RuPaul and the creators of Drag Race announce brand new competition series fronted by Raven
Raven is RuPaul’s makeup artist (BBC/World of Wonder)
The company behind the iconic show RuPaul’s Drag Race have announced a new makeup reality competition hosted by Emmy-winning beauty guru Raven.
World of Wonder (WOW) said Painted with Raven will search for the “next makeup superstar” during an at-home makeup competition hosted by drag icon Raven. The production company announced the series on Monday (15 March) alongside opening up the casting call for contestants.
RuPaul will serve as an executive producer on the series alongside Randy Barbato, Fenton Bailey and Tom Campbell of WOW.
The competition will feature makeup artists from across the US. Contestants will compete completely remotely from the comfort of their own homes in a series of challenges and weekly face-offs.
The artist who emerges as the winner will take home a cash prize of $25,000 – not bad for a competition based entirely remotely.
Raven gained international fame for appearing in both the second season of RuPaul’s Drag Race and the first season of All Stars. She placed as a runner-up on both seasons.
Raven also has been RuPaul’s makeup artist since Drag Race‘s ninth season. In 2020, she received an Emmy for her makeup skills throughout the Drag Race world.
Raven told Deadline that makeup is something that she’s “always been very passionate about”. She added: “It is what’s ultimately started me on my drag career.
“I’m so happy to be hosting something I absolutely love to celebrate… a reality competition about FIERCE MAKEUP!”
In a joint statement, Carbato and Bailey said WOW is “thrilled” to launch the new competition series on their streaming platform, and they’ve guaranteed they will find the “fiercest makeup artists across the country”.
They said: “Raven has dazzled audiences worldwide, and we are so excited to welcome her as our host on the journey to find the next emerging makeup superstar.”
Painted with Raven will debut on WOW Presents Plus and is the first major competition series for the streaming platform. There is no current timeline for when it is set to air.
