(In the US, that time is Mondays at 5:45 p.m. Even if the winning queen doesn't walk away with 100,000, we are sure they will make it up with increased booking fees after their global exposure. That's an astounding amount seeing as how she only spent around $4,000 her first time around. For those wishing to Drag Race with RuPaul, the out-of-pocket expense can be surprising. Make Some Aesthetic Decisions And We'll Tell You Which "Drag Race UK" Contestant You Are. Several people I talked to for this article said that they dont love the proliferation of designer looks on the runway because, in many cases, queens are using money not to simply elevate their drag, but to become a different queen entirely. So, is going on RuPauls Drag Race worth it? Not every dedicated viewer is a fan of the shiftand not every queen who appears on the show can keep up. I could tell that, even having spent more money than I had ever even had in my life, everybody else was clearly more expensive, she said. The music hits a dramatic note as the camera cuts to RuPaul, who looks grim. " RuPaul's Drag Race " Season 14 will crown America's next drag superstar on April 22 when the finale airs on VH1. Which was funny because in the moment, I didn't feel ratchet, or particularly urban or hood. I felt really elegant in this gown with my Afro. According to Vice writer Rachel Miller, who has spoken to many of the show's past queens, contestants spend anywhere from $4,000 to $20,000 on each season. RuPaul's Drag Race UK is back for series 4 - and Mama Ru has now announced the full line-up of queens for 2022. . Its won 19 Emmys, the most of any competition show; its an incredibly influential part of the reality TV genre, and of U.S. culture. That said, everyone I spoke to for this story said that styling and swagger matter a lot to the judges. Get reality TV news, reviews, and recommendations in your inbox every week. Latrice Royale - $1 million. Im in a bankruptcy, she says to the judges after receiving criticism for her Neon Queen Realness look in Episode 4. The Pit Crew, also known as the Scruff Pit Crew, are a group of muscular men who appear on each season of RuPaul's Drag Race. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. Season: 7. For instance, contestants on American Ninja Warrior dont earn any money for competing. Just like the UK show, the Chasers are hired talent from their respective production company/networks. The weight of her financial setbacks became a key detour of her confidence as she looked around at all the thousand dollar gowns of her competitors. Read on for a list of all of the contestants who have left Drag Race UK season 4 so far, including who was eliminated in Week 9. Though we do not know exactly how much 60 Days In participants are paid, we do know that the A&E show also pays money to the prison to film there. What does the winner of 'RuPaul's Drag Race UK' receive? 4 Contestants Are Paid Per Episode. Mama Ru has an invitation for you. I do think they give space to the Nina Bonina Browns, the ones that are making stuff, author and blogger Tom Fitzgerald said. Go ahead and get that H&M dress or that ASOS jacket and do something with it. Gigi Goode and Jaida Essence Hall walk the Drag Race runway in looks they made during a design challenge. The larger industry is just starting to catch up and see the entertainment value and commercial value of these artists, Slane added. By signing up, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy & to receive electronic communications from Vice Media Group, which may include marketing promotions, advertisements and sponsored content. And none of them have a name beginning with Q, U, X, or Z. The outlet also notes that participants in "The Bachelor" franchise don't get paid at all. Royale made her first Drag Race appearance on season 4, where she was crowned Miss Congeniality. Contestants agree to participate in sponsor integrations, which includes naming, identifying, wearing, using, describing, demonstrating or interacting with sponsors products or services. Read Next: 15 Secrets You Didn't Know About RuPaul's Drag Race, Source: Mic,In Style, Vice, Showbiz Cheatsheet. Its cultural. not to mention the $40 entry fee paid by 40,000 people. Yvie Oddly was the rare winner who was an exception to the makeover tradition, which led to a lot of backlash. RuPaul's Drag Race U.K. is jumping the pond to its original U.S. network home, Logo, and will premiere Friday, October 11, at 8/7c on the cable network. In the years since it began airing, RuPauls Drag Race has become a cultural juggernaut, with numerous spin-offs and international editions. 