{"id":336847,"date":"2026-09-03T08:46:24","date_gmt":"2026-09-03T08:46:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/336847\/"},"modified":"2026-09-03T08:46:24","modified_gmt":"2026-09-03T08:46:24","slug":"rupauls-drag-race-uk-season-8-queens-meet-the-cast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/336847\/","title":{"rendered":"RuPaul&#8217;s Drag Race UK season 8 queens: Meet the cast"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Mama Ru is back in action tonight as RuPaul&#8217;s Drag Race UK returns for its eighth season on BBC Three, introducing audiences to a new group of queens who will stop at nothing to win the title of the UK&#8217;s Next Drag Race Superstar.<\/p>\n<p>Over 10 weeks, the queens will tackle a series of challenges designed to test every corner of their drag skill-set, from runway looks to lip-sync battles. As ever, the winner of the week takes home a coveted RuPeter badge, while the bottom two face a deciding &#8216;Lip Sync For Their Life&#8217; and the risk of elimination.<\/p>\n<p>This year&#8217;s cast spans the country and the drag spectrum, from a Belfast marine-biology mermaid to a Darlington boardroom &#8220;businesswoman&#8221;, and includes Lucky Roy Singh, who is the first Sikh South Asian queen to compete on Drag Race UK.<\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s a guide to the contestants taking part this season.<\/p>\n<p>RuPaul&#8217;s Drag Race UK season 8 full line-up<\/p>\n<p>Below is a list of the contestants confirmed to be taking part in RuPaul&#8217;s Drag Race UK season 8.<\/p>\n<p>AlikAnita PissCoral-Hole MandiThe Delta QuadrantFleshKY KellyLucky Roy Singhma_danni_xMochaNaya ThornParis BabyTequila Thirst<\/p>\n<p>Read on to learn more about the contestants taking part.<\/p>\n<p>Alik<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"image__img\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/drag-race-uk-12-ed5da5a.jpg\" alt=\"A drag queen in a red latex outfit slightly lent to one side with one arm in the air.\" data-item-name=\"A drag queen in a red latex outfit slightly lent to one side with one arm in the air.\" title=\"drag-race-uk (12)\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1 \/ 0.6666666666666666;object-fit:contain\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"700\" height=\"466.66666666666663\" data-testid=\"image-img\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Alik.\u00a0BBC\/World of Wonder\/Nick Strasburg<\/p>\n<p>Age: 29<\/p>\n<p>Location: Brighton<\/p>\n<p>Pronouns in drag: She\/Her<\/p>\n<p>Alik has been doing drag for eight years and describes her aesthetic as &#8220;old meets new&#8221;, a goth-glamour and punk melting pot born out of Brighton&#8217;s club scene.<\/p>\n<p>A former trampolinist and gymnast, she promises flips, tricks and dips, and is determined to break the so-called &#8220;Brighton curse&#8221; that has dogged the city&#8217;s queens on the show. She is in a relationship with season 1&#8217;s Scaredy Kat and says she is competing partly as their &#8220;redemption&#8221;, living vicariously through her run.<\/p>\n<p>Anita Piss<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"image__img\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/drag-race-uk-11-3a090de.jpg\" alt=\"A drag queen in a yellow latex outfit, with one arm in the air.\" data-item-name=\"A drag queen in a yellow latex outfit, with one arm in the air.\" title=\"drag-race-uk (11)\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1 \/ 0.6666666666666666;object-fit:contain\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"700\" height=\"466.66666666666663\" data-testid=\"image-img\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Anita Piss.\u00a0BBC\/World of Wonder\/Nick Strasburg<\/p>\n<p>Age: 37<\/p>\n<p>Location: Birmingham<\/p>\n<p>Pronouns in drag: She\/Her<\/p>\n<p>Originally from Birmingham but forged in the subversive East London drag scene, Anita Piss finally landed a place after applying five times. She has been doing drag for around &#8220;seven or eight years&#8221; and only recently went full-time.<\/p>\n<p>With Jamaican and British heritage and a lifelong love of fashion, she promises a &#8220;cool, calm and collected&#8221; approach and plenty of poise as she looks to bring something different to the werkroom.<\/p>\n<p>Coral-Hole Mandi<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"image__img\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/drag-race-uk-6-b1adfb6.jpg\" alt=\"Coral-Hole Mandi wearing a red dress and hat with one hand on her hip.