Drag

Drag Race UK: Fans react to the winner of season 5

By Alice Morey

1st December 2023

The verdict is in! We have a new queen of the Drag Race UK kingdom and fans are truly chuffed.

Spoilers ahead.

The final episode of season five has aired.

During the climax episode of season five, Ginger Johnson, Michael Marouli and Tomara Thomas went head to head when they wrote and recorded lyrics for RuPaul’s song ‘Spotlight: The Remix,’ followed by starring as sexy cat burglars in the music video.

In addition to the high camp moment of the music video, there was a moment to reflect on the journey the three finalists had been on. Ru and Michelle Visage sat down with each of the individual finalists to talk about their experiences on the show and how they have navigated life as a queer person.

Increasing to the emotion of the situation, the queens were joined by their loved ones. Ginger and Michael were joined by their partners and Tomara by her mum.

The final music video saw Ginger lean into her comedy roots and make lyrical reference to sausages, whilst Tomara and Michael served in the choreo. The performance turned 3D when the finalists were joined onstage by the eliminated queens (minus Cara Melle).

The final runway look was ‘Grand Finale Eleganza; Dripping in Jewels’ and Ru and Michelle were joined by regular judges Alan Carr and Graham Norton to analyse and make the final verdict.

Tomara ultimately placed third and it was down to a fierce head-to-head battle between Ginger and Michael. The top two lip-synced for their lives to Erasure’s classic ‘A Little Respect’ and Ru declared Ginger as the winner.

Season four winner Danny Beard made a special guest appearance to pass over her crown and sceptre.

In her exit interview Ginger confessed: “I cannot believe I’m the winner. I had so clearly convinced myself that it wasn’t going to be me. I’m old enough to have started doing drag before Drag Race. But Drag Race was the thing that’s really kept me going a lot of the time.

“I grew up trying to find representation wherever I could. The closest I had was staying up late at night watching Graham Norton on my TV, on a nearly silent volume, trying to understand what this thing was inside me.

“I felt so alone, so directionless. And now to know there are people like me seeing this happen is so healing.”

Fans were quick to react, one tweeted: “Huge congratulations @GingerJohnson_ who is pure sunshine in human form who truly lights up the room the second they enter. such a well deserved win !! Way to go Ginger #DragRaceUK S5 finale!! So bloody good to see @thedannybeard walk that runway again tonight though.”

Fellow contestant Kate Butch celebrated the moment, saying: “Right it’s been twelve hours so I’m going to say that I would kill and die for Ginger Johnson and I’m so happy she’s our winner, and I adore Michael and Tomara as well and I’ve just has such a lovely time omg I love my life xx.”

Keep scrolling for more fan reactions.