Bob the Drag Queen, Shangela, and Eureka Arent Here Anymore
Exercise queens.Bob the Drag Queen’s unlucky streak continues. First, her tour with Madonna, for which she will be the opening act, was postponed after the “Vogue” singer was hospitalized owing to a bacterial infection. Now, HBO’s We’re Here is changing hands for the upcoming fourth season, according to a press release. Bob, alongside Shangela and Eureka O’Hara, led the first three seasons of the show, in which citizens of various U.S. towns are given drag makeovers. The new hosts of the program will be season-nine Drag Race winner Sasha Velour (think rose petals), season-12 winner Jaida Essence Hall (think “Look over there!”), and Canada’s Drag Race season-one winner Priyanka (think “I Drove All Night” lip sync). Although it’s unclear what went into the decision, earlier this year, Shangela was accused of rape by former We’re Here employee Daniel McGarrigle. She denied the claim.
“We are extremely grateful for the opportunity we had the past three seasons to travel across the country, share our experiences, and connect with all of the courageous individuals who entrusted us with their stories,” Bob, Shangela, and Eureka said in a statement. “Our journey has inspired hope and sparked important conversations while empowering unique voices and opening new doors. As we move forward with our exciting individual projects, we welcome Sasha Velour, Priyanka, and Jaida Essence Hall, and wish them the best on continuing this work during an increasingly difficult time for the LGBTQ+ community.” In their statement, Jaida, Priyanka, and Sasha said they “have been so inspired by the stories and important work that has been done over the last three seasons of We’re Here. We look forward to continuing this journey throughout the country to uplift voices, spread love, and showcase new stories through the art of drag. We thank the entire We’re Here team for choosing us to join this life-changing experience.”
In a change of format, rather than looking at a new town each episode, the upcoming fourth season will focus on two specific towns, Variety reports. The episodes will examine anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and its effects on the town’s residents. While the towns have not yet been announced, none of the three new hosts — unlike all three of the previous hosts — are from the South, where many episodes of the previous seasons were set. Between Padma Lakshmi being replaced by Kristen Kish on Top Chef and the new queens of We’re Here, keep an eye out for a Jeff Probst retirement to complete the rule of threes. (Just kidding — Jeff Probst will never retire.)
This post has been updated with statements.
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