Becky G to Serve as Guest Judge on Season 16 of MTV’s “RuPaul‘s Drag Race”

Posted on December 14, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Life’s a drag for Becky G…

The new season of RuPaul‘s Drag Race has set up an all-star lineup to guest judge Season 16, including the 26-year-old Mexican American bilingual singer/actress.

Making her debut on the reality television competition program that aims to discover America’s next drag superstar, Becky G appears among a list of guest judges that includes Charlize Theron and Sarah Michelle Gellar.

MTV will premiere the new season on Friday, January 5 at 8:00 pm ET.

Other guest judges that will appear during the season include Adam Shankman, Icona Pop (Caroline Hjelt + Aino Jawo), Isaac Mizrahi, Jamal Sims, Joel Kim Booster, Kaia Gerber, Kelsea Ballerini, Kyra Sedgwick, Law Roach, Mayan Lopez and Ronan Farrow.

RuPaul’s Drag Race features mainstay judges Michelle Visage, Carson Kressley, Ross Mathews and Ts Madison for the 16th season. Fourteen queens will compete for the title of “America’s Next Drag Superstar” and a cash prize of $200k.

The previously announced cast of queens include Amanda Tori Meating (Los Angeles, CA), Dawn (Brooklyn, NY), Geneva Karr (Brownsville, TX), Hershii LiqCour-Jeté (Los Angeles, CA), Megami (Brooklyn, NY), Mhi’ya Iman Le’Paige (Miami, FL), Mirage (Las Vegas, NV), Morphine Love Dion (Miami, FL), Nymphia Wind (Taiwan/NY), Plane Jane (Boston, MA), Plasma (New York, NY), Q (Kansas City, MO), Sapphira Cristál (Philadelphia, PA), and Xunami Muse (New York, NY).

RuPaul’s Drag Race and the after-show RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked are produced by World of Wonder Productions with Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato, Tom Campbell, Steven Corfe, Mandy Salangsang, Michele Mills and RuPaul Charles serving as executive producers.

Taiga Brava Named Season 2 Winner of Paramount+’s Drag Singing Competition “Queen of the Universe”

Posted on June 23, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Taiga Brava is taking the reigns…

The 31-year-old Mexican drag performer has been named the season 2 winner of Paramount+’s drag singing competition Queen of the Universe.

Brava was revealed the winner in royally surprising fashion.

Although the RuPaul-produced series — featuring Mel B, Trixie Mattel, Michelle Visage and Vanessa Williams on the judging panel — had only aired its fourth of eight total weekly episodes from its sophomore season last week, all remaining installments were released Thursday on the streaming service.

Following the unexpected drop, Brava was crowned the winner and the recipient of the program’s $250,000 prize, with Australia’s Trevor Ashley and Drag Race Italia competitor Aura Eternal joining Taiga among the top three finalists.

American Miss Continental pageant winner Jazell Barbie Royale — whose viral performance of CeCe Peniston‘s “He Loves Me 2” has made the rounds on social media — just missed out on the final episode, ultimately placing fourth.

“THERE IS A CROWN FOR MEXICO!” Taiga tweeted on Thursday, according to a Spanish-to-English translation on Twitter. “WE WIN QUEEN OF THE UNIVERSEEEE, F—! I CAN’T BELIEVE IT. VIVA MÉXICO.”

After she was named the winner, Taiga spoke to the studio audience. “Thank you, everybody, for this opportunity,” she said as the judges stood to applaud her victory. “I’m very grateful right now and I just hope that I get to share this message of love and acceptance and tolerance all over the world and just f—ing be yourself!”

Queen of the Universe’s second season debuted on June 2, and welcomed contestants hailing from nine global nations — Italy, Brazil, Mexico, the Philippines, the Netherlands, Israel, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States — to the cast of competitors.

Spice Girls member Mel B — who ruffled some feathers on social media for her sustained criticism of Jazell — joined the judging panel following the departure of season 1 judge Leona Lewis, with Williams, Mattel, and RuPaul’s Drag Race judge Visage returning to their posts for season 2.

Also returning for season 2 was host Graham Norton, who helped crown Brazil’s Grag Queen as the first winner of the show in 2021, which also featured Drag Race legend Jujubee and American Idol star Ada Vox among its cast.

