RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race gets even more secret with second season

Get ready for the most dramatic Ru-veals yet: RuPaul’s Secret Celebrity Drag Race is almost back. The stakes are higher, the queens more fabulous, and the drama more delicious than ever before.

Last season, three celebrities would compete to be crowned the champion at the end of each episode. This time around, nine celebrities will compete head-to-head until just one queen is left standing with an ultimate prize of $100,000 on the line for that star’s favorite charity.

But there’s another twist in this season’s formula that may feel a bit familiar. Namely, the “secret” aspect of RuPaul’s Secret Celebrity Drag Race is being taken way more seriously, as it appears the show will keep their identities hidden from the audience and the judges while they “undergo complete drag transformations, and compete in the ultimate lip sync showdown,” as per a press release.

If last season was a star-studded RuPaul’s Drag U, this season seems to be The Masked Singer in drag. Like FOX’s insane secret identity franchise, contestants in the teaser give interviews that hide their appearance, and the judges exclaim that “Oh my, we had no idea it was so-and-so under that costume!”

The change is also evident in the set design, which, instead of Ru’s classic runway, is a roomy stage in front of a large studio audience. The Lip Sync For Your Life production value has kicked up a notch, too, as the celeb queens appear to have an army of attractive backup dancers at their disposal.

Contestants will be mentored by “Queen Supremes” Brooke Lynn Heights, Jujubee, and Monét X Change, with guest appearances from Drag Race faves Eureka, Gottmik, Katya, Morgan McMichaels, Silky Nutmeg Ganache, and Violet Chachki. Host RuPaul returns alongside judges Michelle Visage, Carson Kressley, and Ross Mathews. RuPaul’s Secret Celebrity Drag Race premieres on August 12, 2022, on VH1.