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Ariana Grande joins RuPaul's Drag Race 2-episode season 15 premiere as guest judge

The singer will appear on the show's panel for the first time since season 7 when it moves from VH1 to MTV in 2023.

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Published on December 14, 2022 12:00PM EST

Ariana Grande is gearing up to share her positions on the new cast of queens for RuPaul's Drag Race season 15.

MTV announced Wednesday that the pop superstar will appear as a guest judge across the Emmy-winning series' two-part season 15 premiere in January, marking her first time on the Drag Race panel since season 7.

Ariana Grande will be a guest judge on RuPaul's Drag Race — Ariana Grande joins 'RuPaul's Drag Race' season 15 premiere as guest judge. MTV (2)

Grande is set to judge both episodes of the two-part premiere, alongside mainstay judges Michelle Visage, Ross Mathews, and Mama RuPaul. The first episode of the two-part premiere will air commercial-free, while the second will have limited ad interruptions.

Drag Race season 15 will feature the largest cast in the her-story of the show, with 16 contestants — including legendary pageant queen Sasha Colby and viral TikTok twins Sugar and Spice, among others — vying for the crown and a record-high $200,000 cash prize.

In addition to returning to the panel for the first time since April 2015, Grande's music has played an integral role on RuPaul's Drag Race over the years, particularly for fan-favorite queen Valentina, who infamously refused to remove her face mask during a lip-sync to the singer's tune "Greedy" back in season 9. Valentina later redeemed herself on RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 4, winning a lip-sync-for-her-legacy to Grande's Dangerous Woman single "Into You." Her songs have also appeared as lip-sync tracks on seasons 7, 10, 12, 13, All Stars 5, and All Stars 6, making her one of the show's most-lip-synced artists.

The Drag Race franchise also recently announced that a new Global All Stars competition is in the works, as well as new international spin-offs in Brazil, Mexico, and Germany, all set to premiere on Paramount+.

MTV has set the RuPaul's Drag Race season 15 premiere date for Jan. 6 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, immediately followed by Untucked.

Subscribe toEW's BINGE podcast for full recaps of RuPaul's Drag Race, including reactions with the cast, special guests, and more.

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