of "RuPaul's Drag Race UK," which has just launched on BBC Three, notched the franchise's second-highest-rated premiere ever behind Season 6, an 8.8 IMDB score, and a 20% rise in WOW Presents Plus viewership. The "All Stars" edition will stream globally, including in the UK for the first time, alongside all eight existing UK series and three series of "RuPaul's Drag Race UK Vs The World." It follows a record-breaking 18th season of the flagship US show, won by Myki Meeks and nominated for 11 Emmys, plus double-digit growth for spin-offs in Canada, Australia, Mexico and France; World of Wonder co-founders Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato said the franchise remains "a lifeline, a safe space and a celebration" for its audience.

UK "Drag Race" leaves BBC for WOW Presents Plus from autumn 2027
New "All Stars" spin-off will premiere globally, including in the UK
Move follows record ratings and growth across the global franchise

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RuPaul's Drag Race UK began as a British spin-off of the American reality competition RuPaul's Drag Race, in which drag performers compete in design, comedy and performance challenges to be crowned the winner. It has aired on the BBC since 2019, alongside related spin-offs such as Drag Race UK Vs The World. The franchise as a whole is owned by production company World of Wonder, which also runs its own subscription streaming service, WOW Presents Plus, where much of the wider Drag Race output is already available outside the UK.

The BBC has broadcast the UK edition free-to-air, while WOW Presents Plus operates as a paid streaming platform aimed at fans of the broader franchise worldwide. Drag Race as a format has grown into a large international franchise, with local versions produced in several countries alongside the original US series, and it has built a strong following particularly among LGBTQ+ audiences.

The story matters because any change in how or where a popular television format is distributed can affect who is able to watch it, how it is funded, and its relationship with a long-running broadcast partner. It also comes at a time when British broadcasters, including the BBC, face pressure over budgets, and when producers of the franchise have spoken about the environment facing LGBTQ+ communities more broadly.

Both sides, in good faith

The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.

The case for

Supporters of the move can point to the record viewing figures, rising IMDB scores and 20% growth in WOW Presents Plus viewership as evidence that the franchise's core, engaged fanbase is already migrating to streaming, making a dedicated platform a natural next step rather than a retreat. Consolidating all eight UK series, three 'Vs The World' seasons and a new All Stars spin-off under one roof gives World of Wonder full creative and commercial control over a global LGBTQ+ franchise, free from the scheduling constraints, budget pressures and commissioning uncertainty of a public broadcaster. Producers can also argue that, at a moment they describe as politically hostile to LGBTQ+ communities, owning the platform outright offers more stability and insulation from external pressures than depending on a broadcaster undergoing its own budget cuts.

The case against

Those wary of the move can reasonably argue that leaving the BBC, a free-to-air public broadcaster, for a subscription-only streaming service risks narrowing access to a show that has built its cultural significance partly through being widely and freely available, including to viewers who might not otherwise seek out LGBTQ+ content. They may see the departure, prompted by reported BBC budget cuts, as a loss for British public broadcasting's role in showcasing diverse voices, and worry that gating the franchise behind WOW Presents Plus could reduce its visibility and cultural impact even as global viewing figures rise. There is also a legitimate concern that shifting from a trusted national broadcaster to the franchise's own commercially-run platform changes the show's relationship with UK audiences, from a shared public offering to a paid product controlled entirely by its own producers.

Full account

RuPaul's Drag Race UK is set to leave the BBC and relocate to World of Wonder's own streaming service, WOW Presents Plus, with the announcement centred on a first-ever spin-off, RuPaul's Drag Race UK: All Stars. The new instalment, billed as a celebration of queens who have previously competed on the British edition, is scheduled to premiere in autumn 2027 and will be available worldwide, marking the first time an All Stars UK series has been offered to viewers in Britain itself. Existing subscribers will also gain access to the full back catalogue of the franchise's UK output, comprising eight series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK and three series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK vs The World.

The move follows earlier reporting by The Sun that the BBC was dropping the main UK series as part of wider cost-cutting at the broadcaster, and both Variety and Deadline frame the WOW Presents Plus deal as the resolution to that uncertainty. Deadline additionally carried a direct comment from World of Wonder's co-founders, Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato, expressing gratitude for the corporation's involvement and describing the shift as an unexpected but welcome new chapter for the show, rather than dwelling on the circumstances of the BBC's departure.

Variety placed greater emphasis on how strongly the current, eighth series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK has been performing on BBC Three, noting it delivered the franchise's second-highest-rated series opener on record, behind only series six, alongside an 8.8 rating on IMDb and a reported 20% rise in viewing figures on WOW Presents Plus. That report tied the UK news into a broader run of success for the Drag Race franchise globally, citing the most-watched season yet of the flagship US show, won by Myki Meeks, eleven Emmy nominations across the main series and its Untucked companion, and double-digit audience growth for local versions in Canada, Australia, Mexico and France. Deadline, by contrast, focused less on ratings detail and more on the franchise's continuing commercial expansion, pointing to MTV's renewal of the US series for a nineteenth season and a twelfth outing for its own All Stars strand, while listing a wider spread of international editions including those in Belgium, Brazil and the Philippines.

Both outlets carried an identical statement from Bailey and Barbato addressing the political backdrop to the announcement, in which the pair argued that queer, trans and drag communities are frequently targeted during periods of social anxiety and reaffirmed WOW Presents Plus's commitment to serving as what they called a lifeline and safe space for audiences. Neither source detailed the financial terms of the arrangement with the BBC or specified whether any further UK series would air on the broadcaster before the transition, leaving those aspects of the deal unclear for now.

Where outlets differ

Variety leads with detailed UK ratings figures (8.8 IMDb score, second-highest series premiere behind series six, 20% streaming growth) and links the news to franchise-wide milestones such as the US season 18 win by Myki Meeks and 11 Emmy nominations; Deadline gives comparatively little ratings detail.

Deadline includes a direct quote from Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato thanking the BBC and calling the move an exciting new chapter, which does not appear in the Variety report.

Deadline mentions MTV's renewal of the flagship US series for season 19 and a 12th All Stars season, along with a broader list of international franchise editions (including Belgium, Brazil and the Philippines); Variety instead emphasises growth in Canada, Australia, Mexico and France.

Both outlets include the same quote from Bailey and Barbato about drag and queer communities being targeted during periods of political anxiety, but frame the surrounding context differently.