RuPaul’s Drag Race UK has officially crowned its series eight winner, with London queen Flesh taking home the crown and £25,000 cash prize following a fabulous grand finale on Thursday 5 November. After ten weeks of runway looks, lip-sync battles, challenges and plenty of drama, RuPaul Charles announced Flesh as the UK’s Next Drag Race Superstar, beating fellow finalists Mocha and Naya Thorn in the final showdown.
The finale brought the remaining four queens, Alik, Flesh, Mocha and Naya Thorn, back to the werkroom for one last challenge. With choreographer Claudimar Neto on hand, the finalists were tasked with performing a special megamix of some of Drag Race UK’s most memorable girl group songs, giving them one final opportunity to impress RuPaul and the judges.
Michelle Visage, Alan Carr and Graham Norton returned to the judging panel, while the eliminated queens also made an appearance for a final runway celebration. Last year’s winner Bones was also back to hand over the crown, making the evening even more special for one of the finalists.
Who Won RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Series 8?
Following the final challenge, RuPaul announced that Alik would be leaving the competition in fourth place, leaving Flesh, Mocha and Naya Thorn to battle for the crown. The remaining three queens then performed a final lip-sync to David Bowie’s “Modern Love”, with RuPaul ultimately declaring Flesh the winner.
The victory was especially emotional for Flesh, as reigning champion Bones is not only her best friend but also her drag sister. The pair are known together as Flesh and Bones and are both members of London’s Heavenly Bodies drag family, meaning the crown has now stayed within the same drag family for two consecutive series.
Reacting to her win, Flesh said: “Oh my god, this is crazy! I am over the moon, RuPaul where is my cheque?! To be here with Bones is just the perfect moment, this is everything I have ever dream of and more, and I am so proud of myself!”
There was also one more award to celebrate during the finale, with Paris Baby being named this year’s Miss Congeniality. RuPaul revealed that she’d won the vote by “a landslide”, which was pretty hilarious considering how many arguments she’d been involved in throughout the series. Paris herself joked “From blocked to besties.” as she accepted the award, and clearly, despite all the drama, her fellow queens still had plenty of love for her.
Is RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Returning for Series 9?
The series eight finale was also a bittersweet occasion for fans, as it marked the end of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK’s time on the BBC. The broadcaster confirmed in September that it would no longer commission the popular competition due to financial pressures, bringing its eight-series run on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer to an end. But don’t sashay away just yet! Drag Race UK isn’t gone for good, with the franchise moving to streaming platform WOW Presents Plus and the first ever RuPaul’s Drag Race UK: All Stars already confirmed for autumn 2027.
For CultureCues, we’ve loved this series of Drag Race UK, and what a brilliant final four. We would have been happy seeing any of them take the crown, although Mocha and Flesh were our favourites going into the finale. Flesh is a stunning, stunning queen, and we’re so happy she won. Her runway looks have been incredible throughout the series, and that final outfit was no exception. She absolutely slayed the final lip-sync too, so it was a well-deserved win, made even more special by having her best friend Bones hand over the crown. It just shows how much talent there is in their drag family. We also had a good laugh at Paris Baby winning Miss Congeniality, considering how much of the series she spent arguing with everyone. She certainly lived up to the ‘Baby’ part of her name at times, but you could tell the other queens loved her, even if she was a bit like an annoying little sister. It’s a shame this is the last series on the BBC, especially after another fantastic season, but at least Drag Race UK isn’t going anywhere. What a way to finish its BBC run!
RuPaul’s Drag Race UK series eight is available to stream now on BBC iPlayer.
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Nikki Murray is a UK-based writer, screenwriter and founder & editor of CultureCues, covering film, television, music and pop culture. Her work focuses on storytelling and the moments shaping modern entertainment.