RuPaul’s Drag Race will be sashaying away from the BBC after eight delightfully camp and endlessly entertaining seasons.

The broadcaster has decided not to renew the show beyond Season 8 this year, citing “financial pressures” as it seeks savings of £500 million.

The reality show, a spin-off from the US juggernaut franchise, first hit our screens back in 2019 and has since gone on to charm audiences from around the world with its iconic queens, hilarious challenges and eye-catching fashion.

The show, hosted by RuPaul alongside judges Michelle Visage, Graham Norton and Alan Carr, has become a staple of LGBTQ+ culture and has been lauded for bringing British drag into the mainstream.

As we gear up to say goodbye to the BBC iteration of the show, let’s take a look back on some of the most memorable moments that made household names out of some of the queens.

Any Drag Race fan will know that Snatch Game, a parody of Match Game (known as Blankety Blank in the UK) is a mainstay in the show and a highlight of any season.

The challenge tests a queen’s ability to impersonate a celebrity, as well as their skills at improvisational comedy.

Season One of the UK spin-off had a lot to prove, as it had the test of proving that the beloved challenge would work in an international setting with international queens.

And prove it they did. The inaugural UK edition of the popular challenge saw a range of iconic performances, from Blu Hydrangea’s Mary Berry to Cherl Hole’s Gemma Collins.

However, the top two performances of The Vivienne’s Donald Trump and Baga Chipz’ Margaret Thatcher were the real standouts.

From The Vivienne's uncanny impression of the leader across the pond as he warned of threats from China, to Baga Chipz’ take on the Iron Lady as she became excited about redundancies, their performances landed them a double win and made them household names.

The Vivienne, the ultimate winner of the first season, went on the compete in the All Winners season with US queens in 2022, showcasing her skills to an even wider audience.

Sadly, the Welsh queen passed away in 2025 following a cardiac arrest caused by the effects of taking ketamine, though her legacy will live on forever.

Season Two of the series was back with a bang after a stellar start. However, the COVID-19 pandemic saw production halted and all the queens were sent home.

Seven months later, the queen returned to the workroom, and with it, gave us one of the greatest challenges the franchise has ever seen.

The episode saw the remaining contestants divided into two girl groups to participate in a Eurovision style performance for the main challenge. The brief? Write lyrics and perform to a rendition of new pop track UK Hun?

While both groups delivered, one really stood out, so much so it even ended up charting.

The United Kingdolls Version, performed by Lawrence Chaney, Bimini Bon-Boulash, A'Whora, and Tayce, was a huge hit, with the iconic viral hook "Bing, bang, bong," "Sing, sang, song," and "Ding, dang, don” becoming etched into our minds forever.

It also peaked at number 27 on the Official UK Singles Chart, giving us a new hit to sing and tap our feet along to during the months we were stuck inside our houses.

All four queens performed well both inside and outside the competition, with Lawrence Chaney taking the top prize, while Bimini has gone on to have a successful career in music and activism.

And the talent from season two doesn’t relent, with Tia Kofi becoming another fan favourite, largely due to her deadpan humour.

In a now iconic moment, the London queen walked down the runway in a green dress she had fashioned herself for the design challenge. It certainly did turn heads, though not for the right reasons.

Explaining her fashion choices, Tia performed an expressionless voiceover which described the ensemble as an “adequate dress” made of “material that is on my body”.

When asked if the frock was vintage or elegant, she simply replied “no” to both. The commentary delighted fans online and cemented Tia as a beloved self-aware queen who easily could take the mick out of herself.

The legendary runway speech became a staple in Drag Race online culture, as well as Tia’s career, as she brought the dress back - albeit a much more stylised version - for her run on Drag Race UK vs The World, a season she ultimately ended up winning.

Whilst season three certainly had some misses, it is undeniable that the beauty pageant challenge, which saw the remaining queens race against the clock to serve three seperate looks on the runway, was jaw dropping.

In a first for the Drag Race franchise, the queens had just 60 minutes to put together looks featuring at least “five fugly charity shop leftovers” with just moments notice of what the category was on the runway.

The chaos was further exacerbated by the addition of iconic Charity Shop Sue, the fictional manager of a charity shop whose mockumentary series on YouTube set the internet ablaze.

Fashion is a huge part of the franchise, and for many, seeing queens turn their hands at making or devising looks, especially those will little to none experience, is always a recipe for laughter and entertainment.

And to top off the hi-jinx, the episode ended with a sensational lip-sync to Scandlous by Mistique, with Vanity Fair’s performance in front of guest judge Alesha Dixon going down an absolute treat.

Season six has become a favourite of many throughout the franchise, with its immensely talented queens and stacked set of challenges.

From kicking the series off with a Cabaret-style talent show to a Graham Norton parody featuring the iconic host himself, the queens had endless opportunities to showcase their wide array of talents.

However, the strongest challenge many would argue came in the form of the makeover challenge, stripping it all back to display the queens at their most emotional and raw.

Like the Snatch Game, the makeover challenge is a mainstay in the franchise, and requires the contestants to makeover a non-contestant and present a drag family resemblance with cohesive looks.

Eventual winner Kyran Thrax gave a makeover to her partner, who had recently lost their father, which made for a tear-jerking conversation in the workroom.

And La Voix, now for many a household name who has gone on to star in Strictly, made the nation’s hearts weep when she transformed her 80-year-old father into a member of her drag family. His conversations about loving your children apologetically made even Ru Paul emotional.

And the looks were second-to-none, with challenge winner Marmalade presenting a gorgeous gingham matching set for her and her mother to wear. It really was an episode with everything to offer, and showed us all what the true meaning and power of drag can be.