RuPaul’s Drag Race UK has been a dazzling spectacle of skill, ingenuity, and charisma since its beginning. Like any reality competition show, this show is not immune to the occasional controversy that can set tongues wagging and fans debating.
However, the trailer for the new season that was released a few days ago caused a ruckus in the environment. Out of all the anticipated drag queens, only 10 were featured.
Trigger Warning: The following content contains triggering topics like s*xual assault. Reader discretion is strongly advised.
On September 11, 2023, BBC released the Season 5 lineup of the upcoming RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Season 5. But, in the promo, the drag queen, Crystal Lubrikant, was nowhere to be found. People started speculating, and it was revealed that Crystal Lubrikant was edited out of the promo. Apparently, Crystal was eliminated by the show as the queen was charged with s*xual assault allegations against other performers of the season.
Highlights From the RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Season 5’ Trailer
The Drag Race UK Twitter account teased fans with a preview of Season 5. The trailer was a whirlwind of excitement for the viewers who were waiting for the show. It featured the new queens showcasing their charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent. Queens were shown making claims or cracking jokes.
One said, “I think I’m the tallest drag queen in Drag Race herstory,” while another claimed, “I’m a loose cannon.” Fans got a deeper view into the new queens’ characters in the Meet the Queens episode, available on BBC iPlayer. Now, all we are waiting for is for the show to run on the track.
RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Season 5 Controversy Explained
On September 11, 2023, the official X account of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK sent shockwaves of excitement through the fandom with a revealing tweet. The network finally revealed the queens that are part of this new season. But the tweet also disclosed a significant alteration to the show.
Fans noticed that the number of queens had decreased and found Crystal Lubrikant absent from the trailer. Crystal Lubrikant was one of the prominent drag queens who was going to be featured in the season.
However, the lineup video of the show had been conspicuously edited out, removing Crystal from the promotional content. The absence of the drag queen in the promo instantly flared intense speculation and questioning among fans
As the story unfolded, it became clear that Crystal Lubrikant’s removal from the promotional material was not a creative choice but a significant decision by the show’s producers. Reports began to circulate that Crystal Lubrikant had been faced with grave allegations of s*xual assault involving fellow performers from the same season.
An anonymous post was made by an internet user claiming that they were from the staff of the show. The person proclaimed that the BBC is attempting to cover up s*xual assault allegations against one of the performers in season 5. The employee further discloses that the performer who was accused of the crime is none other than Crystal.
It was also revealed that the BBC took a different approach to the issue. Instead of disqualifying Crystal, they opted to handle it discreetly.
Crystal was eliminated in the next un-filmed lip sync, with no mention of the allegations. It was all done just to cut down the extra cost that will be invested in the editing. But, later on, the clips were edited, and hence, the case got its due limelight.
People are showing mixed reactions to the show. Few are excited and asking for cooperation from the rest of the crew, while few are busy discussing the allegations.
Are you excited for the season? What are your thoughts about the allegation? Let us know in the comment section.
