BBC drops Drag Race UK after eight series
The BBC has announced it will stop broadcasting RuPaul's Drag Race UK after eight series due to significant financial pressures. Future seasons will move to the streaming platform Wow Presents Plus.
Why it matters
This reflects the ongoing budget cuts at the BBC and the broader industry shift of niche cultural content moving from public service broadcasting to dedicated streaming platforms.
Image source, BBC/RuPaul's Drag Race UK series 4 Image caption, The show has been broadcast on the BBC for eight series, and three spin-off series
Drag Race UK is leaving the BBC after eight series, the broadcaster has confirmed.
A spokesperson for the channel said it was facing "very difficult choices" in the face of "significant financial pressures".
The show, presented by RuPaul, is currently broadcast on BBC Three and iPlayer. Future series - as well as its spin-off vs The World - will be broadcast on Wow Presents Plus, a streaming platform owned by the production company behind the show.
At its peak, the UK version of the international drag competition averaged at around 1.5 million viewers per episode.
A spokesperson for the BBC said it was "proud [...] of this groundbreaking show" and thanked "RuPaul, World of wonder and everyone involved, both on and off screen."
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