''Queen of the Universe'' is a

drag queen A drag queen is a person, usually male, who uses drag clothing and makeup to imitate and often exaggerate female gender signifiers and gender roles for entertainment purposes. Historically, drag queens have usually been gay men, and part of ...

singing competition television series produced by World of Wonder. The series is hosted by

Graham Norton Graham William Walker (born 4 April 1963), better known by his stage name Graham Norton, is an Irish actor, author, comedian, commentator, and presenter. Well known for his work in the UK, he is a five-time BAFTA TV Award winner for his comed ...

with the four judges coming from backgrounds in the worlds of music, drag, and reality TV competitions. The contestants competed for a cash prize of $250,000. The series premiered on

Paramount+ Paramount+ is an American subscription video on-demand service owned by Paramount Global. The service's content is drawn primarily from the libraries of CBS Media Ventures (including CBS Studios), Paramount Media Networks (formerly Viacom Media ...

on December 2, 2021. In February 2022, the series was renewed for a second season. The winner of the first season of ''Queen of the Universe'' was Grag Queen from Brazil, with Ada Vox from the U.S. finishing as the runner-up.

Production

On February 24, 2021,

Paramount Global Paramount Global ( doing business as Paramount) is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate owned and operated by National Amusements (79.4%) and headquartered at One Astor Plaza in Midtown Manhattan, New York. ...

and Paramount+ announced the international drag-singing competition ''Queen of the Universe'' from World of Wonder, the producers behind ''

RuPaul’s Drag Race ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' is an American reality competition television series, the first in the ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by World of Wonder for Logo TV (season 1–8), WOW Presents Plus, VH1 (season 9–14) and, beginning with the fi ...

'', with cast members to be named later. On September 27, 2021, it was announced that Graham Norton would be hosting the series. The judges were announced on October 28, 2021, as being

Leona Lewis Leona Louise Lewis (born 3 April 1985) is a British singer, songwriter, actress and activist. Born and raised in the London Borough of Islington, she attended the BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology in Croydon. Lewis achieved nationa ...

Michelle Visage Michelle Lynn Case (nee Shupack), better known as Michelle Visage (born September 20, 1968), is an American singer, television host, actress, radio DJ and producer. She first gained recognition as a member of the musical group Seduction which ...

Trixie Mattel Brian Michael Firkus (born August 23, 1989), better known by the stage name Trixie Mattel, is an American drag queen, television personality, and singer-songwriter originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She is known for her exaggerated, high-camp ...

and

Vanessa Williams Vanessa Lynn Williams (born March 18, 1963) is an American singer, actress, and fashion designer. She gained recognition as the first African-American woman to receive the Miss America title when she was crowned Miss America 1984. She resign ...

. The contestants for the first season were revealed on November 10, 2021. On February 15, 2022, it was announced that the series was renewed for a second season. In June 2022, it was announced that Mel B would replace Lewis as a judge in season 2 while Norton, Visage, Mattel and Williams would return.

Contestants

''Names and cities stated are at time of filming.'' Queen of the Universe Contestants at LA DragCon 2022 by dvsross

Elimination chart

14 drag queens from across the world will compete each week in a singing competition with new musical numbers and challenges performed in front of a live studio audience and a panel of judges.

Performance shows

Round 1: This Is Me (December 2)

Queens were to impress the judges with their W.A.P. - ''What they were wearing, All-star Attitude and Performances'' during these two-part premiere episodes. At the end of this round, six contestants were eliminated by the judges.

Round 2: Turn Back Time (December 9)

La Voix was initially eliminated in the previous round but was brought back by the judges. At the end of this round, the in-studio audience saved six Queens, leaving one of the bottom three Queens eliminated by the judges.

Round 3: Duets (December 16)

Queens paired themselves up and wrote an original song based on four categories. At the end of this round, the audience saved two pairs of Queens and eliminated one pair. The remaining pair must perform a "Survival Song" to stay in the competition, where the judges eliminated one more Queen.

Round 4: Bad Girls (December 23)

At the end of the semi-finals round, the audience sends two Queens to the finals, while the judges save one of the remaining Queens.

Round 5: Holi-Gay Finale (December 30)

The final three Queens perform two songs, and one Queen takes home the top prize of $250,000 and the title of Queen of the Universe.

Episodes

Awards and nominations

Notes

References

External links

* * {{RuPaul's Drag Race 2020s American LGBT-related television series 2021 American television series debuts 2021 in LGBT history American LGBT-related reality television series 2020s American music television series 2020s American reality television series Drag (clothing) television shows Music competitions in the United States Paramount+ original programming Singing talent shows Television series by World of Wonder (company) Television shows shot in London