\" data-item-name=\"Coral-Hole Mandi wearing a red dress and hat with one hand on her hip.\" title=\"drag-race-uk (6)\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1 \/ 0.6666666666666666;object-fit:contain\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"700\" height=\"466.66666666666663\" data-testid=\"image-img\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Coral-Hole Mandi.\u00a0BBC\/World of Wonder\/Nick Strasburg<\/p>\n<p>Age: 27<\/p>\n<p>Location: Belfast<\/p>\n<p>Pronouns in drag: She\/Her<\/p>\n<p>The self-described &#8220;Bikini Bottom Bimbo&#8221;, Coral-Hole Mandi is originally from Ballymena and now based in Belfast. Her drag draws on a background in marine biology and a love of the sea, swinging between candy-coloured cartoon mermaid and &#8220;bog witch&#8221; creature of the deep. After around six years in drag, the &#8220;loud&#8221; and competitive queen is hoping to snatch the crown for Belfast.<\/p>\n<p>The Delta Quadrant<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"image__img\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/drag-race-uk-9-e8c81bf.jpg\" alt=\"The Delta Quadrant wearing an orange pant suit with arm hand in the air.\" data-item-name=\"The Delta Quadrant wearing an orange pant suit with arm hand in the air.\" title=\"drag-race-uk (9)\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1 \/ 0.6666666666666666;object-fit:contain\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"700\" height=\"466.66666666666663\" data-testid=\"image-img\"\/><\/p>\n<p>The Delta Quadrant.\u00a0BBC\/World of Wonder\/Nick Strasburg<\/p>\n<p>Age: 32<\/p>\n<p>Location: Darlington<\/p>\n<p>Pronouns in drag: She\/Her<\/p>\n<p>Dubbed as &#8220;the Deborah Meaden of drag&#8221;, The Delta Quadrant is a character-led queen whose persona is a Darlington business tycoon and &#8220;CEO of everything&#8221;. She favours a single signature look built on power dressing, shoulder pads, tailored suits and a sharp bob.<\/p>\n<p>She admits the sewing challenge makes her nervous but is out to prove that comedy, character-led drag deserves a place on the world stage.<\/p>\n<p>Flesh<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"image__img\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/drag-race-uk-7-af3f0bf.jpg\" alt=\"Flesh.\" data-item-name=\"Flesh.\" title=\"drag-race-uk (7)\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1 \/ 0.6666666666666666;object-fit:contain\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"700\" height=\"466.66666666666663\" data-testid=\"image-img\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Flesh.\u00a0BBC\/World of Wonder\/Nick Strasburg<\/p>\n<p>Age: 25<\/p>\n<p>Location: London<\/p>\n<p>Pronouns in drag: She\/Her<\/p>\n<p>The self-described &#8220;supermodel of Soho&#8221;, Flesh has been in drag for seven years and takes her cues from 1990s supermodels and British fashion. With Spanish heritage and an Oxford English literature degree, she blends high-glamour poise with party-girl energy.<\/p>\n<p>She is close to reigning Drag Race UK winner Bones, with whom she performs as &#8220;Flesh and Bones&#8221;, and counts Krystal Versace and DeDeLicious among her drag family.<\/p>\n<p>Ky Kelly<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"image__img\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/drag-race-uk-8-4f20d58.jpg\" alt=\"Ky Kelly wearing an orange dress, smiling ahead with one hand in the air.\" data-item-name=\"Ky Kelly wearing an orange dress, smiling ahead with one hand in the air.\" title=\"drag-race-uk (8)\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1 \/ 0.6666666666666666;object-fit:contain\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"700\" height=\"466.66666666666663\" data-testid=\"image-img\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Ky Kelly.\u00a0BBC\/World of Wonder\/Nick Strasburg<\/p>\n<p>Age: 42<\/p>\n<p>Location: Staffordshire<\/p>\n<p>Pronouns in drag: She\/Her<\/p>\n<p>A live-singing comedy diva from Rugeley, Ky Kelly has spent nearly 16 years on the cabaret circuit, performing up and down the country and on cruises. She recently appeared in Everybody&#8217;s Talking About Jamie, which she calls the best experience of her life. &#8220;Bold, brash and sassy&#8221;, she is flying the flag for older, more mature divas and the cabaret scene.