Start your engines.
Drag Race will be having a new season that will shine a spotlight on Asian drag–and it’ll come on the heels of a year that proved just how much it deserves the world’s attention.
2024, after all, made a compelling case for it. Last year, Marina Summers joined the second season of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs the World. She dominated the premiere, remained a formidable contender towards the end, and impressed RuPaul so much that she received one of her most coveted endorsements: “You were born to do drag.”
In the same year, social media maven Plastique Tiara made her much-anticipated return to the Drag Race stage via All Stars Season 9. She came back with a massive following across multiple platforms and delivered some of the most unforgettable looks the franchise has ever seen.
The world also met Nymphia Wind in 2024. In her “Meet the Queens” (MTQ) interview, she said that she always placed first in every competition she entered. She retained the right to that flex by winning Season 16 of RuPaul’s Drag Race
And of course, there was the third season of Drag Race Philippines, Marina’s original franchise. With the crowning of Manila’s singing sensation Maxie, and a good mix of colorful, talented personalities, the season proved wildly popular, consistently earning high ratings on IMDb. “Walang tapon,” as they say in Filipino, “no crumbs” in the English-speaking world. It firmly cemented the Philippine franchise as one of the strongest iterations of the Drag Race brand.
Overall, 2024 was a year of Asian excellence, and World of Wonder, the company behind the Emmy Award–winning Drag Race, is capitalizing on it with a new season: Drag Race Philippines: Slaysian Royale. The title was chosen after Joella, the Asian queen from RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 18, referred to herself as the “Slaysian Diva of Los Angeles.”
Hosted by Drag Race Philippines’s mother hen, Paolo Ballesteros, Slaysian Royale will be a contest between 12 Asian queens who have competed in various seasons. The Philippines will field five contenders from their three seasons, and they will compete alongside seven others from across the globe. Additionally, guess judges will include beloved Drag Race alumni. Among them are Pangina Heals (the host of Drag Race Thailand and a competitor in RuPaul’s Drag Race: UK vs. the World Season 1,) Marina and Sasha Colby (she who won RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 15 while referring to herself as “your favorite drag queen’s favorite drag queen.”)
Premiering on August 13, 2025, it will mark the first all-Asian cast in Drag Race “herstory.” It will also be the first season cast based on ethnicity.
There is a joke shared by Ivory Glaze, one of the queens who will be competing in this season. She said that at least with this setup, there will be a guaranteed Asian winner. It’s based on the fact that, out of 74 Drag Race champions to date—excluding those from Drag Race Thailand and Drag Race Philippines—there have only been three Asian winners thus far: Raja of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 3, Priyanka of Canada’s Drag Race Season 1, and, of course, Nymphia.
Still, Asian queens have long been powerhouses on the Drag Race stage, exhibiting their skills through winning challenge performances, ruling the Internet by taking part in unforgettable onscreen moments, and indirectly causing, at times, toxic digital ruckus by incurring losses that fans deemed unjust.
They’ve been making their mark ever since Ongina, the first Asian and Filipino queen in the show, walked into RuPaul’s Drag Race in Season 1. And now, in Slaysian Royale, 12 of them will be “back back back back back again,” as Drag Race alum Alyssa Edwards said. And they’ll be collectively bringing with them the many reasons why people might want to tune in.
Arizona Brandy
During her run on Drag Race Philippines Season 2, Arizona Brandy swallowed her contact lenses; she licked the runway floor that her fellow queens had just strutted on, chugged what appeared to be a bottle of alcohol, and blew cloud after cloud of vapor. But she wasn’t the one gagging—the judges and the audience were.
While her season aired, there was some keyboard chatter that dismissed her stunts as “desperate” or “too much.” But there were also those who embraced them as valid expressions of drag because they showcase nerve. And that is an ingredient for success in an art form meant to challenge conventions. Hence, its inclusion in the quartet of traits Drag Race contestants tend to be judged by: charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent.
Arizona’s appeal isn’t built on nerve alone. Her performance throughout Season 2 also proved she had plenty of the other three qualities. She demonstrated this by winning the first challenge of her double-premiere season and excelling in several others. Her run also cemented her as a delightfully campy, earnest, and entertaining television personality—someone unafraid to say or do things, even at the risk of looking silly or corny. Beyond the show, her other performances—like her hilarious roast of the late Jiggly Caliente or the viral number where she lifted a backup dancer who pretended she was too heavy to hoist—further showcased her irreverence and creativity.
