Drag Race UK signs up TOWIE star and legendary diva Gemma Collins for season two

RuPaul and Gemma Collins

Gemma Collins will reportedly join Drag Race UK season two to play the Snatch Game.

RuPaul appears to be pulling out the big guns for the eagerly-anticipated new season, signing up The Only Way is Essex (TOWIE) star, fashion icon and musical virtuoso Gemma Collins for the Snatch Game.

The Diva Forever star reportedly agreed to find time in her busy schedule to grace the Drag Race UK set after weeks of negotiations, with a source telling the Daily Star: “Everyone is thrilled Gemma agreed to be part of the new series. She is a dream signing.

“Snatch Game is all about having a laugh, so Gemma is perfect for it.

“Last series saw contestant Cheryl Hole impersonate Gemma. So to now have Gemma taking part feels like things have gone full circle.”

Drag Race UK season two has been confirmed to air in “early 2021”, with RuPaul, Michelle Visage, Graham Norton and Alan Carr all returning to the judges’ table.

The BBC is keeping details of the new season tightly tucked, but that didn’t stop Dawn French from outing herself as a guest judge back in October.

“They did originally ask me to be a full-time judge, but I couldn’t – I don’t live in London. But I am going to be a guest judge in a couple of weeks,” she told Jessie Ware’s Table Manners podcast.

Production was forced to pause earlier this year due to the outbreak of COVID-19, but managed to resume just before the second English lockdown.

French revealed one of the big changes to be made because of the pandemic.

“I think there’s going to be Perspex between each judge kind of thing,” she said.

“That’s a shame because I really do want to touch Ru!”

“Our lips are sealed,” a representative of the BBC told PinkNews at the time.

“Our extra-special celebrity judges will be revealed in due course.”

The BBC has confirmed that a third season will air later in 2021, with RuPaul saying: “We feel honoured that you’ve embraced our little show, and our only wish is that we can offer a smile at a time when we can all use it the most.”