Valentina to Co-Host the All-New “Drag Race México”

Posted on May 13, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Valentina is heading south of the border for a special assignment…

The 32-year-old Mexican American drag performer, actor, television personality and singer, whose real name is James Andrew Leyva, will serve as one of the hosts of the all-new “Drag Race México,” the latest series in the Drag Race franchise.

“With Drag Race Mexico, you’ll find the tenacity of the Mexican heart,” Valentina told Rolling Stone.

Valentina rose to acclaim as a fan favorite on Season 9 of RuPaul’s Drag Race and later returned for Season 4 of the all-stars edition.

Valentina’s other credits include Drag Tots, Rent: Live, AJ and the Queen and La Casa de las Flores.

Valentina will be joined by Lolita Banana,

Lolita Banana was the first Mexican-born contestant to compete in a Drag Race series, and last year, starred in the first season of Drag Race France.

MTV, Paramount+ and World of Wonder announced the new hosts on Friday at DragCon Los Angeles.

Contestants for the season have yet to be released.

Bianca Del Rio Signs with Creative Artists Agency (CAA)

Posted on May 8, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Bianca Del Rio has new representation…

The 47-year-old Cuban & Honduran American drag queen, comedian, actor and former RuPaul’s Drag Race winner, whose real name is Roy Haylock, has signed with CAA for representation.

Named on New York Magazine’s list of “most powerful drag queens in America,” Del Rio is best known as the winner of Season 6 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, when she was crowned America’s Next Drag Superstar.

As an actor, Del Rio starred in Matt Kugelman’s 2016 feature film Hurricane Bianca, and its sequel, 2018’s, Hurricane Bianca: From Russia With Hate. That same year, she published her first book, Blame It On Bianca Del Rio: The Expert on Nothing With An Opinion on Everything.

In 2019, she made her West End debut in the hit musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, where she played the role of Hugo/Loco Chanelle.

Del Rio made history during her 2019 “It’s a Jester Joke” tour, becoming the first drag queen to ever headline sold-out shows at both Wembley Arena in London and Carnegie Hall in New York City.

Last fall, she completed her fifth global stand-up comedy tour, Unsanitized, performing in 99 cities and 27 countries across five continents.

Bianca Del Rio to Star in “Hurricane Bianca: The Roots of All Evil”

Posted on December 20, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Bianca Del Rio is storming Hollywood again…

The 47-year-old Cuban and Honduran American drag queen, comedian, actor, costume designer and former RuPaul’s Drag Race winner will return for a third movie in the Hurricane Bianca franchise.

Del Rio, the stage name of Roy R. Haylock, will star alongside Willam Belli, Rachel Dratch, Thora Birch, Drag Race fan favorite Vanessa Vanjie Mateo and Doug Plaut.

Hurricane Bianca: The Roots of All Evil, which is due to shoot in early 2023, is written and directed by Matt Kugelman.

The film will see Richard Martinez (Del Rio) return home to Florida for his beloved grandmother’s funeral. There, he is lured back into a decades-old feud with his mother who owns a homophobic fast-food chain restaurant, and so decides to go undercover as Bianca Del Rio to put his mother out of business. With the help of his chosen family, he embarks on an adventure exposing corruption, confronting cults and healing relationships.

Tony nominee Dratch returns as the villainous Vice Principal Debbie Ward and Plaut reprises his role as Bianca’s ditzy friend, Rex. Birch will be playing the role of the mesmerizing cult leader, Mary. Vanjie (aka Miss Vanjie) is playing the role of Bianca’s cousin, Antonio. Former Drag Race contestant Belli returns as Bailey. Additional casting is underway.

The screenplay comes from Kugelman, Derek Hartley and Nicole Gemma.

Hurricane Bianca (which also starred Alan Cumming and RuPaul) and sequel Hurricane Bianca: From Russia With Hate (which also starred Wanda Sykes and Jeaneane Garofalo) both aired on Netflix.

“I’m so excited to be working with this dream team. Bianca is back! Willam is back! And I am elated to introduce Miss Vanjie into Bianca’s family. These are the funniest people I’ve ever met playing these incredibly lovable characters, and then we get to add the amazing Thora Birch into the mix as we’ve never seen her before: An eccentric villain! I cannot wait to share this adventure with the world!” said Kugelman.

