Hi all!
Today I am going to be ranking every single Drag Race host from around the world. By host, I don’t mean the accompanying judges like Michelle Visage, Pangina Heals, Graham Norton etc. I am referring to the queen that struts down the runway during Cover Girl, announces who will sashay/shantay and the rest. As you know, I love to watch every franchise known to man, so I am quite familiar with the icons I’ll be discussing below. A huge thank you to James Bowers on Instagram for allowing me to use his wonderful artwork in this post. Without further ado, from favourite to least favourite, let’s get into it!
1.) RuPaul Andre Charles (US, US All Stars, UK, UK Vs. The World, Down Under, Secret Celebrity Drag Race)
In first place, I have to put RuPaul. I mean, she’s the one that started it all! She is Mother. She’s also the host we see the most. From the original US franchise to UK, to All Stars, to Down Under, to Secret Celebrity Drag Race, we get huge helpings of Ru on our screen every single year. The very first season aired in 2009 and from there, a legacy was born. Because of our Queen Supreme, different regions of the world were able to launch their own franchises and showcase how drag is done all over the globe. Despite the corny jokes, I still chuckle at the puns she, Michelle Visage, Ross Matthews, Carson Kressley and now T.S. Madison, throw around. The fact that she is still serving looks and going strong in her 60’s is iconic. I will be forever grateful for Miss Charles until the day I die!
2.) Brooke Lynn Hytes (Canada, Canada Vs. The World)
In second place, I am going to go with Brooke Lynn Hytes. It helps that she’s one of my favourite queens. At the time of posting this, Brooke has hosted three seasons of Canada’s Drag Race (with a fourth on the way) and one season of Canada Vs. The World. She fell into the role so naturally; it was hard to believe she was ever a contestant (US season 11) to begin with. Not to mention, I die and go to heaven every single time she hits the runway. She has the best looks, hands down! It’s also fun to see her volley with fellow judges: Brad Goreski and Traci Melchor. Finally, she’s the first DR alum to host her own franchise. Icon behaviour!
3.) Supremme de Luxe (Espana, Espana All Stars)
In third place, I have to go with Supremme de Luxe, the host of Drag Race Espana – the most successful international franchise. Supremme is a Spanish actor, singer, cabaret artist, drag queen and television personality based in Madrid. She’s funny, beautiful, talented and kind. I love the chemistry she shares with her fellow judges: Ana Locking, Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi. Furthermore, the reception of the show has paved the way for Espana All Stars, which is a first for an international franchise. Despite the questionable third season, I am always excited to see Supremme on my screen.
4.) Mama Pao (Philippines)
In fourth place and very close behind Supremme, is Mama Pao, the host of Drag Race Philippines. Out of drag, Paolo Ballesteros is a Filipino actor, comedian, TV host, model, drag queen and impersonator. Mama Pao is a whole lot of crazy, kooky fun. She doesn’t take herself too seriously – usually breaking character to joke around with the contestants. I love how she always credits her designers on the main stage and vibes well with fellow co-hosts: Jiggly Caliente, KhaladKaren and John Santos. Super cute in and out of drag, Mama Pao is killing the game!
5.) Nicky Doll (France)
Before season 2 of Drag Race France, I would have put Nicky Doll a lot lower on my list, but since it wrapped, I have to give credit where credit is due. Nicky truly came into her own this season and did a phenomenal job as host. We first met her on season 12 of the US franchise, eliminated third and quite early. To my delight, it was announced in 2021 that she would host the very first season of Drag Race France and despite fans reservations that she would be too quiet/reserved, she surprised everybody. I’ve become so fond of her and fellow judges, Daphné Bürki and Kiddy Smile. Not only is she a talented makeup artist, she’s also a singer. Everything she wears is to die for and in my opinion, she is one of the most beautiful drag queens I’ve ever seen. Her star is on the rise and I’m so excited to follow her career.
6.) Grag Queen (Brazil)
This may be a bit surprising, seeing as at the time of posting this, there have only been three episodes of Drag Race Brazil, but I am a Grag Queen stan and there’s really not much more to say! In 2022, she won Queen of the Universe, which is an all-singing drag competition. I was rooting for her from the beginning! As a host, she’s very fun and chic. She never misses an opportunity to break into song and has a very unique, neon grungy style that suits her perfectly. I can tell she respects fellow judges: Bruna Braga and Dudu Bertholini. I already loved her before the season aired, and I love her even more now.
