RuPaul's Drag Race UK series 4 episode 1 runway recap: All the BBC icons and 'Ru Are You?' looks

The contestants served BBC realness and told us who they are as they made their RuPaul’s Drag Race UK series four runway debut. Here’s every look that hit the runway.

RuPaul’s Drag Race UK series four is underway, with our diva’s dozen serving their first two runway looks.

Warning: This article contains a reference to a homophobic slur.

The series premiere paid tribute to the BBC’s 100th anniversary, with a “BBC Keepin’ it 100” runway that gave a drag spin to TV icons like Mr Blobby, Del Boy and Pudsey Bear.

Usually, it’s tradition for Drag Race UK contestants to serve a hometown-inspired look in episode one, but as they already showcased those looks during this year’s Meet the Queens, the queens were asked to serve two new looks.

For their first look, the racers celebrated the BBC characters and TV shows that inspired them. And for their second look, the queens were tasked with showcasing their signature look, with runway challenge entitled “Ru Are You?”.

It was quite an introduction to the fabulous new cast of RPDRUK.

Here's all the runway looks for RuPaul's Drag Race UK series 4 episode 1.

For her “Keepin’ it 100” look, Cheddar channeled a throwback TV icon. Cheddar's look is from a bygone era, when there were but a few TV channels and they didn’t run for 24 hours. When it was not broadcasting overnight, the BBC would show Test Card F, which was an image of a girl playing noughts and crosses on a blackboard alongside a toy clown called Bubbles. Cheddar reimagined that clown, creating what she called "glamour on the edge of sanity".

Cheddar called her “Ru Are You?” look a “post-industrial non-binary alien warrior diety,” complete with a metal headpiece and something no woman should be without – a massive hammer.

Here’s one Jonbers made earlier – her tribute to the world’s longest-running kid’s TV show, Blue Peter. After all, a Blue Peter badge is almost as good as a RuPeter one. Jonbers carried a blue ship representing the show’s classic logo, with a white and blue ensemble representing the show’s signature colours.

Her second look was a family affair. Jonbers turned her dad’s motorcycle leathers into a crop top and shorts. To quote Ru, “a family that drags together, stays together.”

Le Fil was a queen in need. She gave a drag spin to charity icon Pudsey the Bear, who has been Children in Need’s mascot since 1985 (coincidentally, this week’s guest judge Dame Joanna Lumley was the person who first unveiled Pudsey on TV.)

Le Fil celebrated her Chinese heritage with her second look, which she described as her “Union Jack, red, east meets west superhero” look. In Chinese culture, red symbolises luck, joy, and happiness, and brides wear red to ward off evil. (For Le Fil’s sake, let’s hope red also wards off shade.)

Sminty paid tribute to Antiques Roadshow – but not by dressing as host Fiona Bruce. Instead, she became an antique lamp. The judges’ comments were illuminating: Michelle Visage called it “mindblowing.”

The historical references continued with what Sminty called the “Renaissancey feel” of her second look, with a wig so big that she had to duck onto the runway. Graham Norton called look "flawless".

Baby said “irie” to the judges by bringing CBeebies’ reggae-playing rodent Rastamouse to life. Her look was a more glamorous take on Rastamouse’s white T-shirt, paired with a traditional Jamaican Marshall hat and dreadlocks to pay tribute to Rastafarians in Baby’s neighborhood.

Baby’s tribute to black excellence continued with her “Ru Are You?” look. Her outfit was inspired by her nan’s sofa, with her hair based on a traditional Nigerian style.

Dakota Schiffer was a “terribly gorgeous Tudor” for her RuPaul’s Drag Race UK runway debut, channeling a Horrible Histories sketch in which Anne Boleyn (Gemma Whelan) goes on First Dates to meet Henry VIII (Tom Stourton). The real-life Anne may have lost her head, but Dakota kept hers as she went through the nerve-wracking ordeal of hitting the Drag Race UK main stage for the first time.

Dakota has spoken at length in the past about how her passion for fashion was her gateway into drag, so it's no surprise her "Ru Are You?" look was a couture reference. For her second look of the night, Dakota brought two of her biggest fashion inspirations to the stage – the fashion house Valentino and their frequent muse, actress Anya Taylor-Joy.

Danny chose something “iconically British and terrifying” for their first look: Mr Blobby, whose “blobby, blobby, blobby” cry on Noel’s House Party traumatised ‘90s kids everywhere. Danny’s Blobby mixed pink and yellow spots with a little Leigh Bowery, the 1980s London nightlife icon known for extravagant, body-transforming looks.

For the “Ru Are You?” look, Danny continued to serve club kid-inspired looks that played with gender, as well as serving her trademark white face.

The Queen Victoria bust has gone through a lot on EastEnders, getting smashed, stolen and even used as a murder weapon. On Drag Race UK, it makes its runway debut. Just May chose the Queen Vic herself because of her love of the soap, and even added a prop pint for added realism.

Just May took “Ru Are You?” literally, serving face with a dress covered in drawings of herself. A smart move – if the key to episode 1 of any Drag Race season is to be memorable, then Just May ensured we will never forget her face.

Drag Queens are more used to spilling tea, but for her BBC look Copper spilled the soup. In Meet the Queens, Copper cited Victoria Wood as an inspiration. She paid tribute to the comedian with her version of a character from Wood’s sketch show, a doddery old waitress (Julie Walters) who spills all of the customers’ soup.

Copper made an anti-bullying statement with her second look. The reveal gave Copper Topp a stance against her bullies. By reclaiming their hurtful words she turned her outfit in to both an anti bullying statement and a fashion statement. Touché!

Starlet became Patsy Stone, the alcoholic fashionista from ‘90s BBC comedy Absolutely Fabulous, which she served in front of the original Patsy, Dame Joanna Lumley. The back of the Chanel-inspired suit read “bitch troll from hell” – Patsy’s favourite nickname for nemesis Saffy (Julia Sawalha).

Starlet’s second look was pure old Hollywood glamour. It had three inspirations – Cinderella, 1940s movie star Lana Turner, and Glinda the Good Witch from The Wizard of Oz.

Pixie’s “BBC Keepin’ It 100” look was a “lovely jubbly” spin on Del Boy (David Jason), the Cockney wheeler-dealer from sitcom Only Fools and Horses (which Pixie watches with her dad). In a Drag Race UK spin, Pixie opened her coat, revealing a batch of RuPeter badges.

Pixie’s second look had a BBC weather flavour. Her leotard looked like the classic weather symbol for a sunny cloudy day, with a rainbow cape giving it a “classic end of the pier” vibe.

“You wait for one drag Mr. Blobby to arrive,” Graham said of Black Peppa, “and then you get two.” Peppa was a more editorial Blobby, with the surreal touch of some big floppy fingers.

Black Peppa suffered a wardrobe malfunction with look two. Though her chocolate headdress fell off, Black Peppa was able to serve cocoa couture nonetheless. Joanna led the praise of the ensemble, calling it “out of this world.”

RuPaul’s Drag Race UK series four airs Thursdays on BBC Three. Episode one is streaming on BBC iPlayer now.

Originally published 22 September 2022.