Drag Race UK vs the World is back for round three, and as Zahirah Zapanta says — in a brand-new phrase that has never-ever been coined before — “the competition is really starting to heat up.”

On 27 January, ten legendary queens from across the Runiverse will sashay into the UK werkroom to vie for the coveted Queen of the Mothertucking World title and a whopping £50,000 cash prize. This season marks the first to feature contestants from Germany, Mexico, Sweden and Thailand and welcomes back UK alum such as Sminty Drop (season four), Kate Butch (season five), and Zahirah Zapanta (season six).

Although she sashayed away in ninth place, Sminty built a fanbase thanks to the contrast between her “stern” beauty mug and playful Northern personality, as well as her viral sad-twerk departure. Wuthering Shites star Kate was one of her season’s standout players, winning the acting challenge before she was chopped at the top-five makeover (a decision that was met with wrath from fans). Meanwhile, Zahirah competed one of the most acclaimed seasons in the entire franchise and made Drag Race UK history as one of the first contestants of Filipino descent. 

Read on for our interview with Kate, Sminty, and Zahirah, where they open up about why it was the right time to return to Drag Race UK, how they’ve evolved since their seasons, and the energy the international queens will bring to the werkroom. Here’s a little teaser from Kate: “I think we did get on her nerves a little bit.”

GT: Kate, Sminty, Zahirah, it's lovely to be reunited with you all. How does life feel right now, awaiting the release of UK vs the World?


Zahirah: It feels like it’s been 84 years since we filmed. With all of the contestants living abroad, it’s been crazy not seeing my sisters. Now, to get to share the screen with them and see everyone’s talents and runways and everything that we’ve worked so hard for, I am so excited! 

Sminty: It’s absolute mania. We’re like, ‘Oh my god, I’ve forgotten what I said, I’ve forgotten what I did,’ so you do overthink everything. I know we’ve done amazingly well, each and every one of us, so I just can’t wait for everyone to see what we have to offer on a 2.0 level.