The World Premiere of RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under at the Sydney Opera House attracted first episode guest star Taika Waititi, The Voice’s Rita Ora, podcast partners Courtney Act and Vanity Faire from Call Me Brenda, ABC Breakfast’s Georgie Tunny and singer Rob Mills, and filmmakers Christian Van Vuuren and Adele Vuko. Media types included Les Sampson (Stan), David Knox (TV Tonight), Alex Needs (Today) and Nine CEO Mike Sneesby deep in conversation with a drag queen!
Sydney Opera House CEO Louise Herron and Nine CEO Mike Sneesby with Philmah Bocks and Ursula Sneesby
Host David Campbell introduced all the drag queens before a screening of the first episode (sans ending). There was overwhelming applause every time Newcastle’s JoJo Zaho mentioned her Aboriginal heritage, and there was also much love in the room for Sydney hometown queens Maxi Shields and Coco Jumbo.
Credit: The Down Under Queens joined by newly announced Stanbassador Renee Bargh.
At 46 years old, Maxi Shield is the oldest competitor, but when Mediaweek asked if she was “The Grand Dame” of the group, she laughed and said “seasoned chook” sounded better. Maxi feels this series will show the world that down under we have the “sisterhood” and “Aussie and Kiwi mateship”
The show’s “most Ocker” queen, Geelong’s Art Simone, agreed that the group was a “pack of larrikins”. She was still in shock at the speed of filming, saying it all happened so fast it felt like a “fever dream”.
Credit: Claudia Karvan joined by her Bump co-stars Nathalie Morris and Carlos Sanson Jnr.
Melbourne’s Karen From Finance revealed that her first episode entrance look is a tribute to the movie Nine To Five and its “iconic feminist” star, Jane Fonda. Shockingly, the “control freak office girl” then said the only thing she missed during the show’s social media blackout was “porn”!
NZ queens Elektra Shock, Kita Mean Anita Wigl’it said there was “rivalry, but it’s a small drag community across Australasia so we have to get along!” Sydney’s non-binary trans contestant Etcetera Etcetera amazed all with her “nude” challenge look, and WA’s Scarlet Adams was smart enough to thank all the production companies involved in the making of the show, including Stan, World of Wonder and Warner Bros.
RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under airs on Stan from May 1.