The Switch Drag Race
GenreReality competition
Based onRuPaul's Drag Race
DirectorRicardo Durán[1]
PresenterKarla Constant
Judges
CountryChile
LanguageSpanish
Num seasons2
Num episodes55
Executive producer
  • Jaime Sepulveda
CameraMultiple
Runtime60–90 minutes (without commercials)
Network
First airedOctober 8, 2015
Last airedAugust 15, 2018
RelatedDrag Race franchise

The Switch Drag Race[2] is a Chilean reality competition television series, presented by Mega as a Chilean version of the hit American show RuPaul's Drag Race.[3][4] 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.

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.

Hosted by Karla Constant (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[5]
JudgeOccupationCountry of OriginSeason
12
Uruguaycolspan="2"
Actor
Chilecolspan="2"
Juan Pablo González
Musician
Chilecolspan="1"colspan="1"
Sebastián Errázuriz
Composer
Chilecolspan="1"colspan="1"
Composer
Argentinacolspan="1"colspan="1"
Coaches on The Switch
CoachOccupationCountry of OriginSeason
12
Nicole Gaultier
Drag entertainer
Uruguaycolspan="2"
Íngrid Cruz
Actor
Chilecolspan="2"
Singer and TV Personality
Chilecolspan="2"
Nicanor Bravo
Fashion designer
Argentinacolspan="2"
Darwin Ruz
Dancer
Chilecolspan="1"colspan="1"
Singer
Chilecolspan="1"colspan="1"

Season 1

Season 2

See also

References

  1. ^ "Director de "The switch": Queremos dignificar el oficio del transformista" [Director of "The Switch": We Want to Dignify the Art of Female Impersonation] (in Spanish), Cooperativa.cl, August 26, 2015
  2. ^ "The Switch Drag Race – Official Site" (in Spanish), Mega.cl
  3. ^ Blake Jacos (September 24, 2015), "RuPaul's Drag Race is Heading to Chile!", World of Wonder
  4. ^ Daniele Alcinii (September 25, 2015), ""Drag Race" heads to Chile for local version", Realscreen
  5. ^ "Jurado/Coach" [Judges/Coaches] (in Spanish), Mega.cl, archived from the original on August 27, 2017, retrieved August 26, 2017