2. And now it's 13 years later, it's won all of these Emmys, it's HD, it's got superstar guest stars. Monet X Change was in a Pepsi Superbowl commercial alongside Cardi B. So that one's like a $60 look. Thanks, in no small part, to having the sort of je ne sais quois that transcends dollars, she took home the prize of the week while wearing it. As revealed in episode 122 of the So Dramatic! The first season of Drag Race had a grand prize of $25,000. Some even higher. Photo via VH1. The high point for a synthetic would be up to about $1000, Zlotnik said. So when they called me cheap, I understood why., Yvie Oddly on the Season 11 finale red carpet. Cast members have just two to four weeks after getting the call to prepare 2025 unique looks for all of the episodes events above (including an outfit, wig, and shoes, along with any unique makeup or accessories they want to use) before filming starts. Occasionally, they appear . Take Season 12s Heidi N. Closet, who said that her annual salary at the gas station where she worked before the show was $9,000. Winning a maxi challenge now nets a $5,000 cash prize, but that only began in Season 12 in 2020; before that, it was gift certificates for wigs and jewelry, and, eventually, in Season 11, nice vacations. Social and financial marginalization forced drag artists to be creative. Behind the couches is artfully layered backstage detritus: two megaphones, a couple of directors chairs, a ladder, and a neon light shaped like a pair of lips. While most of the queens who spoke to VICE had budgets that were on the lower end, a little back-of-the-napkin math shows that a lot of queens are likely spending way more. Contestants on RuPauls Drag Race earn a salary more in line with what someone might receive on Amercian Idol. I think I had a month's worth of time between getting the phone call and leaving. Bob the Drag Queen, winner of Chi's season, told Vice, "If I went back on Drag Race now, Id probably be spending $2040,000." Mondo Guerra, a Brooklyn-based designer and Project Runway alum who has outfitted queens like Blair St. Clair, Jackie Cox, and Olivia Lux for RuPauls Drag Race, told VICE that a simple custom dress of hisi.e., a straightforward silhouette without any rhinestonescosts $700$800. All of this makes the competition steeper each year. I literally came from poverty to where I am now. Popular Days. To grab the brass ring you have to be a seriously fierce b*tch. However, flashbacks and episode recaps are not included as appearances. Photo: Santiago Felipe. Similarly, RuPaul herself openly chastised competitor, Joe Black on the second season of the show's UK spin-off. "I think I spent about $4,000 on the costumes, out of pocket," says season 8 winner Sasha Valor in an interview with In Style, "Thats why on TV, Im not wearing anything custom, whereas thats a huge part of what I do now because I have money from the gigs I can invest back in it.". Meet the cast of 'RuPaul's Drag Race UK' season 1, including Cheryl Hole, Blu Hydrangea, Crystal, Baga Chipz, and more fabulous British drag queens! The process, however, is different: potential contestants for season 11have to answer dozens of questions first, ranging from How did you get your drag name? to Who would you do on Snatch Game? before theyre sent the Participant Agreement, the document you see below. RuPaul's Drag Race contestants, . I did not spend a lot of money, Bob the Drag Queen, who was crowned the winner of Season 8 in 2016, told VICE. At the end of each episode, theres a runway competition, where they wear a look tailored to the week's themesay, leather and lace or jetset eleganza., BenDeLaCreme, of Season 6 and All Stars 3, attends an All Stars event. . Surprisingly, the contestants aren't paid at all for stripping on the telly. Photo by Chelsea Guglielmino / Getty Images. They get $900 per episode this season, not including the finale. And not just the kind of biscuits praised by all-star queen classy queen Latrice Royale. If a contestant enters on the first day and . The shows impact on the drag industry has been significant too. Feb 18 2023. The other mermaid looks like your friends ex-stepmom celebrating her third divorce with a trip to Vegas: Her luscious margarita-green hair is accented by a headband topped with starfish, seashells, jewels, and fake flowers. As the shows profile has grown, so too, it seems, has the budget needed to feel competitive. Cast members are paid $400 per episode for their first season, and their pay increases 5 percent for future seasons: $420 per episode for their second season, $441 for their third, and so