Drag Race UK: BBC drops Ru Paul show after eight series
The BBC has confirmed it will stop broadcasting 'RuPaul's Drag Race UK' after eight series due to significant financial pressures. The show will move exclusively to the streaming platform Wow Presents Plus starting with future series.
Why it matters
This move highlights the ongoing budget cuts at the BBC and the broader industry trend of niche content migrating from public service broadcasters to dedicated streaming services.
Image source, BBC/RuPaul's Drag Race UK Image caption, The show has been broadcast on the BBC for eight series
RuPaul's 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 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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