The show-stopping cast of Drag Race France has finally been unveiled ahead of its series premiere this month.
Following in the footsteps of Drag Race España, Canada’s Drag Race, Drag Race Down Under, RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, Drag Race UK vs the World, Drag Race Holland, Drag Race Italia and Drag Race Thailand, the highly-anticipated French spin-off will include 10 sickening queens who, like its predecessors, will take part in weekly maxi-challenges to earn the title of France’s First Drag Race Superstar.
RuPaul’s Drag Race season 12 star Nicky Doll has been confirmed as the host of the new spin-off, which will exclusively premiere on WOW Presents Plus in the UK on Saturday, 25 June.
“I’m honoured and thrilled to be the mistress of ceremonies of this emblematic show, which is going to revolutionize French drag and give prominence to incredible queer artists,” the beloved queen said in a statement to Entertainment Weekly.
“So, start your engines, and may the best drag queen… win!”
Joining Nicky on the judges’ panel are actress and TV host Daphné Bürki and French DJ and LGBTQ+ activist Kiddy Smile.
The queens who will be making HERstory on Drag Race France’s first-ever season are: Elips, Kam Hugh, La Briochée, La Big Bertha, La Grande Dame, La Kahena, Lolita Banana, Lova Ladiva, Paloma and Soa de Muse.
Meet the contestants below with their network-provided biographies.
Elips (Bordeaux)
“Elips discovered drag through Rupaul’s Drag Race, in 2017. At 26, and only after two years and a half of experience, she placed 3rd in the first season of Drag Contest (an Instagram makeup contest) and won the Drag Games in 2021. Self-taught and very creative, she makes her own costumes and gives poetic and powerful performances. Since 2019, she performs in Bordeaux, Paris, Toulouse or Lyon. She also performed on the stage of the Bordeaux Pride in September 2021.”
Kam Hugh (Paris)
“Kam Hugh grew up in Ardèche before finding out about drag through Rupaul’s Drag Race and the Parisian drag scene. For the past 4 years and at only 23, she is now a professional makeup artist and drag queen. A true social media star, with a lot of followers, she shows her incredible makeup and fashion skills on Youtube and Instagram and performs on stage regularly in Paris. She has also performed in the US, Belgium and Austria for the last Life Bal. Face of major cosmetic brands, she is the first French drag queen to have had her portrait in ELLE magazine France.”
La Big Bertha (Paris)
“Born in Castres, La Big Bertha discovered with amazement, and early in her childhood, the cabaret and drag scene. After 10 years of experience, La Big Bertha is the ultimate French queen of burlesque. At 36, she has her own show “La Bertha’s Fantasia” at le Nouveau Casino theater in Paris. She travels and performs in prestigious cabarets, theaters and operas all around France and worldwide (Germany, UK, Switzerland, USA or Canada to name a few). “
La Grande Dame (Nice)
“La Grande Dame discovered drag in Nice where she grew up. Five years ago she decided to go for it. She started in Nice’s nightclubs (Le Swing or Le Glam) and then in Paris where she became a key figure of the drag scene. A fashion queen, she’s the most followed French drag queen on Instagram. She also performs outside of France, like in Bruxelles, Venise, Monaco or London. With her 1m97 (6.46 feet) and at only 23, La Grande Dame already walked many fashion runways, including for Jean-Paul Gaultier’s last Haute Couture collection.”
La Kahena (Tunisia)
“La Kahena started her career in 2016 and chose to wear the name of the famous Berber queen and warrior of the 7th century. Now 29, she performs all over France and quickly gets noticed with her sharp aesthetic, her comedy skills and her stage performances in which she handles fire. She performed at the Superball in Amsterdam, at the Dragathon All Star and the 1st season of Clash of tatas, for which she is now the parisian host. Proud to represent French multiculturalism, La Kahena is also the first drag queen to have performed at l’Institut du Monde Arabe. (Arab World Institute in Paris).”
Lolita Banana (Paris)
“Mexican Lolita Banana discovered drag in 2018 while working as a dancer at a campsite in Biscarrosse. For a while torn between her professional salsa career and the feminine side hidden in her, Lolita Banana’s persona helped her find the right balance between both. Since then, she has participated at the Drag Me Up and performed in le Café de Paris, the B Boat and the Rainbowland Party in Nice. She’s mostly known for being the iconic host of The Brunch and Queen, the most famous drag brunch in Paris, every weekend for the past 3 years. Lolita Banana is THE showgirl of the parisian scene.”
Lova Ladiva (Toulouse)
“From Toulouse, Lova Ladiva discovered drag in 2009 through shows like “Matinée Groop” and Ibiza’s “Supermartxe”. Now 32, she performs all over France, Spain and in New York where she represented France at the World Pride commemorating the 50th anniversary of Stonewall. With her cheerful disposition and one-of-a-kind phrasing, Lova Ladiva carries herself with humor and extravagance.”
Paloma (Clermont-Ferrand)
“From Clermont-Ferrand, Paloma was never afraid to interpret female characters even at a young age. Acting, writing, directing, sewing… She decided to gather all her talents and started doing drag in 2018. She performs in solo acts and with the “King Chefs and Drag Queens” company in numerous Parisian clubs and cabarets. Paloma also made an eponymous short movie, coming out this year and already awarded at the Music and Cinema Festival of Marseille. At 30, she’s one of the most talented comedy queens of her generation.”
Soa de Muse (Saint-Denis)
“Soa discovered drag on Youtube, by finding clips of the first season of Rupaul’s Drag Race. From Martinique and living in Saint-Denis, Soa gets inspiration from their culture for their performances. Soa is an all-around artist: singing, dancing, comedy and cabaret, they know how to captivate their audience from the jump. At 30, Soa has been performing for almost 10 years all around France and on iconic Parisian stages like Madame Arthur, L’Olympia, le Carreau du Temple or l’Ahlambra. They opened their own cabaret “La Bouche” with 3 other artists, Porte de Clignancourt in Paris.”
La Briochée (Paris)
“Born in Royan, La Briochée discovered drag thanks to “RuPaul’s Drag Race”. In May 2019, she started her career under the drag name MyëVe Märchen and entered two competitions: the Drag Me Upp and Drag Academy. As a trans woman, La Briochée fights for drag to be accessible to everyone, no matter identity, gender, body type or origins. A creative actress and singer, La Briochée is a versatile drag queen. In June 2021, she joined the company of the iconic Parisian cabaret Madame Arthur and started a career as a voice actress.”
The inaugural season of Drag Race France premieres exclusively on WOW Presents Plus in the UK on 25 June – with a variety of subtitle options, including English and French.
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