on. Courtesy of VH1. Season 8 runner-up Kim Chi recently told Paper that she spent just $1500 on her season, and Naomi Smalls, a runner-up on both Season 8 and All-Stars 4,has said that her idea of investing in drag going into Season 8 was buying 10 lace-fronts from Amazon. Charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent still seem to be proving out over dollars. Coming up with thousands of dollars on very short notice has been all but impossible for some contestants. (Meanwhile, because of British TV standards, Drag Race UK contestants dont win cash prizes at all.). RuPaul's Drag Race has become one of the most popular reali. She also said that shed been setting aside money in the hopes of getting on the show, but that her savings was not a lot. For her part, RuPaul has talked about being destitute as a young person. RuPaul's "Drag Race" is a classic reality competition show, allowing queens to compete in a variety of challenges and hopefully win the grand prize. HBOs excellent series Were Here centered around Eureka, Bob, and Shangela. In terms of what The Chasers get paid, that's not as easily discernible as what the contestants make. They cannot, however, mention their connection to RuPauls Drag Race. A post shared by RuPaul's DragCon (@rupaulsdragcon). The process of going on Drag Race is, in my opinion, more than a fiscal investment, Bob said. The 22-year-old fashion obsessive has . She then also won All Stars 7 and was crowned the Queen of All Queens, taking home the . A queen might not be able to splurge on her wardrobe or even be the best at Drag Racewhich, its often said, is different from being good at dragbut those who are exceptionally magnetic, funny, and unique tend to do fairly well for themselves post-show. But money was constantly on her mind as she prepared for the show. Here is a look at the wealthiest drag queens in 2022 and their estimated net worth. Contestants may go on Drag Race hoping to strike gold, but before the lucky few get to that point, they'll be paid a per-episode rate of just a few hundred dollars for two to three long days of . Theres an odd line that says the cast is responsible for providing their own food, drink, clothing and personal items. Their own food and drink, really? It can be all about who has the connections, who is spending the most money. (VH1 declined to answer questions for this article. Premiere: May 20, 2022. Kameron Michaels on RuPaul's Drag Race Untucked. DeLa echoed this. The incident brought long-simmering questions up to the surface: What does it actually cost to compete on RuPauls Drag Race? I dont want to see any fucking H&M., The harsh criticism of a downmarket dress didnt look great coming from a world-famous drag queen who owns a 60,000-acre ranch in Wyoming. I put it on the line because this is so important.. This competition. the first mermaid, who goes by the name Miz Cracker, is saying. Youll collect some fans along the way if theres something there to fan over, she said. Show: RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars. how much do drag race contestants get paid uk. Put a parka zipper in my dress. She also said that big plastic jewels are likely a better choice than more expensive glass ones, which often dont actually read well on camera. Like, my asshole is collateral against a loan, my asshole is in a bank vault somewhere, Miz Cracker on RuPaul's Drag Race Untucked. Bigger builds are in the $1,200$1,400 range, and season finaleworthy looks start at $2,400. According to The Sun, a source has revealed that each contestant actually earns 200 a week (around 2.80 an hour) and their total income from the show will depend on how long they manage to stay in the villa. Season 11 winner Yvie Oddlywho was regularly criticized by her fellow contestants for wearing trashtold VICE she spent $14,000 on her famously cheap-looking wardrobe: $2,000 of her own money (all of my bank account), $5,000 that her creative partner put on a credit card, and $7,000 that the bar where she worked sponsored her with. Photos by Santiago Felipe / Getty Images. She also took part in the first and fourth seasons of 'RuPaul's Drag Race: All-Stars.' In 2019, a panel of judges from New York magazine compiled a list of the 100 most powerful drag queens in America by ranking former 'Ru Paul's Drag Race' contestants. I took a loan out against my asshole to get here, Cracker says, and Kameron snort-laughs. Simple BobbiePinz wigs are available on his site for around $95, and pre-styled wigs, which Zlotnik calls stage readies, start at $275. Up until the 80s and the 90s, drag queens essentially dressed in vintage