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Drag Race Philippines

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Drag Race Philippines
GenreReality competition
Directed by
Presented byPaolo Ballesteros
Judges
Ending theme"Rock It (To the Moon)"
by RuPaul
Country of originPhilippines
Original languages
  • English
  • Filipino / Tagalog
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes30 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Randy Barbato
  • Fenton Bailey
  • Tom Campbell
  • RuPaul Charles
  • Alex Godinez-Lopez
  • Yanah Laurel
  • Jimson Tamano
  • Maricel Ticar Santos
  • Gina Godinez
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time55–90 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network
ReleaseAugust 17, 2022 (2022-08-17) –
October 9, 2024 (2024-10-09)
Related
Drag Race Philippines Slaysian Royale

Drag Race Philippines is a Philippine television reality competition show broadcast by HBO Go and WOW Presents Plus. The show based on the American television franchise RuPaul's Drag Race. Hosted by Paolo Ballesteros, it aired from August 17, 2022 to October 9, 2024.

In every episode, it employs a panel of judges with Paolo Ballesteros and KaladKaren, with BJ Pascual, Jon Santos, and Rajo Laurel as alternative judges. Jiggly Caliente served as a judge for three seasons until it was announced in April 2025 that she would not be returning as a judge due to a “severe infection” which led to the amputation of her right leg.[1] Caliente died days after the announcement, aged 44.[2]

After three seasons, Precious Paula Nicole, Captivating Katkat, and Maxie Andreison were crowned as winners of the series.

Series overview

[edit]
SeasonContestantsEpisodesOriginally releasedWinnerRunner-upMiss Congeniality
First releasedLast released
11210August 17, 2022 (2022-08-17)October 12, 2022 (2022-10-12)Precious Paula NicoleMarina SummersLady Morgana
21210August 2, 2023 (2023-08-02)October 4, 2023 (2023-10-04)Captivating KatkatArizona BrandyHana Beshie
31110August 7, 2024 (2024-08-07)October 9, 2024 (2024-10-09)MaxieKhiannaVersex

Production history

[edit]

American drag queen RuPaul Charles first announced the Philippine adaptation, and is credited as an executive producer alongside Randy Barbato, Fenton Bailey, and Tom Campbell.[3] Casting soon opened from production company World of Wonder, alongside their partnership with Fullhouse Asia,[4] on August 16, 2021.[5]

Entertainment Weekly reportedly that entertainer Jiggly Caliente will show up as a permanent judge on May 14, 2022;[6] she previously competed in RuPaul's Drag Race (2012) and All Stars (2021). A short trailer showcased the workroom and mainstage, with a silhouette of the host, and revealed it will have a companion series.[7] A month later, it was confirmed that actor and comedian Paolo Ballesteros was given the opportunity to host Drag Race Philippines on July 13.[8]

This soon unveiled another judge, whom is television personality KaladKaren;[9] this marked the first franchise to have two transgender women appear in the panel of judges.[10] Before the franchise aired, photographer BJ Pascual, fashion designer Rajo Laurel and actor and comedian Jon Santos were announced as the alternating judges on August 11.[11] Actor and singer Ice Seguerra revealed and made his television directorial debut on August 20.[12]

Former and recurring judges on Drag Race Philippines
Judge Season
1 2 3 4
Paolo Ballesteros Main TBA
Jiggly Caliente Main
KaladKaren Main TBA
BJ Pascual Main TBA
Jon Santos Main TBA
Rajo Laurel Main TBA

Before the first season ended, Laurel teased about the renewal for the series on October 6, 2022,[13] but its streaming services denied this comment and was not in production.[14] It was shortly renewed the same month with casting opened until December 1.[15] Warner Bros. Discovery Asia-Pacific soon announced that Discovery+ would be discontinued in the Philippines on April 27, 2023,[16] this left the national broadcasting exclusivity to video-on demand service HBO Go.

A family statement revealed that Jiggly Caliente would not return as judge,[17] due to her right leg having been surgically amputated from a severe infection on April 24, 2025.[18] Three days later, she died in a hospital at age 44.[19]

Season synopses

[edit]

Season 1 (2022)

[edit]
Precious Paula Nicole won the first season.

The contestants were first announced in their visual presentation throughout social media on July 27, 2022.[20] A teaser was released on August 4, featuring Paolo Ballesteros waving two checkered flags with every contestant introducing themselves.[21]

It debuted through streaming services Discovery+ and HBO Go for the Philippines simultaneously,[22] with Crave for Canada, and including WOW Presents Plus internationally in August 2022.[23] An online video was released through YouTube that featured the first 20 minutes from the first episode.[24] Ongina and Rock M. Sakura hosted the American webseries Fashion Photo RuView, where they reviewed the garments from contestants.[25] This season ran for ten episodes and concluded in October.

