Canada’s Drag Race fans devastated as ‘iconic’ judge Stacey McKenzie leaves show
Stacey McKenzie attends the ‘Grace Jones: Bloodlight And Bami’ premiere on 7 September 2017 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Walter McBride/FilmMagic)
Canada’s Drag Race is saying goodbye to supermodel and judge Stacey McKenzie ahead of the show’s second season, and fans are devastated.
The show’s social media accounts revealed McKenzie will not return to the reality drag competition series due to “COVID-related challenges”. Canada’s Drag Race official Instagram account added: “We’ll miss her killer lewks, positive vibes and energy but know that she’ll be cheering on the S2 queens!”
The account also promised there would be “updates on our judges soon”.
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Sources close to the production team told Entertainment Weekly that McKenzie was unable to travel to Canada to film the upcoming season due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Canada’s Drag Race fans have shared their devastation by the news that the beloved judge will not be appearing in the upcoming season.
Season one star BOA commented “STACEYYY” on the Instagram post with a crying emoji and a heart. She then declared that she “would like to apply to be a judge” on the show.
Another person wrote that McKenzie was the “reason I watch” the Canadian series because she is an “icon” and a “legend”.
Fans also shared their reactions to the gut-wrenching news on Twitter.
Looks like y’all just gonna have to delay the season then pic.twitter.com/kBi2hYwwRC
— Josef Thee Ziegler #FreeBritney (@JosefZiegler) June 28, 2021
cancel it then, she was the best thing on the show
— Parcela no Credito pf (@likefda) June 28, 2021
Oh yay, the only good judge is out? I feel so bad for the poor queens competing on Season 2…
— yuki (@yukister) June 28, 2021
I loved her she was the best judge on the show pic.twitter.com/LL2KWWfrhb
— Antonin (@Antonio_ODrwho) June 28, 2021
DELAY THE SEASON. THE GAYS WANT MS STACEY MCKENZIE. https://t.co/VRUt33g0Bf— ;’) (@mecccos) June 28, 2021
Part of the fun of #CanadasDragRace S01 was watching Twitter light up with love from around the world for Stacey McKenzie after every episode. Wish her the best on a speedy recovery! https://t.co/RUxOK5o65n— Justin Stayshyn ?️?? (@UnionSt) June 28, 2021
Gay comedian Rhys Nicholson, who is a judge on Drag Race Down Under, even joked that he’s “around” if they want him to step into McKenzie’s spot on the panel.
I’m around.
— Rhys Nicholson (@rhysnicholson) June 28, 2021
Stacey McKenzie was part of the original trio of judges across season one of Canada’s Drag Race. Actor Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman exited the show earlier this year due to prior commitments with Disney Plus’ Doogie Howser reboot Doogie Kameāloha, MD.
This means the only remaining Canada’s Drag Race panellist from the first season is Drag Race star Brooke Lynn Hytes. There has been no news on who would be joining her on the judge’s panel yet for the upcoming season.
The second season of Canada’s Drag Race is expected to debut shortly on the WOW Presents Plus streaming app, according to EW.