7.) Barbie Breakout (Germany)
In seventh place, we have Barbie Breakout from Drag Race Germany, which at the time of posting this, has only aired two episodes. That must tell you just how quickly I connected to her. She’s a podcaster, author, activist for HIV and drag queen. Alongside fellow judges: Dianne Brill and Gianni Jovanovic, Barbie has won my heart with her sweet demeanour and appreciation for the cast. In particular, her reverence for the AFAB queen of the season, Pandora Nox, made me happy to see. I have been anticipating this franchise for a long time, so I’m thankful that production chose such a charismatic queen to take the reins.
8.) Valentina & Lolita Banana (Mexico)
You might be surprised to see Valentina & Lolita Banana quite low on my list. Let me explain! As individuals and Drag Race alum, I am obsessed. As judges, I’m not as convinced. That’s not to say they did a bad job but Drag Race Mexico, in general, is one of my least favourite seasons of 2023. They are the first queens to host a franchise together and I’m not sure it worked. I would have preferred they took it in shifts, with Valentina appearing on one episode and Lolita on the next etc. If you didn’t know, Valentina first stole our hearts in season 9 of the US franchise and All Stars 4. Lolita graced our screens in 2022 as a contestant on Drag Race France season 1. They are a fun duo with a cute dynamic, but it made the judging panel as a whole, less cohesive. Their fellow judge, Oscar Madrazo, felt like an afterthought. This is just my opinion though. Let me know if you agree/disagree.
9.) Robert Fux (Sweden)
In ninth place, we have Robert Fux from Drag Race Sverige (Sweden). He is a Swedish actor, playwright, performance artist and drag queen. Overall, I liked him as a host. He seemed quite nice and thanks to his baldness, would always walk the runway wearing incredible headpieces. Fellow judges, Farao Groth and Kayo Shekoni, were very respectful toward Fux, but compared to those listed above, he faded into the background a little bit.
10.) Rita Baga (Belgium)
It pains me to put Rita Baga so low because I truly love her as a Drag Race alum, but competing and hosting are two different things. We first met Rita in Canada’s Drag Race season 1, where she became a finalist for the crown. Just last year, she returned to compete on Canada Vs. The World, reaching the finale but missing out once more. As the host of Drag Race Belgique (Belgium), she was fine but a little stiff. I don’t know if that’s just her demeanour or she took the role too seriously, but I didn’t connect with her in the way I’m used to. Unfortunately, the first season of Drag Race Belgium was quite boring, and I actually had to Google who the other judges were (Lufy and Mustii) because they were quite forgettable. Sorry!
11.) Fred van Leer (Holland)
Third last, we have Fred van Leer, Dutch stylist and presenter from Drag Race Holland, which I believe is no longer airing due to the disastrous second season. If you want to know why it was so problematic, I wrote an entire post dedicated to it here. I adored Fred until I saw him make the most ridiculous and infuriating decisions in Drag Race herstory. Unfortunately, it was such a dumpster fire, it’s hard for me to put aside and focus on the wonderful first season. I never gelled with the other judges either (Marieke Samallo, Carlo Boszhard and Raven van Dorst). Oh Fred, why did you have to go and make things so complicated?
12.) Priscilla (Italy)
In second last place, we have Priscilla from Drag Race Italia. How do I put this nicely? Priscilla is a bit of an ass. She’s rude to her contestants and in one interview, said that they should fear her. Ummm, this is a drag competition, not a dictatorship! What’s funny is, out of drag, Mariano Gallo seems quite nice. It’s like the transformation takes over and she becomes the evil queen. I also want to mention that her fellow judge: Chiara Francini, is so iconic and lovable, fans actually prefer her to Priscilla. Ouch! Furthermore, Tommaso Zorzi has now been removed as the third judge and replaced by Paola Iezzi and Paolo Camilli moving forward. I may be Italian myself but this franchise needs to get their stuff together!
13.) Art Arya (Thailand)
In last place, we have Art Arya from Drag Race Thailand. Art is a drag performer, designer and stylist. I’ve only seen season two, as season one is not available anywhere in Australia. I’m not going to lie; I wish fellow judge and UK Vs. The World alum, Pangina Heals, was the main host instead. I don’t connect with Art because she’s quite judgmental, believe it or not. She doesn’t offer critiques in a constructive but rather, comes across as harsh. Perhaps that’s south-eastern culture but I just didn’t warm to her.
Thank you so much for reading! What did you think of my list? Who are your favourite Drag Race hosts?
Peace & Love xoxo