RuPaul’s Drag Race UK has been axed by the BBC after 11 series due to “significant financial pressures”, the broadcaster has confirmed.
Produced by World of Wonder, the reality series follows drag queens as they compete to impress a panel of judges, including RuPaul, Michelle Visage, Graham Norton and Alan Carr.
Based on the Emmy-winning US series, the UK version launched in 2019 and catapulted British drag into the mainstream. The show has provided a huge platform for drag stars who have gone on to become incredibly popular with wider audiences, including La Voix, who competed in last year’s Strictly Come Dancing, musician and activist Bimini, and the late The Vivienne.
The BBC’s decision was announced on the show’s Instagram page and comes days after the eighth series premiered on BBC Three.
Future series, as well as its international all-star spin-off, RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs The World, will be broadcast on streaming platform Wow Presents Plus.
A BBC spokesperson said: “As the BBC continues to navigate significant financial pressures and deliver the savings required of us, we have had to make some very difficult choices, none of which have been taken lightly.
“We can therefore confirm, together with World of Wonder, that RuPaul’s Drag Race UK will be leaving the BBC and moving to WOW Presents Plus.
“The BBC is incredibly proud of all eleven series of this ground-breaking show and we would like to thank RuPaul, World of Wonder and everyone involved, both on and off screen.
“We are certain that viewers will enjoy the eighth series, which is currently airing on BBC iPlayer and BBC Three.”
The latest series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK launched in September 2026 and will continue to air on BBC Three before transferring to iPlayer.
There are eight seasons of the main series and three of the international spin-off, which viewers will be able to continue watching once the move is complete.
The decision comes as the BBC is attempting to make £500 million in savings over two years.
In an internal note sent to staff earlier this year, chief content officer Kate Phillips outlined the proposed savings, which aim to reduce the corporation’s spend on commissioning by £80 million in the 2027 to 2028 financial year.
A number of other television and radio shows have also been axed as part of the cost-cutting measures, with six Radio 4 shows, including The World Tonight and Moneybox Live, facing the chop.
The Today programme team has also been slimmed down, with a roster of four permanent presenters now on hosting duties instead of five. Only one anchor is presenting the format on Saturdays.
On television, Blankety Blank, Celebrity Mastermind and Live At The Apollo have also been cancelled, while a BBC News simulcast is replacing the Sunday morning edition of BBC Breakfast.
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