In her original season, Arizona went as far as any queen could go without actually winning the crown, ultimately facing off with her season’s winner, Captivating KatKat, in the final lip sync.
Can she go further this time and finally snatch the win? She certainly has the appetite for it—among other things.
Bernie
Among the highlights of Bernie’s run on Drag Race Philippines Season 2 was her lip-sync performance to a song by Vernie Varga. The first few words of “A Little Kiss, A Little Hug” played, and she immediately found a camera nearby and executed her choreography while intentionally engaging with it. She managed that despite being legally blind in one eye.
It was a quick yet distinct reminder of who Bernie was at that point: a nightlife staple, a stage veteran with more than a decade of experience. But that was just one of the many reasons people loved her.
By the end of her season, she had the second-best track record, just behind eventual winner Captivating KatKat. When both queens faced elimination in a lip-sync battle, the judges chose not to send either of them home after raw, heart-wrenching performances. Throughout the season, Bernie also won over many viewers with her authentic drive to claim the crown for herself after years of working to support her family. In an emotional exchange with the judges, she tearfully admitted that she wanted to achieve this dream before losing sight in the only working eye she had left.
Bernie’s journey on Drag Race Philippines was that of a protagonist easy to root for. And while it didn’t reach the happiest ending imaginable—she was ultimately eliminated by KatKat just before the final lip-sync for the crown—she’s ready to have another crack at it. This time, with seemingly better odds.
Her eye has been treated thanks to the support of the show’s fans; the talents that carried her through her original season remain intact, and she now returns to the runway with hard-earned lessons from her earlier stint.
The heart of Drag Race Philippines Season 2 is back for the win. And, this time, she has both eyes set on it.
Brigiding
When Brigiding joined the first season of Drag Race Philippines, expectations were high.
Queens from other countries who knew her from her time abroad were rooting for her; her fellow competitors, who had seen her career persevere even during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic (when bars were closed,) expected her to do well.
But as the season progressed, she failed to earn any wins. She slowly faded into the background, her confidence in herself diminished, and she ultimately placed sixth. Arguably, her most memorable moment from that season happened in the supplementary series Drag Race Philippines Untucked, where backstage drama saw Minty Fresh—the queen who eventually sent her home—irately call her “baliw” (crazy).
But she refused to let that be the end of her story as a drag artist.
Since her elimination, her career progressed, built mainly on regular gigs that produced memorable performances. Among them was a viral and controversial number in which she lifted her skirt and poured red wine from her crotch area while lip-syncing to Chappell Roan’s “Red Wine Supernova.” She was also invited to join the board of directors of Quezon City’s Rampa Drag Bar, a venue that now provides a platform for young queer artists. Then there’s her now-popular talk show, The Brand, a web series where she conducts lengthy and oftentimes intimate interviews with fellow drag queens. Much of the trivia fans know about local Drag Race girls was spilled over her signature branded mug.
The title of the show is a nod to what she was thought to lack during her season: solid branding—a distinctive trait that sets her apart. Now, her role as a talk show host is one of the reasons she’s among the most recognizable figures in Philippine drag.
She didn’t just rebuild herself, though. Her post-Drag Race endeavors also included her nurturing of a talented drag family: the House of Ding, which includes Zymba Ding, a major contender in the third season of Drag Race Philippines. Now, fans online are clamoring to see what her other drag children can do on the Drag Race stage.
Before they get their chance, however, their mother is making a comeback—hoping to finally live up to the potential people saw in her the first time she entered the workroom.
Ivory Glaze
The main character of RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under Season 3 now has a chance to reprise that role in the Philippines.
Ivory Glaze is here. In her MTQ interview for this season, she admitted that much of the camera time that made her the center of attention came from all her crying, her failures, and the peak of her struggles: fainting on the main stage in front of RuPaul and the other judges. The incident, she explained in an interview with 9Entertainment, happened because she was an insomniac running on only a few hours of sleep and energy drinks.
She placed ninth in her season. She tried to explain why in her MTQ. But, while listing a series of events she compared to a “sitcom,” the edit boiled it down to her summary: “It was a lot.”
