Celeb Guest Judges Announced for ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race UK’ – Coming to BBC Three Autumn 2023

Mama Ru returns with a stunning new cast of glamazon queens for an all-new season of the Emmy Award–winning competition series RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, premiering soon on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer.

In honour of the upcoming season, we’d like to Ru-veal the nine extraordinary guest judges who will be joining Drag Icon and judge supremo, RuPaul Charles, as he decides who will be crowned the Next Drag Race Superstar in the United Kingdom.

Although the ultimate decision rests with Mama Ru and Ru’s faithful Drag Race UK besties, Michelle Visage, Alan Carr, and Graham Norton, a host of celebrity Drag Race super fans also join in on the fun and help deliberate the queens’ fates each week.

The famous names serving as judges this year are:

BAFTA Award winning stage, film and television actor, Suranne Jones
Comedian, actor and writer, Aisling Bea
Pop star, stage star, singer-songwriter, Alexandra Burke
Actor and OBE, and pithy legal eagle from The Good Wife, Cush Jumbo
Pop icon, singer-songwriter, Sophie-Ellis Bextor
Famed for her role as Elle in Heartstopper and about to make her Doctor Who debut, actor Yasmin Finney
Designer, actor, producer and musician, Daphne Guinness
Actor, comedian and presenter of the hotly anticipated BBC TV series Survivor, Joel Dommett
Supermodel and London fashion icon, Kristen McMenamy

“I am a massive fan of the show so it was a “pinch me“ moment being sat next to Ru” – Cush Jumbo

Aisling Bea says: “Needless to say they did not have to DRAG me back to be a judge. This season the contestants all blew me away with their incredible talent. What an honour to be back!”

Cush Jumbo OBE says: “It was an honour to join the judging panel for RuPaul’s Drag Race UK. I am a massive fan of the show so it was a “pinch me“ moment being sat next to Ru, and watching the fabulous Queens!”

Sophie Ellis-Bextor says: “I had a fabulous time joining RuPaul’s Drag Race UK as a guest judge! I love the show and everything it celebrates, so it was an honour to be a part of the magic.”

Suranne Jones says: “Joining the panel of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK as a guest judge was as fabulous as all the Queens were. I’m a huge fan so it was a total dream!”

Carol Vorderman says: “I’ve been excited about this from the moment I was asked, and it didn’t disappoint. Ha! Such fun to be a part of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK and the iconic Snatch Game. All of the impressions were hilarious, clever and brilliant – it was a joy to play!”

As in previous years, this year’s competition will feature a number of amazing celebrity cameos, and we can Ru-veal that they will be:

High fashion aristocracy Edward Enninful OBE visits the Werk Room with Ru to give the queens some fashion advice before the iconic design challenge, and he brings a furry friend as a special bonus.

Celebrity contestants Carol Vorderman and Alexandra Burke take on one of Drag Race’s most challenging and recognisable challenges, Snatch Game, by providing their best Blankety Blanks.

Karen Hauer, a fan favourite from Strictly Come Dancing, serves as a coach on this season of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, helping the queens prepare for the brutal competition that awaits them in Russia.

And celebrity choreographer Claudimar Neto leads the finalists in an elaborate dance routine for the grand finale.

Who is making the series

RuPaul’s Drag Race UK is commissioned by Fiona Campbell, Controller for Youth Audiences, BBC Three and Kalpna Patel-Knight, Head of Entertainment at the BBC. The Executive Producers for World of Wonder are Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato, Tom Campbell, RuPaul Charles, Bruce McCoy and Johnni Javier and the BBC Commissioning Editor is Ruby Kuraishe.

Transmission details for the fifth series will be revealed in Ru course.

Image Credit: BBC / Top L-R: Aisling Bea, Alexandra Burke, Cush Jumbo, Daphne Guinness. Middle L-R: – Joel Dommett, Kristen McMenamy, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Suranne Jones, Yasmin Finney. Bottom L-R: Edward Enninful OBE, Carol Vorderman, Karen Hauer and Claudimar Neto