THE NEW DOWN UNDER DOLLS ARE OUT OF THE BOX AND THEY’RE READY TO PLAY!

October 10, 2024 – Stan, Australia’s unrivalled home of original productions, today revealed the premiere date and fabulous new cast of queens appearing in the brand new season of the Stan Original Series Drag Race Down Under, premiering Friday November 1, only on Stan.

To watch and share the queen reveal video click here: https://youtu.be/x9JgoXqN8kI

Living their best The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert fantasies, the new Down Under dolls attended an intimate Drag Brunch yesterday at iconic Sydney venue, The Imperial in Erskineville, to celebrate the announcement. They were joined by last year’s winner Isis Avis Loren, iconic queens from previous seasons: Hannah Conda, Etcetera Etcetera, Coco Jumbo and Maxi Shield, and members of the media and community including Justin Hill, Maria Thatill, DJ Tigerlily, Matt Hey, Mitch Churi, Tilly Oddy-Black, Will Gibb, Pete Deppeler and more.

The ten talented new queens from Australia and New Zealand will compete for a cash prize and the title of “Down Under’s Next Drag Superstar” in the brand new season hosted by new host and global icon, Michelle Visage.

Sashaying to the main stage, ready to snatch the crown and forever be part of Drag Race herstory, will be the following fierce new queens:

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BRENDA BRESSED (Melbourne, VIC), 24 - @brenda_bressed

A high energy, camp performer with a background in musical theatre. Despite her young age, Brenda Bressed is considered to be one of the most polished queens on the Melbourne scene. In 2023 Brenda appeared as one of the finalists on The Voice Australia, belonging to Rita Ora’s team, and has since garnered quite the following. Brenda names Dolly Parton as a key drag inspiration, in awe of her fashion, wigs, musical talent and charity work.

See Brenda's 'Meet the Queen' video

FREYA ARMANI (Brisbane, QLD), 24 - @freyaarmani

Originally born in Philadelphia, USA, of Lebanese and Puerto Rican ethnicity, Freya made her way across the pond back in 2011. She started drag in 2019 and has found herself to be booked and blessed ever since, working as a regular at all the biggest gay clubs up and down the Gold Coast. Known for her stage presence, she belongs to the Drag Haus of Thicc, a POC collective in Brisbane and is passionate about innovation and diversity in the industry. In addition to competitive dance experience, she also has years of acting on the stage and screen as well as a Bachelors degree in dramatic training from Queensland University of Technology.

See Freya's 'Meet the Queen' video

KARNA FORD (Sydney, NSW), 27 - @karnaford

Known for her high energy performance style and sassy attitude, Sydney’s dancing diva can be found jumping off stages and doing the splits. One of the newest queens on the scene, she has quickly become well known with a recent highlight being winning Sydney’s Slay 2 Stay competition. Karna was also a special guest performer at the opening ceremonies for Sydney World Pride, and recently appeared in Jessica Mauboy’s latest music video, “Right here, right now” and on the TV series NCIS Sydney. She would like to incorporate more of her Filipino culture into her performances and travel internationally with drag.

See Karna's 'Meet the Queen' video

LAZY SUSAN (Melbourne, VIC), 32 - @mslazysusan

This queen is pure comedy, known for her zany sense of humour and kooky drag aesthetic, Lazy Susan’s drag is unmatched by any other queen on the Melbourne scene. Her most recent achievements include performing with Charlie XCX, appearing in a Troy Sivan music video and selling out at Melbourne comedy festival. She is also known for her online content, namely her YouTube channel as well as appearing on Kick Ons with Art Simone. 

See Lazy's 'Meet the Queen' video

LUCINA INNOCENCE (Auckland, NZ), 28 - @lucinainnocence

This queen is a tall drink of water, standing at around 6ft 7 in drag. Lucina has spent the last seven years building up her reputation and is known for her wig styling ability – with some of her work appearing on drag race alumni Yuri Guy & Flor. Lucina is a gorgeous queen who can make her own garments and is known for her live singing performances.

See Lucina's 'Meet the Queen' video

MANDY MOOBS (Brisbane, QLD), 33 - @mandymoobs

Brisbane’s most accomplished drag costumier, Mandy Moobs offers the most polished looks – some of which have already appeared on the mainstage of RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under! Known as the ‘mum’ of Brisbane, Mandy’s achievements include having been nominated for Best Drag Artist three years in a row and having represented Australia at the NZ Pride Ski week last year.

See Mandy's 'Meet the Queen' video

MAX DRAG QUEEN (Melbourne, VIC), 24 - @maxdragqueen

A formidable force on the Melbourne scene, Max Drag Queen is known for pulling out ALL the stunts on stage, as well as belonging to the Isis Avis Loren Dynasty. Max has previously won Best New Talent at the Melbourne’s Drag Awards, won countless drag competitions such as Dragathon, and appeared in a number of national campaigns. Many queens fear having to perform against Max Drag Queen!

See Max's 'Meet the Queen' video

NIKITA IMAN (Auckland, NZ), 27 - @nikitaiman

This Samoan beauty was birthed in the ballroom where she won her first category, “FACE” – which is exactly what she’ll be serving in the competition! After getting a taste of drag, Nikkita ventured out to explore the Auckland club scene and has been unstoppable ever since. Now based in Sydney, Nikita recently made the move to try and break into the scene there.

See Nikita's 'Meet the Queen' video

OLIVIA DREAMS (Wellington, NZ), 26 - @oliviadreamsnz

Olivia is a young, passionate and high performer who is up and coming on the Wellington scene. She’s been doing drag for three years now and is known for being the quintessential pop diva, able to serve a high energy dance number as well as a ballad. Her biggest achievement so far is producing her own drag show that toured nationwide. Olivia’s star is shining bright. Originally from Te Tai Tokerau and of Te Rarawa descent, she has been calling Te-Whanganui-a-Tara home for the last four years and aims to ensure that Rainbow Wellington is inclusive and supports diverse rainbow and disability communities.

See Olivia's 'Meet the Queen' video

VYBE (Sydney, NSW), 32 - @itsjustvybe

Vybe has been in the Sydney scene for the last 13 years, residing with her drag sister (and brother), RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under Season 1 contestant Coco Jumbo. Vybe is a polished queen with a killer sense of humour. A regular host at Universal, Stonewall and Arq Sydney, she has performed at major venues, festivals, parties and the incredible Mardi Gras After Party numerous times over the years, as well as working with high profile companies including Qantas, Disney and Playstation.

See Vybe's 'Meet the Queen' video

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The brand new season of the eight-part Stan Original Series will premiere Friday November 1, only on Stan, with Michelle Visage taking on the highly-regarded role as host for the first time in the 15 year history of the Drag Race franchise. Comedian Rhys Nicholson will also be returning to the main judging panel alongside rotating Down Under drag royalty. Extra special celebrity guest stars will be announced soon.

The Stan Original Series Drag Race Down Under is an 8x60’ World of Wonder production in collaboration with Warner Bros. International Production New Zealand for Stan in Australia, WOW Presents Plus everywhere else. Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato, Tom Campbell, and RuPaul Charles serve as Executive Producers. Cailah Scobie (Stan), Alicia Brown (Stan), Pip Rubira (WB), Nick Tanner (Passion) also serve as Executive Producers. Passion Distribution distributes the series globally in line with Passion Distribution and WOW’s distribution strategy.

The brand new season of the Stan Original Series Drag Race Down Under will premiere Friday November 1, only on Stan.

​For more information, contact Stan Publicity: stan.publicity@stan.com.au

For all Stan Publicity assets, go to: http://stan.news 

About World of Wonder: 

World of Wonder (WOW) has reshaped international pop culture, earning 33 Emmys, inspiring two Oscars, creating global network WOW Presents Plus across 190 territories, and bringing drag culture to the world stage via RuPaul’s Drag Race and DragCon. SVOD WOW Presents Plus, the exclusive home to the global Drag Race franchise and hundreds of WOW Original series, saw 35M hours of content watched in 2023 with 77% subscriber growth in the same year. WOW’s pioneering television portfolio includes other smash-hit franchises like Million Dollar Listing. Their film division WOW Docs produces groundbreaking documentaries including Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures, Party Monster, and The Eyes of Tammy Faye. WOW also operates YouTube channel WOWPresents, music label World of Wonder Records, the WOW Podcast Network, and year-round international live events. Co-founders Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato have been profiled in Variety’s Reality TV Impact Report and Hollywood Reporter’s Most Powerful Producers in Unscripted. Honors for their trailblazing work include the IDA Pioneer Award, Realscreen’s Global 100 list, Banff’s Impact Award, and the OUT 100. In 2022, World of Wonder was ranked #2 among film and TV powerhouses in Fast Company’s World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies.