The terrible judging of Drag Race UK Versus the World is about to ruin the entire season

We’re all having fun with RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Versus the World. Let’s just keep that abundantly clear. It’s a drag show at the end of the day – we’re here for the drama, the chaos , the carnage, the talent and the heart and good vibes of the cast. But what makes it even greater telly is when the judging feels accurate and deserved, with the correct tops and the correct bottoms and a fair elimination process in which the queen that goes home performed the least successfully on that week. Or, if All Stars rules are applying, where a queen will send home some competition in a move that feels strategic and yet still entertaining. But the judging of the bottom queens on Drag Race UK Versus the World feel unfair – they feel like heavy handed production, and the season is in danger of being ruined because of it.

Two wrong eliminations in two weeks

It’s so deeply unsatisfying when the wrong queens go home. It makes me groan at the end of what could otherwise be an absolute hoot of an episode. Last week’s Lemon elimination felt completely and utterly gutting. Lemon had spent the last year and a half since her debut on season one of Canada’s Drag Race establishing herself as a fan favourite – to see her place in the bottom on week one of a season where the entire fanbase was so excited to see her compete again was difficult, not least because she didn’t really deserve to be there. Whilst the critique was valid that her face could have performed with a little more confidence, the critique of her performance being unoriginal was ludicrous when none of the other girls who did songs and lip syncs got that critique.

Her runway was strong, and Janey did worse than her. As did Baga and Jujubee. That’s literally the fact of the matter. Lemon has kept a great attitude about it and will continue to thrive, but it still felt wrong. This week, Cheryl Hole going home was another departure that felt wrong. She was not the worst this week, and had a fire in her to prove that she’d evolved from her season that was missing completely from other competitors who were safe. Cheryl Hole is great TV, even if she isn’t really a real threat to the crown. She should have left when she bombed the challenge, not for a slightly underwhelming look.

Is there favouritism?

It’s no secret RuPaul clearly worships the ground Baga Chipz walks on. Even Baga herself smugly proclaims it pretty much hourly in the Werk Room. All Baga needs to do is say “Much betta!” and Ru’s splitting her sides. Is Baga getting fast tracked through to the final? Her talent show wasn’t anything to write home about, her first week runway was poor. This episode, she lazed about the Werk Room and got help from Pangina – then served a shoddy look on the runway for the final category that deserved to be in the bottom two along with Jujubee, whose looks were completely off theme and just looked like they were the first thing she pulled out of her wardrobe. The Drag Race UK Versus the World judging feels all over the place.

On UK Versus the World, safe is a lifeline

The queens can get rid of whoever they want when it’s down to the bottom two, but if a queen is getting that safe lifeline from RuPaul then they could get themselves all the way to the final even when they don’t deserve to be. The judging from Ru feels completely all over the place. There’s no way in hell Janey Jacké’s runways outshone Mo Heart and Blu Hydrangea this week – and even though Jimbo is getting the acclaim she deserves, other queens are falling by the way side and the wrong ones are going home. We deserved more Cheryl, we REALLY deserved more Lemon, and we deserve a competition that feels as fair as it does fun.

RuPaul’s Drag Race: UK Versus The World continues Tuesdays at 9pm on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer. For all the latest Drag Race UK Versus the World memes and Netflix news, drops and memes like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook.

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