Drag Race‘s next new international franchise could be elevating this social media favorite to host status, and fans couldn’t be more excited.
Drag Race South Africa marks the 16th international version (and first African version) of the beloved reality series, where drag artists compete to be crowned the next drag superstar of their given nation. Since the series was announced last October, fans have been wondering what South African drag artist would take on hosting duties — or in other words, who would be the South African RuPaul?
Now, rumors are swirling that Drag Race South Africa will be hosted by Tiara Skye, a London-based drag queen originally from South Africa. Skye is a social media phenomenon known for her madcap person-on-the-street interviews. Her antics have earned Skye 287,900 thousand followers on TikTok and 149,000 followers on Instagram — and if the hosting rumors are true, her career’s about to get even bigger. Check out some of her most popular videos below.
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“You just cannot judge a book by its cover.”
The queen herself has spoken.
Fans wondered what Skye’s version of Drag Race might look like. Would contestants still lip sync for their lives, or will they have to complete the kinds of challenges she poses to strangers on the street, like naming lesbian celebrities or spelling words like “diarrhoea”?
Regardless, fans have their fingers crossed that the news is true. If Skye did host Drag Race South Africa, she’d also become the first transgender Drag Race host. Drag Race South Africa is expected to film later this year, and hopefully its release on WOW Presents Plus wouldn’t be far behind.
do NOT play with me i’ll SCREAM
— 🇵🇸 aleckslul (@aleckslul) January 28, 2025
PLEASE LET THIS BE REAL
— deli (@delylahwylde) January 28, 2025
south africa already being the best franchise
— … (@jjekakak) January 28, 2025
World of Wonder co-founders Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato commented on the new franchise in a statement last October. “We have seen a host of gorgeous, talented queens hailing from across Africa grace the runway over the years, so now it’s time for a unique version from South Africa that includes the incredible talent the continent has to offer,” they said. “It’s no secret that our mission is to see Drag Race in every continent and country across the world, so this is a huge step in making that a reality.”
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