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27 August 2026

RuPaul’s Drag Race UK season 8 guest judges to include Layton Williams, Duncan James and Cat Burns

RuPaul’s Drag Race UK series 8 will premiere 3 September 2026 at 7pm on BBC iPlayer and 9pm for BBC Three

By Aaron Sugg

Layton Williams, Duncan James and Cat Burns for RuPaul's Drag Race season 8
Layton Williams; Duncan James & Cat Burns (Images: Daniel Ellyot Moore;Owen James Vincent;Eleni Skordis)

RuPaul’s Drag Race UK series 8 has unveiled its star-studded line-up of guest judges and surprise appearances from the likes of Layton Williams, Cat Burns, Rick Astley and more.

The announcement comes one week before the new series graces our screens on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer on 3 September 2026.

The show will see 12 new queens compete for the title of the UK’s Next Drag Race Superstar, serving “charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent” at the highest calibre.

Speaking to Attitude, one of the series 8 queens competing for the crown, Lucky Roy Singh, the first Sikh South Asian queen to compete on the show, offered a glimpse of the drama to come.

“Some people like to throw a stone and hide their hand, but at the end of the day, I was onto them,” they teased.

Returning judges include RuPaul, Michelle Visage, Alan Carr and Graham Norton, who will be joined by 10 guest judges across all 10 episodes.

Guest judges on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK series 8

Thandiwe Newton

Thandiwe Newton for RuPaul’s Drag Race UK series 8
Thandiwe Newton (Image: BBC/World of Wonder/Liz Collins)

Anne-Marie

Anne-Marie for RuPaul’s Drag Race UK series 8
Anne-Marie (Image: Donny Johnson)

Cat Burns

Cat Burns for RuPaul’s Drag Race UK series 8
Cat Burns (Image: Eleni Skordis)

Kadiff Kirwan

Kadiff Kirwan for RuPaul’s Drag Race UK series 8
Kadiff Kirwan (Image: David Reiss)

Michèle Lamy

Michèle Lamy for RuPaul’s Drag Race UK series 8
Michèle Lamy (Image: Rafael Pavarotti)

Michelle de Swarte

Michelle de Swarte for RuPaul’s Drag Race UK series 8
Michele Lamy (Image: Rafael Pavarotti)

Rick Astley

Rick Astley for RuPaul’s Drag Race UK series 8
Rick Astley (Image: BBC/World of Wonder/Simon Emmett)

Erin O’Connor

Erin O’Connor for RuPaul’s Drag Race UK series 8
Erin O’Connor (Image: Douglas Irvine)

Layton Williams

Layton Williams for RuPaul’s Drag Race UK series 8
Layton Williams (Image: Daniel Ellyot Moore)

Martin Fry

Martin Fry for RuPaul’s Drag Race UK series 8
Martin Fry (Image: Sam Neill)

Celebrity cameos

Kristen McMenamy, Booty Luv, Claudimar Neto, Arian Nik, Duncan James, Mazz Murray for RuPaul's Drag Race series 8
Kristen McMenamy (Image: Kristen McMenamy), Booty Luv (Image: Ojomo photography), Claudimar Neto (Image: Vincent Jacque Flouret), Arian Nik (Image: David Reiss), Duncan James (Image: Owen James Vincent), Mazz Murray (Image: Neale Haynes)

The series will also feature cameo appearances from Arian Nik, actor and star of Daddy Issues; Blue heartthrob Duncan James; supermodel Kristen McMenamy; musical theatre star Mazz Murray; dance-pop duo Booty Luv; and choreographer Claudimar Neto.

RuPaul’s Drag Race UK series 8 will premiere 3 September 2026 at 7pm on BBC iPlayer and 9pm for BBC Three.

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