IN A WORLD-FIRST, GLOBAL ICON MICHELLE VISAGE WILL HOST THE BRAND NEW SEASON OF THE STAN ORIGINAL SERIES DRAG RACE DOWN UNDER

12 March, 2024 – Stan, Australia’s unrivalled home of original productions, today announced the hotly anticipated return of the Stan Original Series Drag Race Down Under, which will premiere later this year with a new host, global icon Michelle Visage. 

This is the first time that Michelle Visage is taking on the highly-regarded role as host in the 15 year history of the Drag Race franchise. 

Michelle Visage said: “Thank you, RuPaul, for entrusting me with one of your beloved shows. The colour, humour 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.”

Aussie comedian Rhys Nicholson will also return as judge for the new series, and will be joined on the main stage by a rotating cast of Down Under’s glittering drag royalty. This is the first time Down Under queens have been enlisted for their expertise to mentor the new cast of fierce local queens all vying for the crown. 

The new season will usher in ten talented new queens from Australia and New Zealand, who will compete for a cash prize and the title of “Down Under’s Next Drag Superstar.” The new queens, the exciting line-up of extra-special celebrity guests and the Down Under guest judges for the new season will be revealed soon.

RuPaul will remain as an Executive Producer.

RuPaul Charles said: “It has been my great honour to bring Drag Race to Australasia. I can’t wait to see the franchise flourish under the leadership of the incredible Michelle Visage.”

Cailah Scobie, Stan’s Chief Content Officer, said: “Drag Race Down Under is such a beloved show and we’re excited to welcome Michelle as our new host to nurture fresh local talent alongside Rhys Nicholson and our yet-to-be-announced Australian Drag Race royalty from Season 1, 2 & 3. This season will have the whole world talking, and we can’t wait to show what makes Drag Race Down Under so special.” 

The news coincides with Michelle Visage’s visit to Australia as a guest of Stan, with a showcase at the Sydney Opera House set to reveal several new Originals and acquisitions. 

The Stan Original Series Drag Race Down Under is an 8x60’ World of Wonder production in collaboration with Warner Bros. International Production New Zealand for Stan in Australia, WOW Presents Plus everywhere else. Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato, Tom Campbell, and RuPaul Charles serve as Executive Producers. Cailah Scobie (Stan), Alicia Brown (Stan), Pip Rubira (WB), Nick Tanner (Passion) also serve as Executive Producers. Passion Distribution distributes the series globally in line with Passion Distribution and WOW’s distribution strategy.

The Stan Original Series Drag Race Down Under will premiere later this year, only on Stan.
​

For more information, contact Stan Publicity: stan.publicity@stan.com.au

For all Stan publicity assets, please go to: www.stan.news ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 

About World of Wonder: 

World of Wonder (WOW) has reshaped international pop culture, earning 33 Emmys, inspiring two Oscars, creating global network WOW Presents Plus across 190 territories, and bringing drag culture to the world stage via RuPaul’s Drag Race and DragCon. SVOD WOW Presents Plus, the exclusive home to the global Drag Race franchise and hundreds of WOW Original series, saw 35M hours of content watched in 2023 with 77% subscriber growth in the same year. WOW’s pioneering television portfolio includes other smash-hit franchises like Million Dollar Listing. Their film division WOW Docs produces groundbreaking documentaries including Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures, Party Monster, and The Eyes of Tammy Faye. WOW also operates YouTube channel WOWPresents, music label World of Wonder Records, the WOW Podcast Network, and year-round international live events. Co-founders Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato have been profiled in Variety’s Reality TV Impact Report and Hollywood Reporter’s Most Powerful Producers in Unscripted. Honors for their trailblazing work include the IDA Pioneer Award, Realscreen’s Global 100 list, Banff’s Impact Award, and the OUT 100. In 2022, World of Wonder was ranked #2 among film and TV powerhouses in Fast Company’s World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies.