Here's How "Drag Race UK” Is Different To The US And Here's How It's The Same

    Apart from restoring the entire franchise!

    Sam Cleal
    by Sam Cleal

    BuzzFeed Staff

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    1. Michelle Visage is in it! (But Carson and Ross aren't).

    BBC/World of Wonder

    At this point, Michelle is absolutely essential to the RuPaul's Drag Race mix, and thank god she's attending and present! But Carson and Ross have been replaced with Alan Carr and Graham Norton.

    2. The workroom is pretty much the same – including the pink everything!

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    It's still that hot pink exposed brick, those dressing room mirrors, and those pink work benches.

    3. They still write leaving messages on the mirror.

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    And they get scrubbed off in the same savage way!

    4. There's lots of catchphrases, just like in the US version.

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    Like Baga Chipz's "much better" – you've seen the memes!

    5. There's the famous reading challenge, and it's just as savage.

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    Cos a queen should know how to read, no matter her place of origin.

    6. The girls get to have "real talk" in the workroom.

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    We all love getting to know the girls in each season, their personal stories, and their opinions on drag and society at large, so I'm glad that's carried over to the UK iteration.

    7. They have a snatch game.

    Guy Levy/BBC/World of Wonder

    And it was amazing! Although they missed a trick not calling it "Wankety Wank".

    8. There's plenty of drama!

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    Ohhhh yes. I've been living for the rivalry between Divina De Campo and The Vivienne, the way everyone talks down to Cheryl Hole but she doesn't even care, and the shade that Blu Hydrangea throws at everyone.

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    9. There's fewer contestants.

    Guy Levy/BBC/World of Wonder

    There's only 10 girls in this season compared to 15 in season eleven and 14 in season ten!

    10. And there's only one guest judge.

    Guy Levy/BBC/World of Wonder

    So far we've had people like Andrew Garfield, Jade from Little Mix, and Michaela Coel as guest judges, but there's only ever one, unlike the US version where there is often two!

    11. They hardly refer back to previous seasons!

    VH1/World of Wonder

    From Katya's "party" to Sasha Velour saying "this is RuPaul's best friend race" in season nine, there's normally loads of callbacks in a season. But in the UK, I think I've clocked only ONE callback across seven episodes!

    12. They're allowed to have body hair!

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    Specifically, Crystal showcases a lot of chest hair on the runway and even Michelle seems chill about it. I guess the US just doesn't fuck it up in the same way the UK does!

    13. There's no "Untucked".

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    We get a little extra juice when the girls "untuck" in the workroom, but there's no specific sister show where the queens get spill backstage tea on the main episode.

    14. The lip-syncs are notttttttt great.

    VH1/World of Wonder

    So far there's not been the ducking, twirling, and flipping that we're used to based on the US version's epic lip-syncs. Or even the tight lip-syncs that we've seen from US alum like Detox, Trinity K. Bonet, and Morgan McMichaels! We may just have to accept that 90% of the UK drag scene can't really dance.

    15. The prize is...a badge.

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    Instead of $100,000! I think the queens have leaned into it, but let's be honest, it's quite a step down, henny.

    16. They haven't brought anyone back... yet.

    VH1/World of Wonder

    They usually do that whole "I may have sent one of my girls home too soon" bit in every US season, but it looks like they won't be doing that in the UK version. Sorry Crystal!