Mar 12
Michelle Visage Steps Up 'Down Under' as Ru Stands Aside on Australian 'Drag Race'
Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 2 MIN.
"RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under" is headed to antipodean TV screens for a fourth season, but Mama Ru won't be taking center stage – from now on that will be Michelle Visage's job, Entertainment Weekly reported in an exclusive.
"It has been my great honor to bring 'Drag Race' to Australasia," franchise creator RuPaul told the entertainment news outlet. "I can't wait to see the franchise continue to flourish under the leadership of the incredible Michelle Visage."
RuPaul "will remain on board as a 'Down Under' executive producer," EW noted. The show will not be bereft of other familiar faces; "Rhys Nicholson will remain on the panel," EW reported of the show's "regular judge," "with additional seats being occupied by a rotating roster of 'Down Under' queens throughout the season in addition to regular celebrity guest judges."
EW relayed that Visage is "Mama Ru's longtime best friend," and quoted the drag entertainer's words of gratitude for the new gig.
"Thank you, RuPaul, for entrusting me with one of your beloved shows," Visage said. "The color, humor, and outrageousness of 'Down Under' drag holds a special place in my heart."
"I'm ready to do everything in my power to encourage these beautiful queens to believe in themselves and let their inner light shine through," Visage added.
"Visage has regularly worked alongside RuPaul throughout her career, including as the cohost of his VH1 talk series 'The RuPaul Show' between 1996 and 1998," EW recalled.
The writeup noted that Visage is an international star in her own right, with gigs "on the United Kingdom's 'Strictly Come Dancing' and 'Celebrity Big Brother,' as well as joining the judging table on 'Ireland's Got Talent.'"
In addition, Visage has been a regular on the original American iteration of the show, as well as its UK and Australian editions.
The "Drag Race" franchise is an Emmy-laden global phenom, with the flagship series now in its 16th season and international editions numbering more than a dozen and continuing to proliferate.
Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.