“Hurricane Bianca fans around the world will be pleased with this hilarious and timely sequel that is both commercially viable and continually stays true to its core messaging and artistic integrity. Today’s audiences are ready to embrace films that bridge the gap between mainstream and LGBTQ markets. The late Ash Christian who produced the first two films, was always a champion of LGBTQ filmmakers and believed in Matt Kugelman’s vision and talent from day one. Ash will be deeply missed during this next journey and he is always with us in spirit,” commented producer Kimberly Montini of Cranium Entertainment.

“Audiences from all over the world will connect with this film, being a universal beacon of light for anyone facing adversity. As a big fan of Hurricane Bianca films, this new sequel raises the bar to new heights. We couldn’t be more excited to kickstart BLKBX Originals’ endeavors with a film people from all over can relate to with laughter at the heart of it all,” noted producer Frank Donner of BLKBX Originals.

Grag Queen Crowned Winner of Paramount+’s “Queen of the Universe”

Posted on December 31, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Grag Queen is officially a universal star…

The 26-year-old Brazilian drag performer, whose real name is Grégory Mohd, has been crowned the winner Paramount+’s drag singing competition series, Queen of the Universe.

Grag Queen, who hails from Canela, RS, Brazil, beat out fellow finalists Ada Vox and Aria B. Cassadine for the title and a $250,000 cash prize.

“It feels amazing! I can go to the medic. I don’t look at the prices anymore. I can give my mother and father a very good living. I just want us to be protected and healthy. I don’t really feel like a millionaire right now, but I get used to the good things very, very fast,” Grag Queen told Variety, adding that “a caramel wig that touches my ass” is also on the shopping list.

And, what’s next for Grag?

“I have my album already ready,” she tells Variety. “I really want to release that as soon as I can. I have English, Portuguese and Spanish songs. Maybe I’m going to come in January to L.A. to record some new songs in English and try to do some gigs. Maybe you guys are going to see me around.”

Comedian and interviewer Graham Norton hosted the show, which is from the creators of RuPaul’s Drag Race.

The judges were Michelle Visage, Trixie Mattel, Leona Lewis and Vanessa Williams.

Mexico’s Regina Voce to Compete on Paramount+’s Drag Singing Competition “Queen of the Universe”

Posted on November 11, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Regina Voce is ready for global domination…

The Mexican drag queen is among the contestants set to compete on Paramount+’s upcoming drag singing competition series Queen of the Universe, which is executive-produced by RuPaul, the history-making, Emmy-winning host of RuPaul’s Drag Race.

Hosted by Graham Norton, Queen of the Universe hails from the MTV Entertainment Studios and RuPaul’s Drag Race producers World of Wonder.

Inspired by international singing competitions, Queen of the Universe will follow the world’s most talented drag queens as they battle it out for global domination, countries go head to head spotlighting their top talent. Contestants hail from the U.S, Mexico, Brazil, Canada, India, China, France and more.

Regina Voce has more than 30 years of stage experience and is a former performer in Cirque Du Soleil. Regina now works as a vocal coach.

Brazil’s Grag Queen will also compete on the series…

The Brazilian bombshell grew up singing in church at an early age. She now finds herself belting to the masses on social media with 2 million TikTok fans, all of whom love her outrageous performances and over the top personality.

Each episode will feature the world’s fiercest queens as they debut a new musical performance in front of a live audience and the “Pop Diva Panel” of judges in the hopes of being crowned the “Queen of the Universe” and winning a $250,000 cash prize.

Queen of the Universe is set to debut exclusively on Paramount+ on Thursday, December2. Vanessa Williams, Michelle Visage, Leona Lewis and Drag Race alum Trixie Mattel are set to judge.

Carmen Farala Named Winner of Inaugural Season of “Drag Race España”

Posted on July 26, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Carmen Farala has sashayed-away with the crown…

The 30-year-old Spanish drag performer, whose real name is Daniel Mora, has been crowned the inaugural winner of Drag Race España, the offshoot of the U.S.’ Emmy-winning reality competition series RuPaul’s Drag Race.

