Drag Race UK vs The World stars on dealing with messy fans online: ‘F*** those comments!’
Drag Race UK vs the World season three queens Fontana, Minty Fresh and Kate Butch. (BBC)
Drag Race UK vs the World season three queens Fontana, Minty Fresh and Kate Butch. (BBC)
On paper, the RuPaul’s Drag Race universe is a place of love, light and queer joy. Online, it’s a different story. As Drag Race UK vs The World – a franchise that seems to generate endless fan discourse – returns for season three, the cast have reflected on how they deal with trolls and negativity.
When Tia Kofi won (deservingly, might we add) season two of Drag Race UK vs The World season two in 2024, the response online was nothing short of vile. On season one, contestant Pangina Heals caught flak for sending home Jimbo; eventual winner Blu Hydrangea then got similar hatred for giving Pangina the chop.
Also in 2024, Drag Race UK‘s Kitty Scott-Claus was bombarded with vitriol for a few caustic comments on Global All Stars, and last year, four-time Ru-turnee Ginger Minj faced intense scrutiny after winning All Stars 10.
In 2026, returning to Drag Race is a big decision. Is the potential for fan backlash worth the joy? Some former stars, like Drag Race UK‘s River Medway, think not. Others take the risk.
Below, the cast of Drag Race UK vs The World season three – Kate Butch, Sminty Drop, Zahirah Zapanta (Drag Race UK), Fontana (Drag Race Sweden), Minty Fresh (Drag Race Philippines), Gawdland (Drag Race Thailand), The Only Naomy (Drag Race Germany), and Serena Morena (Drag Race Mexico), Mariah Paris Balenciaga (Drag Race; All Stars 5) and Melinda Verga (Canada’s Drag Race) – reflect on whether they had to consider the fandom’s reaction before making their Ruturn.
The Only Naomy
For me, the fandom is not something that I am afraid of because I feel like it is a tool in a in a lot of ways and they can amplify you. At the same time I try to go into the season with the mindset of, this is happening right now when we are filming it and as soon as this goes out into the world, this is not my baby anymore. Whatever people think about my looks, my personality, my talents, that is not on me. That is an opinion of a stranger that I’ve never met on the internet and if they love me great, if they don’t love me, I’m not going to let that affect me. I feel that if you want go to a VS The World season, we know that we’re eliminating ourselves. You have to be unafraid of the audience because you have to play the game your way and the way that works out best for you. If you are afraid of the fandom, I feel like that’s going to make a very boring season.
Minty Fresh
I don’t really want to focus on the people who have negative things to say. I’m more focused on, of course, myself, the competition, and also the fandom here in the Philippines. It’s really crazy. They are really supportive. I know they have my back. Each of these queens are in this competition for a reason and we’re already who we are before this competition. So, f*** those comments! We’re already stars and queens in our own ways.
Fontana
I’ve always been the most effeminate little kid out there. I grew up in an environment that was very hateful towards me. I was very bullied. When I did Drag Race Sweden, it was the very first time in my my life I could experience some kind of love from people, especially from strangers. I’m so grateful for the fans because they made me tour all around the world. They put me on billboards, magazines. They made my hashtag ‘Team Fontana’ on Drag Race Sweden hit more than a million impressions. So, I’m so thankful for these people so I cannot wait to reach a global audience and to show them that Team Fontana is real.
Serena Morena
In Mexico, the drag fandom is so strong, so fierce with the [criticism]. In my very first season I learned that I don’t need to put attention on the negative comments because when you bring an answer for the negative comments, people [are] never gonna end the conversation, and you are participating in a waste of time. For this new series in my life, I try to focus on the positive comments and to advance and to move forward with my work, with my art and mostly to embrace that I’m a global queen right now. I want to to say that very loud because I feel very proud. We [did] a great job during the season and now it’s time [for] the world to enjoy the series.
Gawdland
I learned a lot from my previous season. I got the bad negative comment energies and I learned that we cannot impress everybody in the world. We cannot make everybody in the world love us, you know? In the room it’s going to be at least one person who’s going to hate you. I learned, just let it go. Just f*** it off. Just be yourself. Just do your thing. I’m here with the good intention. I’m here for spreading love, spreading creativity, to show my art, to do what I love, and I’m here to do the positive things. I don’t care about the negative thing that [they] say online. I just only focus on people who I love, who I want to inspire. I just want to be the better person every day.
Kate Butch
It’s hard as UK representatives. The UK has won VS The World both times it’s been on. That’s kind of in the back of your mind and then, of course, the fans have noticed that as well. A lot of the comments have been amazing and a lot of the comments have been based on suppositions and expectation and assumptions really. The comments people have made like, ‘We know how this season’s going to go. We know how they’re going to treat the UK [queens].’ They are just assumptions and what I would say to people is expect the unexpected, because you are mistaken. We know what happens. We’ve got the facts.
Sminty Drop
I feel like the fans so far have been less inclined to back the UK queens because of previous winners and it’s home turf. From seeing comments, it has been slightly deflating and taken a little bit of joy out of it already. But you know what? I’m in my corner. I’m in the UK girls’ corner and I’m also in everybody else’s corner as well. Not to be like ‘World peace!’ and everything, but the UK love seems quite quiet right now so I think we’ve got to try and create it for ourselves
Zahirah Zapanta
Just because you’re supporting this one country, doesn’t mean that you can’t like any other queens from other franchises or other countries. You know what I’m saying? Like the same way that maybe yes, I am Team UK, [but] I also do represent that side of me that is team Philippines. However, the fact that I get to compete with team Mexico and team Germany? Come on, this is a celebration of the world, not just individual countries. We’re celebrating the whole world and diversity and queer joy. You you guys can be multiple teams! Here’s the thing. We may all speak different languages. But we do share one language in common and that is drag.
Melinda Verga
This is actually my third reality TV show now, having done both Canada’s Drag Race and The Traitors Canada, and now RuPaul’s Drag Race UK VS the World. So by now I know not to dig for affirmations and validation online, because all it takes is that one rude mother f***** with something nasty to say, and the rest of my day is s****. Protecting my sanity has been my number one priority this time around, and I ain’t leaving that to chance. Let me feel my goats!
Mariah Balenciaga
To be completely honest, I don’t allow the fan base or fandom to determine anything I do or say. I never have, never will. People who will like or love me will do so because I am being myself.
RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs The World season three begins on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer in the UK and on WOW Presents Plus internationally from Tuesday 27 January.
These interviews have been condensed for length.
Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.