But all of that is in the past—just like some aspects of her aesthetics. This time around, Ivory sees herself as “a little bit edgier” and “a little more darker.” With this, she plans to be the antithesis of the maximalist tendencies she sees in other Asian queens. She also intends to be less stressed this season and have more fun.
“Things are aligned this time,” she said. And whether she ends up being a main character again or not, one intention is clear: she plans to accessorize her role with a brand-new crown.
Khianna
Months ago, after the plan to have this season was announced, Eva LaQueen—a Drag Race alumna and one of the most respected names in the local drag scene—took to her YouTube channel and made a wish list for the cast.
When the inclusion of Khianna came into question, she ultimately said no for two reasons: 1) it might be too early for her return since she had just come off the highly successful third season of Drag Race Philippines (where she placed second), and 2) she wanted Khianna in a more global season, one that would pit her not just against Asian queens but against queens plucked from all corners of the Drag Race universe. She wanted her in the kind of season that would be judged by RuPaul herself.
“For me, kasi, as a Filipino,” she said, “parang gusto ko magharap ng queen kay RuPaul that will drive her crazy and make her fall in love the way she did with Marina. [I think I want to introduce to RuPaul a queen that will drive her crazy and make her fall in love the way she did with Marina.]” She feels that Khianna can be that person. That’s how good she is.
That said, she is here—the confident heavy hitter from Cagayan de Oro; a queen whose run during her original season showcased her as a well-rounded artist. She won one challenge that required her to make a viral video; she did well in Snatch Game as Baron Geisler, performed well in the girl group challenge, made one of the top looks in the design challenge, and turned out what was arguably one of the best looks of her season. It was a dress resembling a circus tent with several masks hanging on her headpiece to give the illusion that even when she turns her head to the side, she’s still looking forward.
She often refers to herself as “Khianna with a K.” And for this season, she said that the “K” stands for “kampyon ng Slaysian Royale [champion of Slaysian Royale].” Given all that she is capable of, she just might earn the K, as in “karapatan” (right,) to say that.
Kitty Space
In her MTQ video for this season, Kitty Space of Drag Race France Season 2, the first Asian queen to join the franchise, said that she has started to transition. And this season will be significant for her because it will be part of her coming-out process to her parents.
Born in Vietnam, Kitty was adopted by French parents. She lived in Canada, then France, and later China, where she spent a good chunk of her life. Now, she’ll bring the influences of that colorful upbringing to the Philippines as she competes against her Asian sisters.
She knows it will be tough. Drag Race was difficult for her the first time around when she competed in France, where she placed ninth while suffering through dysphoria. But she is more confident now—embracing her trans identity and her body. Furthermore, she said that her drag has become more elevated, increasing her chances of winning the crown.
During one of the runways of the second season of Drag Race France, Kitty came out in a cage-like prop wearing a black dress surrounded by chain-like add-ons. She tore all of that away, and she is freer now than she was before. This season, she aims to take advantage of that freedom.
Madame Yoko
Madame Yoko was an early out during the second season of Drag Race Belgique.
She placed eighth, leaving on the third episode. She didn’t get enough time to showcase all her skills, but as Irene the Alien showed in the latest season of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, one should never count early-outs, well, out.
Irene was the first queen eliminated in RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 15, but when she returned for All Stars Season 10 and got a chance to show more of herself, she won multiple challenges. Madame Yoko has the capacity to do this.
She is a vocalist and a fashion queen. In Luxembourg, she ran the Brasserie Barnum drag cabaret and restaurant in Redange-sur-Attert alongside her husband. She has also been featured by a number of outlets, making rooms reverberate with her deep voice.
Perhaps if she gets more time this season, she’ll bring that to the Philippine stage and win over a country enamored by many great singers.
Siam Phursi
During the third season of Drag Race Thailand, where Siam Phusri placed seventh, she was told that she should not represent her country. The people behind the casting of this season feel differently.
When she walked into the workroom during her season, she was something of an outsider. The queens already in the room didn’t know who she was. She was billed as someone from San Francisco. She didn’t frequent the circles often occupied by her castmates.