A jury made up of presenter Supremme de Luxe, designer Ana Locking and filmmakers/actors Javier Ambrossi and his real-life partner Javier Calvo decided in the last episode, broadcast on Sunday night, that Farala would take home the crown and the 30,000 euro prize.

Farala, who never found herself in the bottom two during the competition, beat out Killer Queen and Sagittaria for the title.

For eight weeks, the finalists have taken part in all kinds of tests and Farala managed to win three maxi challenges during the season: the tribute to La Veneno, the night of the 1,000 Rosalías and the makeover of rugby players.

Produced by Atresmedia Televisión in collaboration with Buendía Estudios, the Drag Race format landed in Spain on May 30 on the Atresplayer Premium platform.

Demi Lovato to Co-Host Special YouTube Pride 2021 Livestream

Posted on June 3, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Demi Lovato is celebrating Pride in a big way…

The 28-year-old half-Mexican American actor/singer and Olly Alexander with Mawaan Rizwan will join previously announced hosts Trixie Mattel and Daniel Howell for the YouTube Pride 2021 livestream on June 25.

Lovato and their fellow emcees will host the YouTube Originals multi-hour livestream event celebrating the LGBTQ+ community, including Pride parties from their respective YouTube channels.

The festivities will include musical performances, challenges and more, during which viewers will be encouraged to donate to The Trevor Project, which provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ+ youth, as well as the UK-based LGBTQ+ youth homelessness charity akt.

The livestream’s special guests will include YouTube star Tyler Oakley, RuPaul’s Drag Race season 8 runner-up Kim Chi, All Stars winner Monét X Change, season 9 runner-up Peppermint and season 13 contestant Denali Foxx.

Demi Lovato announced last month that they are non-binary and their pronouns are they/them. The “very personal” news came as part of Lovato’s new “4D With Demi Lovato” podcast, in which they explained, “Over the past year and a half I’ve been doing some healing and self-reflective work. And through this work, I’ve had the revelation that I identify as nonbinary.”

Alongside H.E.R. and Brandi Carlile, Lovato paid tribute to Elton John by performing a medley of his biggest hits at last week’s iHeartRadio Awards.

YouTube Pride 2021 will be held on Friday, June 25. JA Films producers created a Pride 2021 microsite asking content creators to submit videos of themselves sharing their stories and questions for the hosts with a chance to have their videos featured on the YouTube livestream.

YouTube is also launching a #GiveWithPride donation campaign with hopes to raise $500,000 for The Trevor Project. YouTube is matching donations made to the campaign up to $250,000.

If the campaign’s fundraising goal is met, YouTube creators will each release a zany challenge video, including Patrick Starrr, Gigi Gorgeous, Elle of the Mills, The Fitness Marshall, Jackson Bird, Alannized, Jessie Paege, KingOfReads, and Jade Fox. The video, which teases creators bleaching their hair, getting tattoos and re-creating viral dance challenges, will air during YouTube Pride 2021.

Bianca Del Rio to Co-Host the Daily News Show “NewsBeat”

Posted on May 27, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Bianca Del Rio is tacklin’ the news…

The 45-year-old Cuban and Honduran American drag queen, comedian, actor, and costume designer, whose real name is Roy Haylock, will speak the tea regarding the top headlines for NewsBeat, from Politicon and executive producer Clay Aiken.

Del Rio, the winner of the sixth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race, will appear alongside fellow Drag Race alum.

NewsBeat, which will also feature Lady Bunny, Lyle and Delta Work as correspondents, seeks to provide a serious daily news show for the next generation of viewers. The program will center around hard news headline, political analysis presented by West and Del Rio.

Each episode will highlight two or three top news stories of the day. A guest panel of political pundits will join the anchors via satellite to discuss the biggest stories. Each episode will also feature a pre-taped field package with one of the correspondents interviewing a major newsmaker or politician.

The pilot episode will feature interviews with James Carville, Touré and Scottie Nell-Hughes.

“Staying informed and knowing what’s actually going on in the country and the world is really important, but I, and so many people I know, finally just turned off the news over this past year. So we wanted to find a way to keep people really informed — give them important news and objective information — and still keep it entertaining and engaging,” Aiken said. “We wanted to make the news appointment TV again without needing to sensationalize it or scare or depress folks. NewsBeat is really about facts first, but it is also about making the news interesting again.”

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