After months of online speculation, the highly anticipated RuPaul’s Drag Race Global All Stars was officially announced yesterday, July 15, alongside a cast of 12 fabulous drag queens from the award-winning drag competition series.
While RuPaul’s Drag Race was a purely American invention when it premiered in 2009, the franchise has since been spread far and wide, with series popping up in Germany, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, France, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, and the United Kingdom.
For the inaugural season of Global All Stars, 12 previous contestants from 12 different international seasons of Drag Race will compete for the title of “Queen of the Mothertucking World”, a cash prize of $200,000, a spot in the illustrious Drag Race Hall of Fame alongside previous All Stars winners like Trixie Mattel, Kylie Sonique Love, and Jimbo.
The upcoming season will feature RuPaul, Michelle Visage, and Jamal Sims as permanent judges, with a lineup of rotating guest judges from international seasons of Drag Race appearing throughout the season.
Global All Stars will debut on Paramount+ on August 16 with a two-episode premiere.
“The world is not ready for RuPaul’s Drag Race Global All Stars,” said RuPaul in a statement announcing the upcoming season. “12 queens representing their home countries raises the stakes to a whole new level. Plus, the international mix of charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent will, pardon my French, blow your f*cking minds”.
Without further ado, let’s meet the 12 wonderful queens who will be competing for the title of “Queen of the Mothertucking World” on the inaugural season of RuPaul’s Drag Race Global All Stars.
Alyssa Edwards
Representing the USA in this Global All Stars season will be the incomparable Alyssa Edwards. Edwards originally appeared on the 5th season of Drag Race in the US, placing 6th. The dancing diva returned to the series in 2016 to compete in the second season of All Stars, where she was eliminated short of the finale episode. Since her time on Drag Race, Edwards has opened up her own dance studio in her home state of Texas, the Beyond Belief Dance Company, and has starred in her own Netflix series Dancing Queen.
Known for her unhinged comedy, pageantry drag, and killer dance moves, Edwards is surely a strong contender for the crown and the title of “Queen of the Mothertucking World”.
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Athena Likis
Formerly known as Athena Sorgelikis, Likis made history when she became the first Belgian queen to win a Maxi challenge on the inaugural season of Drag Race Belgique, where the queen finished as a runner-up.
Likis is known for her conceptual and edgy fashion sense. The drag artist, who identifies as non-binary, claims she finds inspiration for her drag in science-fiction and mythology.
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Eva Le Queen
Despite not winning any challenges on her first season of Drag Race Philippines, Eva Le Queen is ready to show the world what Filipino drag is all about as she prepares to take to the international drag stage at Global All Stars. Le Queen, who made it to the top three of the inaugural season of Drag Race Philippines, is known for her elegant drag style, which is highly influenced by Filipino culture.
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Gala Varo
With more than 15 years of drag experience under her rhinestone belt, it’s no wonder that Gala Varo found herself in the finale of Drag Race México season one. Before turning to a full-time drag career, Varo was originally a dancer, acrobat, and model.
Her drag name, Gala, is a reference to Salvador Dalí’s wife, Gala Dalí. Varo has previously stated that the Spanish artist is one of her greatest drag inspirations.
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Kitty Scott-Claus
This London-based queen made her Drag Race debut on the third season of Drag Race UK, where she finished as a runner-up alongside fellow contestant Ella Vaday. Known for her camp style and comedy, Scott-Claus similarly has an extensive background in musical theatre and pantomime, making her a favourite to snatch the crown on the upcoming season of Global All Stars.
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Kween Kong
Hailing from Adelaide, Australia, Kween Kong made it all the way to the finale of Drag Race Down Under Season 2 thanks to her powerhouse performances and charismatic personality.
In addition to being a professional dancer and choreographer, Kong is also the founder and leader of the Haus of Kong, an Australian drag collective dedicated to creating work opportunities for its LGBTQ+ members. Kong is, at heart, a drag activist, with much of her drag aesthetic being inspired by her Tongan-Samoan heritage.
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Miranda Lebrão
After appearing on the first season of Drag Race Brasil, Lebrão cemented her drag talent by finishing the season as a finalist, but was unable to snatch the crown. Rumours about Lebrão’s possible appearance on Global All Stars began when the queen was inconspicuously absent from the Drag Race Brasil reunion, as the two were filmed around the same time.
In addition to being an actress and visual artist, the Rio de Janeiro-based queen similarly has a background in naval engineering. As a result, Lebrão frequently incorporates transformism into her drag aesthetic.
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Nehellenia
While many Drag Race queens are known for being shady, some queens, like Nehellenia, take a softer approach to the competition series. After competing on Season Two of Drag Race Italia, where she placed 2nd/3rd, Nehellenia was crowned Miss Congeniality by her fellow contestants.
The queen’s drag name is inspired by Nehalennia, a goddess of Germanic or Celtic origin who has since been identified with the Greek goddess of magic and sorcery, Hecate.
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Pythia
From Canada’s Drag Race Season Two, Pythia also finds inspiration for her drag in mythology. Originally from Argos, Greece, Pythia informed fans that her drag name comes from the Greek Oracle to Apollo, the Greek god of art.
Pythia, known for her creativity and attention to detail, often incorporates mythology and history into her drag aesthetic. The queen, who was a runner-up on her season of Canada’s Drag Race, now lives and works in Montréal.
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Soa de Muse
From Paris, France, Soa de Muse was a runner-up in the inaugural Drag Race France season. With an extensive background working in theatre performance, Muse is a well-rounded performer, bringing their singing, dancing, comedy, and cabaret talents to Global All Stars this August.
Muse, who identifies as non-binary, has previously stated that their drag aesthetic is inspired by cabaret, their Afro-Martinique culture, and their West Indian heritage.
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Tessa Testicle
While we’re no strangers to a campy drag name, Tessa Testicle’s moniker is a call back to the performer’s first drag show, where the queen’s stunty performance resulted in a bout of testicular torsion.
Appearing on the first season of Drag Race Germany, Tessa brought her injury-inducing lipsynch style to the main stage, where the queen performed four times before ultimately being eliminated in 8th place.
While she has the worst track record of all of the international contestants coming into Global All Stars, Tessa is a fashion powerhouse, having designed and created all of her Drag Race Germany looks.
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Vanity Vain
The final international diva appearing on the inaugural season of Global All Stars is Sweden’s Vanity Vain! After competing on Season 1 of Drag Race Sverige, where the queen made it all the way to the final three, Vain was finally able to pursue drag as a full-time career after eight years of performing.
Known for her singing, performance, and make-up skills, Vain describes her drag aesthetic as “very rock and roll, 80s, sex on legs”.
Originally from Linköing, Sweden, Vain now lives in Stockholm.
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