<\/p>\n<p>Lucky Roy Singh<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"image__img\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/drag-race-uk-1-f510cc1.jpg\" alt=\"Lucky Roy Singh wearing a pink dress, posing ahead.\" data-item-name=\"Lucky Roy Singh wearing a pink dress, posing ahead.\" title=\"drag-race-uk (1)\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1 \/ 0.6666666666666666;object-fit:contain\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"700\" height=\"466.66666666666663\" data-testid=\"image-img\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Lucky Roy Singh.\u00a0BBC\/World of Wonder\/Nick Strasburg<\/p>\n<p>Age: 36<\/p>\n<p>Location: Manchester<\/p>\n<p>Pronouns in drag: She\/Her<\/p>\n<p>Lucky Roy Singh is the first Sikh South Asian queen on Drag Race UK, describing herself as a &#8220;Bollywood Punjabi diva&#8221; whose &#8220;East meets West&#8221; aesthetic draws on culture, heritage and history. She has been performing for over a decade and is also an award-winning activist, with campaigning work around domestic abuse and honour-based abuse.<\/p>\n<p>Attitude reports she was honoured at the 2019 Attitude Pride Awards for her advocacy. She says a win would mean the world to her and to the British South Asian community.<\/p>\n<p>ma_danni_x<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"image__img\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/drag-race-uk-10-dbd155a.jpg\" alt=\"Ma Danni wearing a red outfit with one arm in the air.\" data-item-name=\"Ma Danni wearing a red outfit with one arm in the air.\" title=\"drag-race-uk (10)\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1 \/ 0.6666666666666666;object-fit:contain\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"700\" height=\"466.66666666666663\" data-testid=\"image-img\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Ma Danni.\u00a0BBC\/World of Wonder\/Nick Strasburg<\/p>\n<p>Age: 48<\/p>\n<p>Location: The Wirral<\/p>\n<p>Pronouns in drag: She\/Her<\/p>\n<p>The &#8220;squirrel from the Wirral&#8221;, ma_danni_x brings 28 years of drag experience, having started at 21 as a cruise-ship dancer before landing an early job at Soho&#8217;s Madame JoJo&#8217;s.<\/p>\n<p>She says she has shared stages and screens with names including Lily Savage, George Michael and Samantha Fox, and previously appeared on Britain&#8217;s Got Talent. Now based in West London, she calls a place on Drag Race UK a dream come true.<\/p>\n<p>Mocha<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"image__img\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/drag-race-uk-5-f00f74a.jpg\" alt=\"Mocha wearing a white dress with large shapes attached to it.\" data-item-name=\"Mocha wearing a white dress with large shapes attached to it.\" title=\"drag-race-uk (5)\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1 \/ 0.6666666666666666;object-fit:contain\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"700\" height=\"466.66666666666663\" data-testid=\"image-img\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Mocha.\u00a0BBC\/World of Wonder\/Nick Strasburg<\/p>\n<p>Age: 26<\/p>\n<p>Location: Essex<\/p>\n<p>Pronouns in drag: She\/Her<\/p>\n<p>Originally from Essex and now working the London scene, Mocha describes her drag as &#8220;Soho perfection blended with East London grit&#8221;, leaning vintage and showgirl with a cartoonish streak and a love of musical theatre.<\/p>\n<p>She says she auditioned for all eight seasons before getting in and is a skilled seamstress who makes looks for other queens as well as herself.<\/p>\n<p>Naya Thorn<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"image__img\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/drag-race-uk-4-455934d.jpg\" alt=\"Naya Thorn wearing a red lace dress with one hand on her hip.\" data-item-name=\"Naya Thorn wearing a red lace dress with one hand on her hip.\" title=\"drag-race-uk (4)\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1 \/ 0.6666666666666666;object-fit:contain\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"700\" height=\"466.66666666666663\" data-testid=\"image-img\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Naya Thorn.\u00a0BBC\/World of Wonder\/Nick Strasburg<\/p>\n<p>Age: 24<\/p>\n<p>Location: Dudley<\/p>\n<p>Pronouns in drag: She\/Her<\/p>\n<p>Now based in Manchester after starting out in Liverpool, Naya Thorn is a theatrical performer who builds her shows around emotional, meaningful song choices.