The Switch Drag Race Explained

Genre:Reality competition
Based On:RuPaul's Drag Race
Director:Ricardo Durán
Country:Chile
Language:Spanish
Num Seasons:2
Num Episodes:55
Camera:Multiple
Runtime:60–90 minutes (without commercials)

The Switch Drag Race is a Chilean reality competition television series, presented by Mega as a Chilean version of the hit American show RuPaul's Drag Race. The purpose of the series is to find Chile's top transformista (transformer, drag queen) of the season.

Later, on the second season, the eligibility for competitors was expanded. The contestants were still predominantly from Chile & Argentina (with select returning queens from season one); the other half hailed everywhere from Puerto Rico, Spain, and Mexico, to Brazil and even France and the U.S.

The Switch was the second international localization of Drag Race, following Drag Race Thailand. Like the American version, The Switch requires its contestants to sing live, lip-sync, dance, and perform impersonations, but the show's format is significantly changed. It was later followed by British, Canadian, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, French, Filipino, Belgian, Swedish, Mexican, Brazilian, and German adaptations that much more closely followed the original Drag Race format.

Hosted by (one of the hosts of Mucho gusto, also on Mega), the first season of The Switch, subtitled El Arte de Transformismo, premiered on October 8, 2015, and ended on January 17, 2016. After over two years’ hiatus, The Switch returned to MEGA for a second season, subtitled Desafío Mundial, on Sunday, March 25, 2018. Season two ended on June 15, 2018.

Format

Season 1 of The Switch consisted of seventeen participants, often split into two groups, that were challenged with demonstrating their ability to perform makeovers, impersonate female characters, dance, lip-sync, and sing live on stage. Along with the demonstration of their skills, The Switch shows each contestant's life story, giving details of their personal experiences to Chilean viewers.

Season 2 consists of six returning contestants from the previous season as well as seven new contestants from outside of Chile. The participants being split up into two groups; one group consisting of the returning contestants and the other group formed from their challengers from around the world.

Judging

Judges on The Switch
JudgeOccupationCountry of OriginSeason
12
Uruguaycolspan="2"
Chilecolspan="2"
Chilecolspan="1"
Chilecolspan="1"
Argentinacolspan="1"
Coaches on The Switch
CoachOccupationCountry of OriginSeason
12
Uruguaycolspan="2"
Chilecolspan="2"
Chilecolspan="2"
Argentinacolspan="2"
Chilecolspan="1"
Chilecolspan="1"

Season 1

See main article: The Switch Drag Race (season 1).

Season 2

See main article: The Switch Drag Race (season 2).

See also