Precious Paula Nicole won the season after lip-syncing to "Sirena" (2012) by rapper Gloc-9 and was crowned as the Philippines' First Drag Superstar.[26] This also included a one-year supply from ONE/SIZE cosmetics, with a crown and scepter, and a cash prize of ₱1,000,000.[27] Marina Summers was the runner-up,[28] with Lady Morgana (whom eliminated fifth overall) voted as Miss Congeniality.[29]

The contestants who competed and eliminated were Prince, Corazon, Gigi Era, Turing, Viñas DeLuxe, Brigiding, Minty Fresh, Xilhouete, and Eva Le Queen.

Season 2 (2023)

[edit]
Captivating Katkat won the second season.

After season one concluded, it was immediately renewed on October 19,[30] with casting opened the same month until December 2022.[31] A teaser image was soon posted through Instagram on June 29, 2023.[32] This led to showcase its previous panel of judges in a tropical-themed set,[33] with the contestants and their visual presentation announced on July 11.[34] The season premiered through HBO Go for the Philippines and WOW Presents Plus internationally in August 2023.[35] It was ended in October which ran for ten episodes.

Captivating Katkat was crowned as the Philippines' Next Drag Superstar,[36] after lip-syncing to "Kapangyarihan" (2021) by iDolls.[37] She was handed a cash prize of ₱1,000,000, with a crown and scepter, and a one-year supply from Anastasia Beverly Hills. Arizona Brandy was the runner-up, with Hana Beshie (whom eliminated fifth overall) voted as Miss Congeniality.[38]

The contestants who competed and eliminated were Nicole Pardaux, Astrid Mercury, Tiny DeLuxe, Veruschka Levels, Matilduh, DeeDee Marié Holliday, ØV Cünt, M1ss Jade So, and Bernie.

Season 3 (2024)

[edit]
Main article: Drag Race Philippines season 3

Spin-offs

[edit]

Untucked!

[edit]

After a teaser trailer was released, this announced a companion series subtitled Untucked! which marked the first international iteration based from the American television franchise.[39] It showcases deleted or unseen footage, short altercations, unresolved conflicts from contestants, and key moments. This documentary format began to premiere two days after its main edition, its scheduling changed for season two.[40]

Slaysian Royale

[edit]

