Drag

“Officially in mourning”: Fans react to latest Drag Race UK elimination

By Alice Morey

17th November 2023

The sixth elimination and the final four have been revealed on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK season five and fans are quite literally gagged by the verdict.

Spoilers ahead.

The eighth episode saw the remaining queens take on the notorious family resemblance makeover challenge. The subjects of the makeovers were volunteers from Switchboard, the lifeline service that has provided vital support and signposting help to the LGBTQIA+ community since their inception in 1974. Switchboard are also the recipients of the British Community Trailblazer at GAY TIMES Honours 2023.

To judge this week’s maxi challenge RuPaul, Michelle Visage and Graham Norton were joined by fashion matriarch Daphne Guinness. Kate Butch took inspiration from Grease and transformed her partner Xan into a pink lady. Daphne Guinness said of Kate Butch: “I think you both look great but I don’t see the family resemblance …but her make up, I think, is mesmerising.”

RuPaul continued the critique and said: “The story [of their runway] was beautiful. We all love the movie that they were spoofing however, the family resemblance.. not so much. They’re from the same group.. same gang!”

The decision was made for Kate Butch and DeDeLicious, who has now been in the bottom three times, to go head-to-head to lip-sync to ‘This Hell’ by Rina Sawayama.

Ultimately, the decision was made for Kate Butch to sashay away.

RuPaul told Kate Butch: “My dear Kate Butch. You will always be a part of our drag family. Now, Sashay Away.”

Kate was quick to retaliate and perfectly timed the remark: “You can’t fire me, I quit! Oh, too slow… eurgh! Thank you for allowing a silly little person like me to compete with these absolute icons. Thank you so much.”

In a message to her fellow queens, Kate Butch wrote on the Werk Room mirror: “It’s me, I’m Kathy, I’ve gone home, Hope you lose – Kate Butch. BALEGDEH.”

In her exit interview Kate added: “It’s so amazing and lovely to know that there are people out there who share my rotten little sense of humour and are willing to throw their support behind me, no matter how many rhinestoned wetsuits I parade in front of the cameras!”

Fans were left reeling by the latest elimination. One said: “Think I’ve gone through the five stages of grief since it [the episode] ended.”

Another fan added: “And what if i say the wrong queen sashayed in tonight’s drag race uk episode like no shade to #that girl but she did not win the lip sync for me”.

This means that the final four are DeDeLicious, Ginger Johnson, Michael Marouli and Tomara Thomas. Next week, they will compete in the roast challenge.

Keep scrolling for more fan reactions.

Watch the next episode RuPaul’s Drag Race UK next Thursday at 9pm on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer.