Rita Ora Didn't Show Up For 'Drag Race UK,' So a Mannequin Stood In

Home>
Culture>
TV>
Rita Ora Didn't Show Up For Drag Race UK, So a Mannequin Stood In
Rita Ora Didn't Show Up For Drag Race UK, So a Mannequin Stood In
When the British popstar was a no-show, a bearded mannequin had to step up to the plate!
By Raffy ErmacMarch 17 2021 / 2:22 PM
Raffy Ermac
Raffy is a Los Angeles-based writer, editor, video creator, critic, and digital director of Out Magazine. The former editor-in-chief of PRIDE, he is also a die-hard Rihanna and Sailor Moon stan who loves to write about all things pop culture, entertainment, and identities. Follow him on Instagram (@raffyermac) and Twitter (@byraffy), and subscribe to his YouTube channel. 
 See Full Bio 
Trending Stories
Messenger RNA could be the key to an HIV vaccine — but RFK Jr.'s cuts pose a threat
Thanks to U=U, HIV-positive people can live long, happy, healthy lives
Trump quietly bans federal health insurance from covering gender-affirming care
An HIV survivor once helped Superman star Christopher Reeve, and was helped in return
Florida threatens to blast rainbow crosswalks away if city governments won't do it
'Messy White Gays' creator Drew Droege reveals cast & show's inspirations
The Talk: Starting the conversation
Malcolm-Jamal Warner leaves behind an enduring HIV legacy with his groundbreaking 1992 film
Terence Stamp’s iconic role in 'Priscilla' was a beacon of hope for LGBTQ+ visibility in 1994
A guide to the 'Boots' actors, characters, and gay storylines
How Bob Mackie became your favorite gay icon's favorite designer
NYC's West Village was the birthplace of Pride. Now it's a battleground for survival.
Ricky Martin teases Jamie King collab for 2025 VMAs—and we're gagging
Aubrey Plaza reflects on grief: 'A giant ocean of awfulness'
How the Black AIDS Institute continues to fill in the gaps
Recommended Stories for You
When love sinks, set sail for the Hudson Navigator
Julia Fox comes out as pansexual—still not interested in dating men
Checking out: nhow London, the city’s coolest hotel
This heavenly hotel in the heart of Hell's Kitchen is the perfect oasis
Top 10 LGBTQ+ beach towns perfect for Pride and summer fun
Cruising the world helped this gay couple find lasting love
Anger at male cheerleaders reveals what conservatives really think about women
I faced hate from every side. Morocco showed me another way to lead
“I felt like a butterfly”: Niko Flowers on reclaiming life with HIV
When renaming MSNBC to MS NOW, did the branding team use a MAGA focus group?
Colman Domingo admits he 'almost joined a cult' in Mexico City
Dancer. Healer. Survivor. DéShaun Armbrister is all of the above
Wilderness, woods, and Wigstock: Drag icons light up the Catskills
Adult stars Milo Miles & Apolo Adrii reveal how long they'll stay in the sexy industry
​The Talk​: Navigating your treatment
Need an escape from American anxiety? Consider Colombia.
Gays went feral at an iconic Pride celebration in Pensacola, Florida
Backpacking couple has the most lesbian honeymoon ever by hiking to see Pattie Gonia
A Night Out in San Diego: A queer couple’s moonlit travel guide
If it means saving Ukraine and not caving to Putin, European leaders think the answer is kissing Trump’s a**
Electric Forest is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for everyone in the LGBTQ+ community
Mamma Mia! Former Village People Cowboy Jim Newman is back on Broadway
BREAKING: Supreme Court rules to save free access to preventive care, including PrEP
The Talk: Beyond the exam room
Target's CEO to step down after store's sluggish performance — and amid pro-LGBTQ+ pushback
You know what they: no matter what, the show must go on! And that's apparently the mantra the Drag Race UK season 2 production team had to utter to themselves when British singer-songwriter and guest judge Rita Ora was a no-show for last week's episode...

    