This time around, she might find herself in the same situation again since she’s the only Thailand representative in the cast. But as she showed during her original season, her positive attitude can help her persevere. Meanwhile, her penchant for grand looks and her love of performing might help her secure a road to the crown.
Suki Doll
Suki Doll is one of those queens whose work has seen more camera time on Drag Race than she has.
She was part of the third season of Canada’s Drag Race, but her creations have been present elsewhere.
Suki Doll, after all, is a top-tier seamstress within the drag community. She’s made looks for the discerning taste of Canada’s Drag Race Season 2 winner Icesis Couture. She has also created pieces for Icesis’ drag daughter and Season 5 contestant Makayla Couture. Her other clients included Miss Fiercalicious, Minhi Wang, Stephanie Prince, Aja, and Heidi N. Closet. She even made looks for hosts. There’s Nicky Doll, the host of Drag Race France and a contestant on RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 12, and even Brooke Lynn Hytes, the long-time host of the Canadian franchise and a finalist on RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 11.
“I’ve done now over 15 seasons of Drag Race,” she said in her MTQ video for this season. And now, here comes another one.
She was an early out in her original season, going home during Snatch Game—arguably one of the hardest challenges of the show. But now that she considers herself a more seasoned queen, she’s more than ready to fashion yet another look for herself: that of a winner.
Sum Ting Wong
Sum Ting Wong made history in RuPaul’s Drag Race UK when she became the first Asian queen to join the franchise in its first season.
Early on, it was evident that her sense of humor was one of her strongest assets. Among her memorable moments came in the first episode, where the queens were asked to prepare a look inspired by Queen Elizabeth II. She came out in an outfit referencing the postage stamp with the Queen’s face on it.
Sum Ting Wong, however, was an early out—another casualty of the dreaded Snatch Game.
“What went Wong?” she asked in her MTQ video, rhetorically. She then explained that she just wasn’t ready. She was trying to do what she thought was popular; she wanted to fit in.
But like the other competitors of this season, she has grown since her first appearance. She has come to better understand her Asian identity and now see more of its beauty through drag. Now, her culture has a greater influence on her work—just in time for the Slaysian Royale where Sum Ting Wong’s casting may end up being oh so right.
Viñas Deluxe
Viñas Deluxe left midway through the first season of Drag Race Philippines but not before leaving the audience with many moments to remember her by.
As soon as she walked in, she was a standout. While many of her fellow competitors came in glammed up, she entered the workroom wearing nothing but makeup, heels, a wig, and some towels—immediately introducing herself as a risk-taker with comedic leanings.
In the second episode, even though she was competing with fashion powerhouses like Minty Fresh, she managed to win a design challenge by creating a dress using leaves and flowers. She fell down on the runway but got back up to solidify her win. Later, she turned out one of her best looks of the season: a portrayal of a manananggal (self-segmenter). She walked the runway with her body bent to the side to give the illusion that her torso was separate from her lower half.
Throughout the season, before she was eliminated with an injured foot, she delivered feed-worthy soundbites, hilarious confessionals, and memorable (albeit sometimes confusing) one-liners. Something about the “gravity of the popcorn,” for example.
Since her season, Viñas has excelled as a vlogger and continued to be one of the most sought-after drag performers in the Philippines because of her comedic numbers. Among her funnier ones had her portraying a very unserious Kris Aquino while singing Ariana Grande’s “Break Free.”
A compelling performer and personality, she is expected to have many memorable moments this season—especially if she lives up to what people now expect of her and makes it all the way to the crown.
Yuhua
Before getting into the 10th season of RuPaul’s Drag Race, the artist formerly known as Yuhua Hamasaki designed looks for many New York queens who had been on the show. These include Drag Race winners Bob the Drag Queen, Monet X Change, and Aquaria, as well as other notable alumni: Peppermint, Aja, Jiggly Caliente, and Alexis Michelle.
During her season, her “hot and flexible body” in an acting challenge had her going home in 12th place, but she didn’t get too bent out of shape. She continued to nurture her career afterwards.
Through her YouTube channel, she produced a variety of drag-related content, including the popular Bootleg Opinions series, where she critiqued the fashion of other queens competing in Drag Race.
Now she’s stepping back into the spotlight simply as Yuhua. She may have dropped the Hamasaki, but she certainly didn’t drop the talents that made that name relevant.