On 13 March 2025, World of Wonder announced that Drag Race Philippines: Slaysian Royale, a spin-off series of Drag Race Philippines, would premiere in late 2025. The series is set to feature contestants from previous Drag Race Philippines series compete with Asian queens from other franchises, similar to the vs. the World format previously featured in the United Kingdom and Canada.[41]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Segarra, Edward. "'RuPaul's Drag Race' star Jiggly Caliente loses 'most of her right leg' after infection". USA TODAY. Retrieved May 17, 2025.
  2. ^ "RuPaul's Drag Race star Jiggly Caliente dies aged 44, days after leg amputation". HELLO!. April 27, 2025. Retrieved May 17, 2025.
  3. ^ Quieta, Racquel (August 17, 2021). "Drag Race Philippines is looking for the first Filipino drag superstar!". Global Media Arts Network. Retrieved April 28, 2025.
  4. ^ Rude, Mey (August 16, 2021). "RuPaul's Drag Race is getting another international edition". Out. Retrieved March 21, 2025.
  5. ^ Nolfi, Joey (August 16, 2021). "RuPaul's Drag Race Philippines is on the way". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 15, 2025.
  6. ^ Nolfi, Joey (May 14, 2022). "Jiggly Caliente joins Drag Race Philippines as a judge". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
  7. ^ Antonio, Josiah (May 15, 2022). "Drag Race Philippines to air on August 17 with Untucked; Jiggly Caliente serves as judge". ABS-CBN. Retrieved January 24, 2025.
  8. ^ Damshenas, Same (July 13, 2022). "World of Wonder announces legendary actor as host of Drag Race Philippines". Gay Times. Retrieved March 3, 2025.
  9. ^ Cruz, Amrie (July 20, 2022). "Judge KaladKaren completes the 'Drag Race Philippines' trinity". Preen.ph. Retrieved May 16, 2025.
  10. ^ Riedel, Samantha (July 22, 2022). "Drag Race Philippines makes history with two openly trans judges". Them. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  11. ^ Roque, Nika (August 11, 2022). "BJ Pascual, Jon Santos, and Rajo Laurel join Drag Race Philippines panel of judges". GMA News Online. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
  12. ^ Esguerra Olarte, Steph (August 20, 2022). "Liza Dino is super proud of Ice Seguerra's directorial debut on Drag Race Philippines: Untucked!". Cosmo. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  13. ^ Deni Bernardo-Afinidad, Rose M. (October 6, 2022). "Rajo Laurel confirms Drag Race Philippines season 2, Project Runway Philippines revival plans". Philstar.com. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  14. ^ Severo, Jan Milo. "'Drag Race Philippines' Season 2 not yet confirmed — HBO Go, discovery+". Philstar.com. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  15. ^ "'Drag Race Philippines' renewed for second season". cnn. Archived from the original on July 11, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  16. ^ Maas, Jennifer (April 12, 2023). "Warner Bros. Discovery Unveils 'Max': Everything Revealed at Combined HBO Max-Discovery+ Streaming Presentation". Variety. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  17. ^ Duncan, Charlie (April 24, 2025). "RuPaul's Drag Race star Jiggly Caliente suffers 'loss of leg'". PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
  18. ^ "Jiggly Caliente exits 'Drag Race Philippines' after losing 'most' of right leg - UPI.com". UPI. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
  19. ^ "RuPaul's Drag Race star dies aged 44 following 'severe infection'". The Independent. April 27, 2025. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
  20. ^ Nolfi, Joey (July 27, 2022). "RuPaul's Drag Race Philippines season 1 cast of queens revealed". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on July 27, 2022. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
  21. ^ Roque, Nika (August 4, 2022). "Watch: Drag Race Philippines releases bongga teaser". GMA News Online. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
  22. ^ Rafid, Sabiq (July 21, 2022). "'Drag Race Philippines' to stream on discovery+ and HBO Go". NME. Retrieved May 16, 2025.
  23. ^ Madarang, Catalina Ricci S. (July 20, 2022). "Host, judges, premiere date: 'Drag Race Philippines' unveils more details ahead of premiere". Interaksyon. Retrieved May 16, 2025.
  24. ^ James, Alastair (August 17, 2025). "Exclusive: Watch the first 20 minutes of new Drag Race Philippines". Attitude. Retrieved May 17, 2025.
  25. ^ Manipon, Roel Hoang (September 5, 2022). "Ongina and Rock M. host Fashion Photo Ruview". Daily Tribune. Retrieved April 18, 2025.
  26. ^ "Precious Paula Nicole addresses backlash to Drag Race Philippines win". Gay Times. October 19, 2022. Archived from the original on October 23, 2022. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
  27. ^ Manipon, Roel Hoang (October 17, 2022). "Precious Paula Nicole crowned as first Drag Race Philippines winner". Daily Tribune. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  28. ^ Antonio, Josiah (October 13, 2022). "Marina Summers still grateful for Drag Race Philippines stint; praises Precious Paula Nicole's win". ABS-CBN.
  29. ^ Madarang, Catalina Ricci S. (October 14, 2022). "Miss Congeniality: Lady Morgana's message to queens of Drag Race Philippines season 1". Interaksyon. Retrieved March 21, 2025.
  30. ^ Angan, Kara (October 19, 2022). "Drag Race Philippines and Untucked renewed for second season". NME. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
  31. ^ Fabella, Lendl (October 30, 2022). "Drag Race Philippines announces casting for season 2". PEP.ph. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
  32. ^ "'Drag Race Philippines' drops tropical-themed poster for Season 2". GMA News Online. June 29, 2023. Archived from the original on June 29, 2023. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
  33. ^ BASINA, CARBY (July 5, 2023). "Paolo Ballesteros returns for 'Drag Race Philippines' Season 2". GMA News Online. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  34. ^ Nolfi, Joey (July 11, 2023). "Meet the Drag Race Philippines season 2 cast of queens and their stunning promo looks". Entertainment Weekly.
  35. ^ "Meet the queens of Drag Race Philippines season 2". Adobo Magazine Online. July 12, 2023. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  36. ^ Antonio, Josiah (October 4, 2023). "Captivating Katkat wins "Drag Race Philippines" season 2". ABS-CBN.
  37. ^ Joy Tunac, Hermes (October 5, 2023). "Drag Race Philippines' lip sync song "Kapangyarihan" is a love letter to the trans community, says singer Enzo Almario". GMA News Online. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
  38. ^ Antonio, Josiah (October 4, 2023). "Hana Beshie voted Drag Race Philippines S2 Miss Congeniality". GMA News Online. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
  39. ^ Ng, Scott (August 11, 2022). "'Drag Race Philippines' drops new teaser for premiere this August". NME. Archived from the original on August 12, 2022. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  40. ^ Cruz, Dana (October 19, 2022). "'Drag Race Philippines,' 'Untucked' series renewed for season 2". INQUIRER.net. Archived from the original on October 24, 2022. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
  41. ^ Tinoco, Armando (March 14, 2025). "'Drag Race Philippines: Slaysian Royale' Ordered At World Of Wonder With A Twist On 'Vs. The World' Format". Deadline. Retrieved March 14, 2025.
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