<\/p>\n<p>Fiercely competitive, she admits werkroom friendships may take a back seat to her ambition, and says she has taken sewing classes to prepare for the design challenge.<\/p>\n<p>Paris Baby<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"image__img\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/drag-race-uk-3-903af20.jpg\" alt=\"Paris Baby.\" data-item-name=\"Paris Baby.\" title=\"drag-race-uk (3)\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1 \/ 0.6666666666666666;object-fit:contain\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"700\" height=\"466.66666666666663\" data-testid=\"image-img\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Paris Baby.\u00a0BBC\/World of Wonder\/Nick Strasburg<\/p>\n<p>Age: 27<\/p>\n<p>Location: Hastings<\/p>\n<p>Pronouns in drag: She\/Her<\/p>\n<p>The &#8220;British Bajan Barbie&#8221;, Paris Baby is a fierce lip-syncer with seven years in drag, promising tricks, splits, flips and plenty of drama. Drawing on her Barbadian heritage and inspirations from TLC and Destiny&#8217;s Child to Paris Hilton, she positions herself as the villain the UK has been waiting for and is eyeing the girl group challenge and the roast.<\/p>\n<p>Tequila Thirst<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"image__img\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/drag-race-uk-2-f094840.jpg\" alt=\"Tequila Thirst wearing a yellow dress with a large yellow wig she is holding onto.\" data-item-name=\"Tequila Thirst wearing a yellow dress with a large yellow wig she is holding onto.\" title=\"drag-race-uk (2)\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1 \/ 0.6666666666666666;object-fit:contain\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"700\" height=\"466.66666666666663\" data-testid=\"image-img\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Tequila Thirst.\u00a0BBC\/World of Wonder\/Nick Strasburg<\/p>\n<p>Age: 39<\/p>\n<p>Location: London<\/p>\n<p>Pronouns in drag: She\/Her<\/p>\n<p>Originally from North London and now living in Chester, Tequila Thirst is a bright, high-energy host, singer and dancer who came to drag through cosplay and Comic Con.<\/p>\n<p>A Vietnamese North Londoner, she leans into juicy greens, hot pinks and bright citrus colours, and says she is most excited about the girl group challenge.<\/p>\n<p>RuPaul&#8217;s Drag Race UK will be available to stream on BBC iPlayer and BBC Three from Thursday 3 September 2026.<\/p>\n<p>Add RuPaul&#8217;s Drag Race UK to your watchlist on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/download-the-app\/?af_xp=custom&amp;pid=website&amp;c=editorial_content&amp;is_retargeting=true&amp;af_reengagement_window=30d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">Radio Times: What to Watch app<\/a> \u2013 download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.<\/p>\n<p>Check out more of our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/tv\/entertainment\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">Entertainment<\/a> coverage or visit our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/tv\/tv-listings\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">TV Guide<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/streaming-guide\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">Streaming Guide<\/a> to find out what else is on. For more TV recommendations and reviews listen to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/audio\/podcasts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">The Radio Times Podcast<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Mama Ru is back in action tonight as RuPaul&#8217;s Drag Race UK returns for its eighth season on&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":336848,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[9,24,63,122,124,123],"class_list":["post-336847","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-queens","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc","tag-queens","tag-queens-headlines","tag-queens-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/336847","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=336847"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/336847\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/336848"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=336847"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=336847"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=336847"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}