World of Wonder has greenlit RuPaul’s Drag Race UK All Stars, the first All-Stars edition of the UK franchise, moving the show from the BBC to the World of Wonder streamer, WOW Presents Plus. The new edition will debut in Autumn 2027, seemingly in the places of a traditional RPDR UK season. The Sun first reported the news, ahead of official confirmation from the BBC and WOW Presents Plus.
The move comes after the Season 8 premiere of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK and follows a strong run for the franchise, which has seen viewership up 20% on WOW Presents Plus and strong performance on BBC iPlayer, according to the announcement.
The new All Stars season marks the franchise’s first time streaming in the UK on WOW Presents Plus, which was the home of Drag Race in the UK, including RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Vs. The World. The pattern mirrors Canada’s franchise, where Canada’s Drag Race: Canada vs the World similarly preceded the launch of Canada’s Drag Race: All Stars.
Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato said, “It has been a pleasure working with everyone at The BBC, and we wish them well. While we don’t get to choose when opportunity knocks, we could not be more excited for this new chapter.”
Why is ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race UK’ leaving the BBC?
A BBC spokesperson told BBC News, “As the BBC continues to navigate significant financial pressures and deliver the savings required of us, we have had to make some very difficult choices, none of which have been taken lightly. We can therefore confirm together with World of Wonder, that RuPaul’s Drag Race UK will be leaving the BBC and moving to WOW Presents Plus.” The spokesperson added the corporation was “incredibly proud of all eleven series of this groundbreaking show,” referring to the franchise’s total output including RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs the World, and thanked “RuPaul, World of Wonder and everyone involved, both on and off screen.”
The move comes as the BBC works through plans to cut £500 million in costs, with director-general Matt Brittin previously telling staff “the scale of savings requires tough choices,” according to BBC News. Earlier this year, the broadcaster also dropped the LGBTQ+ dating shows I Kissed a Boy and I Kissed a Girl.
The series averaged around 1.5 million viewers per episode at its peak, though that figure had dropped to around 1 million in recent years, per The Sun. BBC News reports that the current, eighth season of Drag Race UK, which launched in September 2026, will continue airing as normal on BBC Three and iPlayer, and all existing seasons will remain available once the move to WOW Presents Plus is complete. The BBC declined to say whether other international versions of the show, including Canada’s Drag Race and Drag Race Down Under, would continue airing on the network.
How does this fit into the broader ‘Drag Race’ franchise’s growth?
The UK All Stars order comes amid a broader expansion for the franchise. Bailey and Barbato pointed to the record-breaking run of RuPaul’s Drag Race in the U.S., where Season 18 became the most-watched season in franchise history, as well as double-digit growth this year for new seasons of Canada’s Drag Race, Drag Race Down Under, Drag Race México and Drag Race France.
Bailey and Barbato also addressed the political climate surrounding the announcement: “Historically, during times of anxiety and regression, the queer, trans, and drag communities are often targeted. Today is no exception. We at World of Wonder are so grateful to our members for their support, and we remain steadfast in the values that make RuPaul’s Drag Race more than just a fiercely entertaining show. For millions, it’s a lifeline, a safe space, and a celebration, and WOW Presents Plus is incredibly proud to keep providing that platform.”
Featured image photo credit: Photo: WOW Presents Plus
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