Chocolate isn’t the only sweet treat of Belgium now that RuPaul’s Drag Race has announced an exciting Belgian spin-off competition. RuPaul's Drag Race is no stranger to the international stage, with numerous countries becoming graced by the RuPaul stage amid the series’ explosive popularity in the past decade. Beginning with the U.S.-based show in 2009, the Emmy-award-winning competition series has expanded its horizons into Australia, Canada, Italy, Chile, Netherlands, France, Philippines, Spain, Thailand, and now, Belgium.
After 14 seasons of the original series, production company World of Wonder has been experimenting with international versions of the competition. Airing in February, the first international all-star competition RuPaul’s Drag Race: UK Versus The World saw Blu Hydrangea take home the first cross-border all-star crown. On the U.S. RuPaul's Drag Race season 14 Willow Pill snatch the title of America’s Next Drag Superstar only a few weeks ago. Willow took home the crown amid another exciting announcement about the queens of All Stars 7. A cast full of previous winners will compete in the latest All Stars season beginning May 20 on Paramount+.
There is no such thing as too much Drag Race. Amid the exciting lineup of Drag Race shows on the horizon, World of Wonder has announced via Twitter another international spin-off—Drag Race Belgique. The host, cast, and panel of judges have yet to be announced for the first season of the Belgian spin-off. Despite the mystery, fans are already buzzing with RuPaul's Drag Race excitement. The spin-off series will air in French with subtitles both on the WOW Present Plus streaming service and a still-unknown Belgian network.
While some fans might think that Drag Race is experiencing an international overload, viewers are still tuning in. The popularity of RPDR is still growing, and the massive social media buzz around the season 14 finale indicates the franchise isn't losing momentum. In the announcement of the World of Wonder website, the production company's Co-Founders Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato, described drag as a “universal language” that is experiencing additional global attention. “We absolutely love being able to bring untapped talent, new territories and fresh material to screens across the world," they commented. "We can’t wait to see what our Belgian queens bring to our ever-expanding drag family!”
The lineup of Drag Race competitions is starting to feel like a stroll around Epcot with the number of international spin-offs announced in the past few years. While there might be some criticism over World of Wonder’s choice to add yet another international competition to their rotation, the global love of drag does not seem to be going anywhere. While the art of drag is more normalized in countries like the U.S., other countries deserve a drag platform too. Fortunately, RuPaul seems eager to provide those international opportunities. One thing is certain, fans need to get the waffles and syrup ready for an exciting new Belgian version of the beloved RuPaul's Drag Race series.
RuPaul's Drag Race: All-Stars 7 premieres May 20 on Paramount+.
Sources: World of Wonder/Twitter, World of Wonder
