It’s rare for a TV show to lose its biggest star and then make its best series yet, but that’s exactly what happened when RuPaul walked away from Drag Race Down Under in 2024.
Season four, which crowned Melbourne Queen Lazy Susan Australia’s second winner, concluded on Friday to rave reviews on social media.
When it launched in 2021, Down Under was the seventh version of the show and the third to feature RuPaul as host, with Michelle Visage, who has judged the US show since 2011, and Australian comedian Rhys Nicholson completing the panel.
The joint Australian and New Zealand franchise was widely regarded as the worst of the more than 20 international editions of Ru’s giant reality TV competition.
Daily Mail Australia sat down with co-runners of Oxford Street stalwart Vybe and Brisbane queen Mandy Moobs to ask them what’s changed.
“The beauty of this season is the brotherhood that was forming and we all supported each other in that,” said Vybe, 32, an Oxford Street stalwart. ‘There was that feeling that you do what you can for the good of the show, not for the individual artist. “If the show is 10, everyone looks 10, so I’m very proud that we all achieved that.”
Lazy Susan (second left) has been crowned the next winner of Drag Race Down Under, taking home $50,000 in prizes after an intimate party on Sydney’s Oxford Street.
Sydney drag queen Vybe (pictured) was crowned runner-up in the season four finale.
Ru withdrew from presenting the fourth season
When RuPaul announced that he would not be hosting RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under due to scheduling conflicts surrounding the promotion of his memoirs, fans feared that the fourth season could be his last.
However, by moving his right-hand woman, Michelle Visage, to the driver’s seat, new life was breathed into the series.
“I don’t think it was because Ru wasn’t there (that the show was successful), but partly because Michelle was,” Vybe said.
‘She came with such a motherly, caring energy. I don’t feel like we had those producer-driven dramatic scenes between us or made-up fights. Or too much wild drama attacking each other because it didn’t seem like the season called for it.”
“Michelle is so fabulous I can’t praise her enough,” added finalist Mandy Moobs.
The Brisbane seamstress, 33, said as host Michelle was “really interested in each of us”.
‘He wanted to know who we were, what our background was and what our challenges were.
“She wanted us to be successful and the season to be successful, and it was.”
Ru Paul’s right-hand woman Michelle Visage has taken over as host for the fourth season, which is being hailed by fans and critics as the series’ best yet. in the photo
Ru Paul (left) accepts the award for Outstanding Reality Competition Program at the 75th Emmy Awards in Los Angeles in January.
The finalists of the fourth season of Drag Race Down Under in the ‘werk’ room
Vybe has performed on Sydney’s Oxford Street for 13 years and is a regular at venues including Universal, Stonewall and Arq.
“Being able to reach my goal, which was the finish, with this cast, there’s nothing I can complain about,” he said of finishing in second place. “We were all there to celebrate and cheer each other on.”
‘We made some jokes and comments, but that’s what Australian drag is. “We are all there to support each other and we are happy to be the butt of the joke and criticize someone else if they are being an idiot.”
In place of Mother Ru, season four also featured a revolving door of local celebrity guest judges, including Peach PRC, G Flip, Ladyhawke, and drag performers like Kween Kong.
“Having a panel of judges who understand, live and breathe, and who are icons of the local scene is the biggest positive change I’ve seen this season,” Vybe continued.
“Having someone we knew, or who could join in on the joke you’re telling, gave us all room to breathe and creativity to play.”
‘This season is camping. It was fun. It never felt like a competition. “It was like a fun reunion with the girls,” Mandy added.
‘We all got together as a group and decided: let’s make really good television. There were no huge egos that wanted to be the center of attention.”
“We wanted everyone to have at least one moment to shine and that came through on screen.”
He’s still hungover from the post-final celebrations at Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley and says he’s now booked until April.
All four seasons of Ru Paul’s Drag Race Down Under are now available to stream on Stan.