Shantay, gday! Emmy-winning media company World of Wonder announces RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under, the next international edition of the global phenomenon. The series will stream exclusively on WOW Presents Plus in the US and other international markets, day-and-date with local airings. Hosted by executive producer RuPaul with Drag Race veteran Michelle Visage on the judges’ panel, production will kick off this week in New Zealand and premiere later this year. The series will see the fiercest queens across Australia and New Zealand going head-to-head, in the hopes of taking home the title of Down Under’s first Drag Superstar.

The series will premiere on World of Wonder’s owned-and-operated SVOD WOW Presents Plus in the US in 2021. Commissioned by Australian local streaming service, Stan, and TVNZ OnDemand in New Zealand, the series will be a Stan Original production in Australia.

“I cannot wait for everyone to see that Down Under queens have some of the biggest charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talents in the world. Thank you to Stan and TVNZ OnDemand for providing a platform for these outrageous drag artists to share their heart, soul and humor,” says host and executive producer RuPaul.

“The dazzling queens of Australia and New Zealand have always been an inspiration to us, so we are thrilled to team up with our local production partners Stan and TVNZ to bring the creative genius of drag down under to international audiences on WOW Presents Plus,” said Executive Producers Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato of World of Wonder. 

“We’re proud to bring the Drag Race phenomenon down under in an antipodean showdown for Stan and TVNZ On Demand!” said Nick Tanner, Director of Sales and Co-Productions at Passion Distribution. “I can’t wait to see the best queens from Australia and New Zealand bring it to RuPaul’s main stage. RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under will be a fantastic addition to the ever-expanding ‘ru-niverse.” 

RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under joins a global slate of franchise versions executive produced by World of Wonder across the UK, Canada, Thailand, Chile, Holland, and recently announced Spain. Following the beloved format, RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under will see queens serving high fashion realness, challenges, both shady and heartfelt moments in the werkroom, and of course, the all-important lip-sync for your life battles.

Following a record-breaking 2020 awards sweep, RuPaul’s Drag Race has a total of 19 Emmy® wins, making it the Television Academy’s most-awarded reality competition show in history. RuPaul also entered the Guinness World Record for most Emmy® wins for outstanding host for a reality or competition program last year.

RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under is a World of Wonder production in collaboration with Warner Bros International Television Production New Zealand for Stan and TVNZ. Randy Barbato, Fenton Bailey, Tom Campbell, and RuPaul Charles serve as Executive Producers. Passion Distribution will distribute the series globally in line with Passion Distribution and WOW’s distribution strategy.