Eurovision winner Loreen joins Drag Race UK vs The World as guest judge
- Kyriakos Tsinivits
- 4 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Article contains spoilers from episode 1 of season 3 of RuPaul's Drag Race UK vs The World
Two-time Eurovision Song Contest winner Loreen made her debut on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs The World as an extra-special guest judge.
She was joined on the judging panel by the UK’s long-time Eurovision commentator Graham Norton, alongside the illustrious Michelle Visage and, of course, the world's most famous drag queen, RuPaul.
The contestant line-up for the series features queens from the UK competing against international stars from the United States, Thailand, Canada, Germany, Sweden, the Philippines and Mexico.
The full line up for this series is below:
Fontana - Drag Race Sverige (Sweden) S1, runner-up
Gawdland - Drag Race Thailand S3, 3rd place
Kate Butch - Drag Race UK S5, 5th place
Mariah Balenciaga - Drag Race US S3, 9th place; All Stars S5, 8th place
Melinda Verga - Drag Race Canada S4, 5th place
Minty Fresh - Drag Race Philippines S1, 5th place
Serena Morena - Drag Race Mexico S1, 8th place
Sminty Drop - Drag Race UK S4, 9th place
The Only Naomy - Drag Race Germany S1, 10th place
Zahirah Zapanta - Drag Race UK S6, 10th place
The runway theme for episode one was “For Queen and Country – Home Nation Looks”, with contestants lip-syncing on the runway before presenting outfits inspired by their countries of origin.
Three queens were named “tops of the week,” with no eliminations taking place. Fontana was among the standouts, impressing the judges with an outfit inspired by iconic Swedish pop group ABBA.
Loreen praised her fellow Swede, saying:
“I’ve been watching you for a while. It started in Sweden, and what I love about you is your strong spirit. I can see that you believe in what you do, and that will take you very, very far, my love.”
The other top performers were Gawdland and The Only Naomy.
Gawdland and Fontana went on to lip-sync to Loreen’s 2023 Eurovision-winning song Tattoo, with Fontana ultimately taking the win.
This was not Loreen’s first appearance in the Drag Race universe. In 2023, the Eurovision icon served as a guest judge on Drag Race Sverige. She appeared in episode five, Dragodifestivalen, where she watched the bottom queens battle it out in a lip-sync to her 2012 Eurovision-winning anthem Euphoria.
Loreen has enjoyed a major few weeks professionally. She recently announced her first studio album in almost a decade, with WILDFIRE set for release on 27 March 2026. The Swedish pop star has also dropped a brand-new single, Feels Like Heaven, co-written with Australian songwriting powerhouse Sia.
Loreen performed the song live for the first time on Star Academy in France.
Loreen was the first celebrity guest judge appearance for season 3 of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs The World. The rest of the season will also feature appearances from singer-songwriter JADE, supermodel Kristen McMenamy, and award-winning comedian and writer Jayde Adams.
Acclaimed singer-songwriter Rag’n’Bone Man will also lend his expertise during the Girl Group Challenge.
Previously announced guest judges include Amandaland actor Lucy Punch, BAFTA Award-winning actor Will Poulter, global pop icon Anastacia, Bananarama’s Sara Dallin and Keren Woodward, Pussycat Dolls stars Ashley Roberts and Kimberly Wyatt, and Doctor Who writer and producer Russell T Davies.
Together, these special guests will help RuPaul determine which international diva will be crowned the coveted title of Queen of the Mothertucking World, along with a cash prize of £50,000.
Season 3 of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs The World has now begun on WOW Presents Plus, on BBC and BBC iPlayer for UK viewers and on streaming service Stan for Aussie viewers.
For continued updates on all Eurovision Song Contest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, Threads, Bluesky and Instagram. All the links can be found at: https://linktr.ee/aussievisionnet