Bailey said it was a sign of the “horrible financial situations” broadcasters are currently facing.
“The team at the BBC are amazing and so passionate about the show, this is not an easy thing for any of the people I interacted with, or something they wanted to do,” he added.
Drag Race UK was consistently one of BBC Three’s most popular offerings, but according to Barb Audiences data, while average viewing figures for the series rose between 2022 and 2024, overall they’ve fallen around 15% over the past four years, against a backdrop of declining TV viewing figures across the board.
Bailey said the figures “haven’t plummeted,” but had instead fallen in line with other terrestrial TV shows, and said the number of viewers watching on social media had risen “because that’s where the audience has gone.”
Following the announcement, some viewers speculated the show could be acquired by another UK broadcaster, but Bailey suggested the show’s creators may prefer to go it alone.
“We love partnerships, but in this particular moment, having the freedom to make the show the way we want may be preferable to getting into bed with another broadcaster and potentially be in the same situation a few more seasons down the road.”
A BBC spokesperson said: “As the BBC continues to navigate significant financial pressures and deliver the savings required of us, we have had to make some very difficult choices, none of which have been taken lightly.”
