RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 5 will start in just four weeks, with a new network and a new batch of returning queens vying for a spot in the Drag Race hall of fame.
As season 12 of Drag Race hurtles towards an inevitable Zoom finale, the machinery is starting up on All Stars 5, which starts the week after the current main season ends.RuPaul is set to unveil the queens returning to the werk room on Friday (May 8), but it has already been confirmed that the new season will serve as a “special edition” of the franchise, according to Bob Bakish, president and CEO of ViacomCBS, which owns Showtime and VH1.
Michelle Visage, like fans, was confused by the billing when asked by Gay Times.
“Really? Oh. Maybe because it’s on Showtime? Maybe that’s why. It’s REALLY good,” she said.
When does Drag Race All Stars 5 start?
Drag Race All Stars 5 will debut on Friday June 5 at 8pm, a week after the Drag Race Season 12 finale.
The new season will, as Visage said, premiere on the premium subscription channel Showtime, and will also be available on Showtime’s $10.99 per month streaming service.
At this stage it is unclear whether that means that the arrangement is a one-off, or whether all future All Stars seasons will air on Showtime.
There has been no announcement as to when and where the show will air in the UK.
Drag Race fans without premium cable were quick to label the move rigger morris.
The announcement comes after months of silence on the future of the spin-off, which has aired its past two seasons in the winter, preceding the regular edition of the show.RUPAUL'S DRAG RACE ALL STARS 5 premiering June 5th on... Showtime? pic.twitter.com/nhMUJ22HCr— Ξvan Ross Katz (@evanrosskatz) February 20, 2020
Fans feared that Season 5 was being “held hostage” when the new year came and went without any form of announcement, and were surprised when it was announced that Drag Race Season 12 would be the first to air.
