World's first drag king reality competition show to air in 2025

The King of Drag, hosted by comedian and drag performer Murray Hill, will debut on the LGBTQ+ streaming service Revry in 2025.

Image of drag king Murray Hill.
Image: @MurrayHill via Instagram

Comedian and drag performer Murray Hill is set to host the first-ever drag king reality competition series, The King of Drag, which will debut on the LGBTQ+ streaming service Revry in Spring 2025.

For many people, the word ‘drag’ instantly conjures an image of a queen, but these hyper-feminine characters only represent one subset of the genre. Drag kings have been performing under masculine identities for ages. They rarely get the same media exposure as their queen counterparts, but this show is positioned to change that.

This new series hopes to “expansively represent drag while promoting inclusion, authentic self-expression, and diverse gender identities including trans masc, cisgender women, non-binary and more.”

According to a press release from Revry, King of Drag will incorporate challenges that emphasise comedy, unconventional performances, and “timely commentary on masculinity, which has been part of the drag king subculture for decades. ”

 

Drag kings are powerful performers who can transform masculinity into something beautiful and satirical, and Ireland has a thriving drag king community, but when it comes to reality television, drag queens tend to dominate the scene.

During its 15 years, the multi-million dollar RuPaul’s Drag Race franchise has mainly focused on cis men performing as drag queens, but in recent years, there has been increased diversity, with trans and cis women also taking part. In November 2023, Pandora Nox became the first cis woman and lesbian winner, snatching the crown in Drag Race Germany. She celebrated her win in full drag king attire, and her victory inspired calls for more drag king representation on reality television.

 

 

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Elsewhere, The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula series welcomed drag kings to the stage, including American drag king Landon Cider, but King of Drag will be the first series to make drag kings the focal point.

Host Murray Hill told Variety, “I started performing in 1995, so it’s long overdue for the kings to take center stage. This vibrant community deserves to be in the spotlight, and I’ll be their biggest hype man.”

Revry co-founder Christopher J. Rodriguez called King of Drag one of the most ambitious programmes to date and promised that the show will follow a new and exciting format. He said: “In each episode, we will learn more about the individual king’s backstory, what motivates them, and their goals for kinging.”

He added: “We’re going to give the drag competition format a run for its money and give audiences something fresh and original.”

All drag kings hoping to join the show’s cast will need to submit five photos of their best drag looks, videos of themselves both in and out of drag, a reel of their previous drag performances, and a recording of themselves lip-syncing to a song that represents their “drag essence.” They will also have to answer questions about their drag persona, comfort with being on national television, and personal strengths and weaknesses.

The six-episode series is looking for eight kings who are ready to compete, and auditions are open through January 5.

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