Often described as the Superbowl of drag, Emmy winning show RuPaul's Drag Race has captivated fans since it's conception back in 2009. The UK version has amassed over 51 million streams on BBC iPlayer, becoming one of the most popular shows on the platform.
This massive viewership has been pulled in by four seasons of high calibre drag acts who all bring with them a wardrobe full of looks, from Mr Blobby costumes to final 'eleganza extrazaganza' runways.
It is no secret that this comes with a price, with queens from all versions of the show confessing to spending thousands and thousands to prepare and be in with a chance of winning a cash prize along with global stardom.
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For UK queens this is a very different story as there is no money on offer sadly, prompting Mirror reporter Danni Scott to investigate whether this lack of a prize fund really matters to the contestants.
Late December 2022, after the fourth season of Drag Race UK ended, US contestant Willam Belli called out the lack of cash or prizes. In an interview with Digital Spy, Willam said: "They need to pay the girls a prize... that is thousands and thousands and thousands of pounds worth of outfits and hair."
The 40-year-old added: "Some of these girls are coming out in the red." Willam also acknowledged that in the 10 years since her season, the demand on the queens to look more polished and elevate their act has increased.
On the US show the cash prize currently sits at $200,000, increased from $100,000 in earlier seasons, while there's also plenty of vacations, spa days and wardrobe overhauls on offer for winning challenges. The UK show is the only one without a cash prize and each episode winners receive a 'RuPeter Badge', with replicas sold for £10 at DragCon.
Season four UK winner Danny Beard admitted he had spent "too much money to talk about" when preparing for the show, saying: "I could have bought a house, put it that way."
He added: "There's definitely a financial side to Drag Race but I think as long as you're prepped in terms of other things - I was writing reads, I was writing jokes, I was writing song lyrics. I think to be as prepared as you can is all you can do and then when you get there, just have fun with it.
The show has totally changed Danny's life as he joked he'd only slept in his bed four times since winning, he said: "Don't get me wrong, I'd have loved £100,000 - who wouldn't? But I knew what I was signing myself up for and I signed myself up to change my career and take it to the next level and that's already happening so I'll forever be in debt to Ru, Michelle and the team."
Cheryl Hole, who came fourth in season one, said: "You don't need to spend to make an impact, some people think throwing money at things will always pay off. Sometimes it's great but you don't need to spend a lot when you can make a lot happen.
"So I think, do what you can and just make it as you as possible because you are selling yourself not selling garments."
Ellie Diamond said that she had spent around £3,000 for the show and makes most of her outfits to cut down on cost. On Drag Race, she mentioned working part time during the pandemic to make ends meet and how in Scotland, performanced payments are often much lower for queens.
She said: "[I got] a job at McDonald's to make some more money because drag wasn't making me enough as I needed a new costume every week, a new wig every week, a new this or a new that. You don't need that stuff but for me in the level that I knew that I could get to, I knew I could do a lot better.
"You don't need to come in polished, you don't need to come in having spent money. You need to come in knowing who you are and what you can do," the 23-year-old added.
"If they don't like it then they don't like it and you go first, but if they love it and you make it far being genuinely authentically you, that shows more than having a costume that costs £5,000."
Many queens didn't share exact figures but A'Whora confessed to also spending around £3,000 to prepare for the show as she had only been doing drag a short time before being cast.
She added: "I wish I'd put even more into it, I'd love to be in the position I am now to be able to go again.
"It was all worth it just to have your art respected and have people love what you do. I think that's the best part of it, that's the most rewarding feeling to know you're appreciated."
For season two's Joe Black, he began saving early just in case he got on but only bought things for the show that he would wear again. Sadly, he left after one episode - then was brought back, creating an unforgettable moment in which RuPaul was angered by a H&M dress.
Joe said: "I think people who have all the money to spend on things do quite well. But I think also someone could be wearing exactly the same thing and if the person in charge has taken a bit of a flavour to them, it wouldn't have even been noticed."
The H&M dress was later sold at auction, raising £12,000 for a local HIV charity to "use this power for good". The 33-year-old added: "There are some people who go into the US [show] now and will re-mortgage homes on a gamble of whether it's going to work out.
"It's a platform move. I don't think anyone - even in the US - goes into it aiming for the prize money, that's a nice bonus. I think with clever business decisions, you can make more than enough."
Despite the lack of a prize fund, the queens all mentioned how important it was to have the platform and be able to reach new fans and tour in a way they would have never done before. While some may have left the show "in the red", the possible fame to gain, even when leaving first, far outweighs the upfront cost in the queens' minds.
RuPaul's DragCon UK took place at ExCeL London from 6-8 January 2023. Tickets are on sale for RuPaul's DragCon LA now.
Season 15 of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ is currently available exclusively in the UK via the streamer of all things drag, WOW Presents Plus, with new episodes dropping on Saturdays at 2am GMT. Subscribe at https://uk.wowpresentsplus.com/
