Skip to main content

Home Culture Culture Film & TV

Michelle Visage and Detox slam VH1 for hiring Wendy Williams as ‘Drag Race’ host

By Joshua Haigh

Wendy Williams has been appointed the host of VH1’s Drag Race viewing party – and people aren’t happy.

After the first episode of season nine became the most watched in the show’s long history, the competition’s new broadcaster picked Wendy to front their new show, which airs before new episodes of Drag Race and during the ad breaks.

Blasting the decision to have Wendy front the show, former Drag Race star Detox rushed to social media and told fans that the chat show host – who has been labelled ‘”transphobic” in the past – is an “enemy” of the community.

“Wendy Williams should not be hosting the RuPaul’s Drag Race viewing party on VH1. She is NOT an ally. She is transphobic. If anything, she is an ENEMY. An enemy profiting off our community. Fuck. That,” wrote the star.

Most tellingly, a comment from RuPaul’s best friend, Michelle Visage, underneath the post simply read: “Yep”.

Past winner, Alaska, also condemned the move in a statement to LGBT website, Unicorn Booty.

“I certainly don’t think she is the right person to be hosting our community’s flagship television program,” she explained.

“I think it’s good for Drag Race to be moving toward the mainstream. I’m grateful for the move to VH1. I’m glad that one million people watched the first episode of Season 9.

Our message is one of love and acceptance and truth and strength and perseverance, and I believe it should reach everyone, near and far,” added the Drag star.

Attitude has approached RuPaul for comment.

More stories:
The enduring gay appeal of Doctor Who
Sherlock star leads new BBC series charting 100 years of being gay in Britain