The stars of Canada’s Drag Race have rallied together to show support for judge Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman, after he deleted his Twitter account.
Over the course of the series – which marked the first time the RuPaul’s Drag Race has had its own Canadian edition – some viewers have felt that the judges’ critiques have been a little on the harsh side, with Jeffrey subsequently facing abuse online.
Following the latest episode, in which the queens made over refugees who had been helped by the organisation Rainbow Railroad, Jeffrey deleted his Twitter account, with many of the competitors now speaking out in his defence.
Top four contestant Priyanka tweeted: “Stop being mean to the judges, to us queens and to each other.
“I know, it’s a TV show and we all have something to say. But for a show that celebrates the LGBTQ2S+ community, we have to keep this home safe.”
Scarlett Bobo also wrote: “One more thing. Y’all coming for JBC from @canadasdragrace is honestly too much. IT’S A DAMN TV SHOW! We signed up to be judged.
“@StaceyMcKenzie1 @Bhytes1 and JBC DID THEIR JOB! JBC was one of the kindest people I’ve ever met and gave the most amazing pep talks EVERY FUCKING WEEK.
“I would look forward to the JBC pep talks because he made us feel special, powerful, and important. He gave us the best pep talks ever. This experience was amazing for all of us.
“Please don’t ruin this for us or the cast and the incredible judges we had on the show. This was a wonderful experience for each of us and we did this for you, the audience and the fans. We need to start spreading love and not hate. PLEASE stop the hate messages. PLEASE. Let’s share some positivity PLEASE.”
Juice Boxx – the first eliminated queen from the series – also shared her impassioned thoughts on the matter, while contestants Lemon and Ilona Verley retweeted their co-stars’ messages of support for Jeffrey:
International contestants like Crystal – a Canadian queen who competed on Drag Race UK – and Nina Bonina Brown also pointed out that Jeffrey was receiving more severe abuse from fans than his fellow judge Brooke Lynn Hytes.
In a statement, Crave – who air Canada’s Drag Race – said: ““The popularity of Canada’s Drag Race speaks volumes to the immense talent of our queens and phenomenal judges, and we couldn’t be more proud of them.
“Available in more than 160 countries around the world, Canada’s Drag Race has an international fan base, and it’s unfortunate that some of those fans have let their passion cross the boundary into harassment by posting hateful comments about our queens and judges online.
“There is no place for hate in the Canada’s Drag Race community, or anywhere. Our show encourages inclusivity and acceptance of all people, and we hope that viewers who haven’t shared in that spirit, will respect that message.”
Canada’s Drag Race airs on BBC Three in the UK.