The British singer-songwriter, who is probably best known for her years-old tracks like "I Will Never Let You Down," "RIP," and "How We Do," reportedly didn't show up to taping last November (when last week's Drag Race UK episode was filmed) due to disagreements about her entourage.
Sign Me Up!
Get a roundup of the best in LGBTQ+ culture delivered to your inbox weekly.
Enter your email
Luckily, the Drag Race UK team was quick to act and replaced Rita (who has guest judged for Ru before during a 2019 episode of All Stars 4) with someone they knew wouldn't flake out on them: a bearded mannequin named Mickey. (Or rather, Mickayyy!)
\u201clol apparently we got that stupid mannequin on #DragRaceUK this week because Rita Ora just didn't show up to guest judge   https://t.co/4bGdXHtu75\u201d
 — Jarett Wieselman (@Jarett Wieselman)
        1615819728
 "Everyone on set was anticipating Rita’s arrival but, when she didn’t show up, producers had to use their heads and came up with the idea of decorating a mannequin," an unnamed, inside source told the Daily Mail. "Surprisingly, it worked out okay and became a running joke."
And now, Mickey is the delight of the internet! 
\u201cSo I hear Rita Ora cancelled her guest judge spot on #DragRaceUK and they replaced her with a mannequin. \n\nBet the mannequin was more talented and pleasant to work with.\u201d
 — Hannah-Jayne Wild (@Hannah-Jayne Wild)
        1615899189
\u201cCan they replace Rita Ora on The Masked Singer with the mannequin as well? \ud83d\udc40\u201d
 — Craig Mitchell (@Craig Mitchell)
        1615823892
\u201cListening to the newest @whoweekly and multiple people on the train turned and stared at me because I was not able to contain my cackling at @lindseyweber correctly observing that \u201cRita Ora would not have been able to give what the mannequin gave.\u201d\u201d
 — Michael Salaz\u00e1r (@Michael Salaz\u00e1r)
        1615923841
Has a new superstar just been born?!? We guess so!

        
        FROM OUR SPONSORS
        
    

        
        The Latest
        
    
Celebrities
        19 deliciously hot celebrity boys who are single-handedly getting us through the week
    
Ariel Messman-Rucker
Aug 20, 2025
Celebrities
        Are Christine Baranski and King Princess dating? Here’s why fans & Hannah Einbender are convinced
    
Rachel Shatto
Aug 20, 2025
Interviews
        Meet Clayton Farris — the handsome queer actor starring in 'Weapons'
    
Ricky Cornish
Aug 20, 2025
Music
        KATSEYE's new denim ad shows Sydney Sweeney how it's done
    
Taylor Henderson
Aug 20, 2025
Watch Now: Pride Today

        
        More For You
        
    
TV
        AJ & Britney survived 'The Ultimatum,' but say the real story never made it to Netflix
    
Andrew J. Stillman
August 13 2025 / 12:57 PM
AJ & Britney The Ultimatum: Queer Love

        Netflix
    
If you watched The Ultimatum: Queer Love season two, you know it ate and left no crumbs. 
The sapphic spinoff of Netflix’s high-stakes relationship experiment split up six queer couples and paired them with new “trial wives” for three chaotic weeks before reuniting them to make the big decision: marry or move on. And while many cast members caught heat for messy behavior (hi, Dayna), one couple shocked everyone by surviving the chaos and getting engaged: AJ and Britney.
Keep ReadingShow less

        
        Most Popular
        
    
Celebrities
        Charlie Gillespie is hiding his goods with just a guitar and the gays are going feral
    
Ariel Messman-Rucker
Aug 14, 2025
Celebrities
        Hasan Piker's sexy new pics have the gays losing their minds
    
Ricky Cornish
Aug 14, 2025
Celebrities
        Gabby Windey and Reneé Rapp talk scissoring and strap-ons in the most lesbian conversation ever
    
Ariel Messman-Rucker
Aug 14, 2025
Celebrities
        Taylor Zakhar Perez & Michael Cimino share sexy gym selfie that has the gays in a frenzy
    
Ariel Messman-Rucker
Aug 15, 2025
Viral
        What is dwerking? This new TikTok trend has bulges flying and gays spiraling
    
Ariel Messman-Rucker
Aug 12, 2025
Viral
        OnlyFans star is going viral for having his mom rate the hot men he’s filmed with
    
Ariel Messman-Rucker
Aug 18, 2025
Sign Me Up!
Get a roundup of the best in LGBTQ+ culture delivered to your inbox weekly.
Enter your email
TV
        Is Netflix's 'The Hunting Wives' season 2 happening? Here's what we know
    
Moises Mendez Ii
August 07 2025 / 3:29 PM
Malin Akerman and Brittany Snow on The Hunting Wives.

        Kent Smith/Lionsgate
    
Netflix's gun-toting sapphic series The Hunting Wives is teasing a comeback after the first season ended on a serious cliffhanger. The show, starring Brittany Snow as a woman who moves from Massachusetts to Texas with her partner, and there she meets Malin Akerman's Margo and her friends, a group of housewives with some dark secrets.
Keep ReadingShow less
TV
        ​'South Park' eviscerates Kristi Noem for killing a puppy and abusing Botox​
    
Ryan Adamczeski
August 07 2025 / 3:20 PM
Kristi Noem's face melts from too much Botox on 'South Park'

        Courtesy of Paramount+
    
South Park isn't letting up on the Trump Administration as its new season premieres, with the second episode being dedicated to mocking Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.
While Cartman continues to struggle with his anti-woke "schtick" being used by everyone else — this time "masterdebater" Clyde, who has become a far-right podcast host akin to Andrew Tate or Charlie Kirk — Mr. Mackey decides to join Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to make more money. 
Keep ReadingShow less
TV
        Rylie Jeffries' bulge on 'Big Brother' sends gay fans into a frenzy
    
Ricky Cornish
August 06 2025 / 5:07 PM
Rylie Jeffries on Big Brother.

