“Drag Race France” season 2 shows that the drag queen show has become a real phenomenon

TELEVISION – A LEGENDARY success. In just two years, Drag Race France has become part of the French cultural landscape and is not about to leave it. France Télévisions’ drag queen competition show, imported from the United States, needs no introduction.

If season 1 had proven that the American franchise could find its audience in France, season 2 elevated it to the rank of phenomenon, which goes far beyond the borders of TV. The grand finale, broadcast this Friday August 25 at 10:55 p.m. live on France 2 and also available for streaming on Slash, is awaited by half a million faithful.

The episodes of this season were watched by an average of 512,000 people on television, according to figures from Médiamétrie relayed by 20 minutes. And that’s not counting the audiences on the francetv streaming platform.

Important guests

The success of a program is measured by viewers but also by the prestige of the guests who agree to participate. And for its season 2, Drag Race France offered itself an audience of stars.

In addition to the permanent jury, made up of Nicky Doll, Daphne Bürki and Kiddy Smile, the queens were judged by famous singers, such as Christine and the Queens, Amanda Lear, Juliette Armanet, Eddy de Pretto and Nicola Sirkis from Indochina.

After Jean-Paul Gaultier in season 1, the stylized Christian Louboutin also participated. And to reach an even wider audience, season 2 invited the writer Virginie Despentes or and the influencer Léna Mahfouf, known as Léna Situation.

A commercial success…

Faced with good audiences and fan loyalty, Endemol, the production company of Drag Race France, has launched an online merchandise store. Opened on July 1, it offers t-shirts, mugs and other goodies emblazoned with the show’s logo or the show’s wrestling phrases, such as “legendary” Or “I diverge”.

The first Drag Race France Live tour also sold out, and new dates were added at the Casino de Paris. Will the queens of season 2 take the stage as early as September 2023.

and international

It is not only in France that this season has broken records. Drag Race France was also broadcast abroad on the World of Wonder streaming platform, the American production box that owns all the franchises.

Nicky Doll revealed that season 2 was “the most watched of the year in the world”as reported by our colleagues from 20 minutes. It is also the highest rated on iMDb. The charm of French drag queens has operated.

Viewing parties across the country

This season 2 also stood out by leaving the framework of the sofa/TV evening. Everywhere in France, “viewing parties” organized themselves in bars, to watch the new episode every week among fans.

Moments of conviviality comparable to the World Cup, according to the fans that the HuffPost met at the Café Beaubourg in Paris at “La Vespiche”the viewing party organized by Vespi and Piche, two queens eliminated during season 2.

A final event

To end this successful season in style, the final was recorded in the presence of the public, Sunday August 20 at the Grand Rex in Paris. Places were limited – 2,800 people drawn – and more than 40,000 registrations were registered in just twenty minutes. The server, overloaded, even crashed.

In order to avoid leaks, several alternate endings were filmed. The fans of Drag Race France who were able to attend the recording of the final will therefore still have to wait until Friday evening to find out who will succeed Paloma. But no matter which queen will be crowned, season 2 has already won the hearts of the French.

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