clothing, Fitzgerald told VICE. which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased . Photo via VH1, While some queens are able to take time off work to prepare to go on the show, others cant afford to. According to Cheat Sheet, after they sign a contract with Reality Blurred, the contestants will receive $400 per episode. I have to get my stuff made custom if I want my gown to touch the floor, my sleeves to touch my wrist, Bob the Drag Queen said. Since Season 6, "Drag Race" has been cast by Goloka Bolte and Ethan Petersen. A post shared by RuPaul's Drag Race (@rupaulsdragrace). Week 9 - Pixie Polite Drag Race UK star Pixie Polite. I rented from a costume shop in Queens, and it cost $500, she said. Because the show tapes more than six months in advance of its broadcast, that option could expire well over a year after filming ends. Sam Branman, of the Brooklyn-based queer fashion label 10 Yards, worked on several of Tina Burners looks for Drag Race Season 13. They're also expected to do interview and photoshoots as part of their time on the show. I didnt have much to lose from going. . Were looking for Great Britains next superstar. And I really didn't have the money, Monique Heart said of her Season 10 appearance. You dont need money, girl, Michelle says. There are typically a couple of design challenges during a given season, wherein queens have to make their looks from scratch on the spot. And Drag Race contestants received $400 per episode, . When a person who doesnt fit our preconceived notion of fashion does this, well, its because they cant afford anything better. Receiving an invitation to compete on Drag Race is many queens dream come true, but its quickly followed by the reality of the huge logistical challenge ahead. The contestants on RuPaul's Drag Race receive $400 each per episode, and the winner walks away with the grand prize of $100,000. This is where the charisma really pays off. Meanwhile, Joe Black got loads of love and support from viewers, and from H&M itselfthe retailer sent Joe a cake and flowers, along with free clothing. Monique was invited back for All Stars 4, where, as a runner-up, she was more successfuland also spent more. Ru also seems to genuinely valueand rewardthe charismatic queens who can make something out of nothing. It was easier and safer to go look for a size 13 pump in a used store than it was to go into the ladies section. The two candidly bantered about how the expense for the show were higher than that of going to college or a down payment on a house. For 12 runway looks, thats $5,400. 319 posts. The queens came with costumes they'd made themselves and rarely breached the costly pricey of contestants nowadays. Theres a clause that allows for filming to take place in contestants homes or elsewhere, and the language allows producers to enter and occupy their home or business and place cameras and other recording devices. If a contestant doesnt control a location, they agree tohelp producers get permission. So, I believe its a myth that you can do Drag Race without money. Miss Peppermint made her Broadway debut and was part of the 2021 Inauguration entertainment lineup. As the onslaught of negative critiques from the judges panel towards homemade or store-bought costumes grew much harsher, prospective contestants began running to local fashion designers the second they got the call to be on the show. And they're not wrong - it works out at about 2.80 an hour. 418 posts. RuPaul's Drag Race UK series 4 contestant Dakota Schiffer. Drag race also pays for their hotel and airfare while they're touring for the show. If anything, I'm going to break it in a day. How Much Do The Contestants On RuPaul's Drag Race Make Per Episode. The mechanisms of Drag Race make it almost impossible to not spend a fortune. And I don't want to discredit anyone who spends a lot of money if it takes that amount of money to achieve what they want to achieve. If an eliminated queen is only shown in a flashback or in the previously on RuPauls Drag Race segment, that does not count as an appearance, so theyre not paid for that episode. Be there. So not only did I need to find the money, but I also needed to get the costumes again.. Photo via VH1, Exactly! Cracker says, laughing. I did a look for Bob a few years ago that took 55 hours and was like 300 separate pattern pieces., Sam Branman models Tina Burner's "little black dress," which he worked on for Season 13 of Drag Race. Its the Game of Thrones of reality TV., I think for some people its worth it, she continued. Chi Chi DeVayne on the Drag Race runway wearing a look she was criticized for.