        Sara Mally/CBS
    
Fans weren't expecting to see this.
Big Brother is currently airing its 27th season on CBS and the twists and turns are at an all-time high.
Keep ReadingShow less
TV
        'Project Runway' alum alleges Andy Cohen was more of a 'predator' on set than Harvey Weinstein
    
Ariel Messman-Rucker
August 06 2025 / 2:56 PM
Kenley Collins is opening up about her negative experiences with Andy Cohen.

        Rommel Demano/Getty Images; Ron Adar/Shutterstock
    
Project Runway is back on the air again, which seems to have prompted one alum to air her grievances against the show and former executive producer Andy Cohen. 
Season 5 contestant Kenley Collins opened up in an explosive social media post, criticizing the reality TV design competition and comparing Cohen to convicted sexual predator Harvey Weinstein.
Keep ReadingShow less
Load More

Latest Stories

Sign Me Up!

Rita Ora Didn't Show Up For Drag Race UK, So a Mannequin Stood In

When the British popstar was a no-show, a bearded mannequin had to step up to the plate!

Trending Stories

Messenger RNA could be the key to an HIV vaccine — but RFK Jr.'s cuts pose a threat

Thanks to U=U, HIV-positive people can live long, happy, healthy lives

Trump quietly bans federal health insurance from covering gender-affirming care

An HIV survivor once helped Superman star Christopher Reeve, and was helped in return

Florida threatens to blast rainbow crosswalks away if city governments won't do it

'Messy White Gays' creator Drew Droege reveals cast & show's inspirations

The Talk: Starting the conversation

Malcolm-Jamal Warner leaves behind an enduring HIV legacy with his groundbreaking 1992 film

Terence Stamp’s iconic role in 'Priscilla' was a beacon of hope for LGBTQ+ visibility in 1994

A guide to the 'Boots' actors, characters, and gay storylines

How Bob Mackie became your favorite gay icon's favorite designer

NYC's West Village was the birthplace of Pride. Now it's a battleground for survival.

Ricky Martin teases Jamie King collab for 2025 VMAs—and we're gagging

Aubrey Plaza reflects on grief: 'A giant ocean of awfulness'

How the Black AIDS Institute continues to fill in the gaps

Recommended Stories for You

When love sinks, set sail for the Hudson Navigator

Julia Fox comes out as pansexual—still not interested in dating men

Checking out: nhow London, the city’s coolest hotel

This heavenly hotel in the heart of Hell's Kitchen is the perfect oasis

Top 10 LGBTQ+ beach towns perfect for Pride and summer fun

Cruising the world helped this gay couple find lasting love

Anger at male cheerleaders reveals what conservatives really think about women

I faced hate from every side. Morocco showed me another way to lead

“I felt like a butterfly”: Niko Flowers on reclaiming life with HIV

When renaming MSNBC to MS NOW, did the branding team use a MAGA focus group?

Colman Domingo admits he 'almost joined a cult' in Mexico City

Dancer. Healer. Survivor. DéShaun Armbrister is all of the above

Wilderness, woods, and Wigstock: Drag icons light up the Catskills

Adult stars Milo Miles & Apolo Adrii reveal how long they'll stay in the sexy industry

​The Talk​: Navigating your treatment

Need an escape from American anxiety? Consider Colombia.

Gays went feral at an iconic Pride celebration in Pensacola, Florida

Backpacking couple has the most lesbian honeymoon ever by hiking to see Pattie Gonia

A Night Out in San Diego: A queer couple’s moonlit travel guide

If it means saving Ukraine and not caving to Putin, European leaders think the answer is kissing Trump’s a**

Electric Forest is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for everyone in the LGBTQ+ community

Mamma Mia! Former Village People Cowboy Jim Newman is back on Broadway

BREAKING: Supreme Court rules to save free access to preventive care, including PrEP

The Talk: Beyond the exam room

Target's CEO to step down after store's sluggish performance — and amid pro-LGBTQ+ pushback

FROM OUR SPONSORS

The Latest

More For You

Most Popular

Sign Me Up!

The Talk: Navigating your treatment