For the first time, a Eurovision song was used as the lip sync song on RuPaul’s Drag Race. Yesterday, American queens Jujubee and Mo Heart gave it their all performing “Toy”, the 2018 Eurovision winner by Netta Barzilai from Israel.
RuPaul’s Drag Race
RuPaul’s Drag Race is a long lasting format to find the next drag super star, hosted by American RuPaul Charles. It now has franchises all over the world, including the latest international addition to the series. In RuPaul’s Drag Race: UK vs The World, three British drag queens compete with six international drag queens who had all previously taken part in their own countries.
The lip sync traditionally takes place at the end of each episode to determine which participant is sent home. In the case of RuPaul’s Drag Race: UK vs The World, the lip sync determines the winner of the week. The winner then gets to send another drag queen home.
Eurovision on RuPaul’s Drag Race
In the history of RuPaul’s Drag Race, they never before used a Eurovision song as the lip sync choice. A surprising feat, given that one of the most popular episodes of Drag Race in the United Kingdom is the RuRuVision Song Contest, which happened in the second season of the series. Even though many expected the episode, which simulated the Eurovision Song Contest, to end with a Eurovision lip sync, it did not. Bottom two Tia Kofi and Joe Black had to lip sync to Don’t Leave Me This Way by The Communards. Winning song UK Hun by the United Kingdolls even made it to #27 on the UK charts. On season 1, The Frock Destroyers (Divina de Campo, Baga Chipz and Blu Hydrangea) won the girl group challenge. This even led to calls for them to represent the United Kingdom at Eurovision, following the success of their song Break Up, Bye Bye.
There are existing links between the two pop culture juggernauts. Former Rupaul’s Drag Race contestant Courtney Act participated in the 2019 edition of Australia Decides with the song “Fight for Love”, finishing in 4th. Further, Graham Norton, the BBC’s commentator for Eurovision since 2009, is a regular judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK.
Jujubee vs Mo Heart
Last night, it was time for the fifth episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race: UK vs The World. After the main challenge, where all queens had to write their own verses to one of RuPaul’s songs, it was revealed that the top two consisted of the two American queens taking part. Jujubee and Mo Heart then had to lip sync for the win. Before doing so, each of them had to choose which other queen to send home if they won the lip sync. Their choices were Dutch queen Janey Jacké or one of the British queens, Baga Chipz or Blu Hydrangea.
The lip sync song for the week turned out to be a Eurovision winner: Toy by Netta Barzilai. Netta of course won the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 with the song. After delivering two solid performances, RuPaul decided that Jujubee would be the winner of this week’s episode. Jujubee, who has taken part in three previous RuPaul’s Drag Race seasons, decided to send the only Dutch queen of the season, Janey Jacké, home. Make sure you watch (an edited clip of) the lip sync between Mo Heart and Jujubee to Toy below!
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