Everything we know so far about 'Canada's Drag Race'

Despite the uncertainly surrounding the remaining 2020 TV season and snow in mid-May, the gods clearly know that we all need nice things right now. That means Canada's Drag Race will soon be making its fabulous debut in the very near future (as in this summer on Crave), with its very own group of panelists, queens and maple syrup-loving fans. To get into the spirit of things a little early, we dove head-first into EW's first-look spread and pulled out all the gag-worthy details on your new fave drag queen series.

Brooke Lynn Hytes is history in the making

When judge and Queen of the North Brooke Lynn Hytes scored her role with the Canadian series, she also secured her place in history as the first Drag Race contestant to ever get a full-time gig as a panelist on any of the four international editions. ICYMI, the former ballet dancer was featured on the 11^th season of the original show (where she won the most top 3 positions of any contestant in that show’s history, thank you very much), making her a natural fit for the Canadian edition. Even if she did show up to auditions hung over from the Pride Parade in Toronto.[video_embed id='1791271']RELATED: We got a surprise visit from one of the judges of Canada's Drag Race[/video_embed]"When you get on Drag Race, the clock is ticking. You’re given 15 minutes of fame and you have to do something with it or not, it’s up to you to figure out how you’re going to make this last for yourself and turn it into a huge career."

These judgey judges are also super fans

When you sign up to be a panelist on a show as sparkly as this, you’ve got to be a fan, right? Absolutely, according to judges Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman (UnREAL) and model Stacey McKenzie. "I can’t wait for the world to see the next Drag Race. It’s unapologetically Canadian!" McKenzie tells EW. "I’m a quintessential superfan. I’m like the rest of the viewers who sit at home, who completely know every season, has binged from start to finish, and knows every queen inside and out," Bowyer-Chapman told the publication."I let [the queens] know that we have to fight a lot more than the norm,” McKenzie—whose own model career was celebrated for being groundbreaking in the 1990s—added. “We’re not your typical, everyday people, so we have to fight harder, we have to be stronger, more resilient, and more confident."So what does that mean for the fans who are eagerly anticipating all of the mini challenges, maxi challenges and fashion-focused runway duels at home? A trio of judges with serious chemistry. “We’re all RuPaul, put together," Lynn Hytes said, reminding everyone that on this iteration there is no host. (Although there is resident "Squirrel Friend" in etalk's own Traci Melchor). "Not one of us has all the power. It’s a team effort. We all take turns sharing duties, and we all make decisions together!"

Learn from your mistakes

Even the Queen of the North sometimes trips on her platform heels. Hytes admitted that she made her own mistakes during her time on RuPaul’s Drag Race, like the cringe-worthy but kind of unforgettable Céline Dion impression she doled out for the popular Snatch Game challenge. It’s knowing how good or bad a performance can feel that she says helps her relate to the competitors on this series and to be a better judge."A good piece of advice I’ve been given about judging is to always try to see yourself in the contestants, and that was easy for me because I’ve been there, done that!" she added. "I had empathy for them. When they’re standing up there in front of us, I know what’s going through their minds, I know the anxiousness and fear—especially if they did poorly that week. It’s important to uplift the person and give them a little something and let them know they’re not complete trash and garbage because they didn’t have a good week!"Can we get an Amen up in here?

This is one of the fiercest competitions yet

Whether you love the OG edition, have seen every iteration of the international offerings, or you have a countdown on your calendars at home for the Canadian debut, the judges promise that this season is going to be one of the toughest ever. If anything, that just makes fans want to know who these queens are already (soon, the judges promise, although they won’t reveal if a drag king is among this cast). Despite that toughness, the trio also reveals that these queens are quintessentially Canadian in that every single one of them is, well, nice."You know how they always say Canadians are nice? I have to agree with that! [This cast] is different in terms of the diversity and the different types of ethnicities that you’ll see. They bring their culture to the table," McKenzie said. "I’m sure you’ve seen me have an issue with a model or two on the other shows, but it’s like, you need to chill! You’re in a competition and I’m here to help you. What I love about Canada’s Drag Race is the queens take critiques and they’re hungry to learn. It wasn’t frustrating to work with queens who didn’t give me too much attitude!"

RuPaul isn’t there, but she’s kinda always there

More than anything, Brooke Lynn Hytes seems proud that there’s now something tangible for queens in Canada to strive towards. “Nothing has been done like this before in Canada. There are no big goals like RuPaul’s Drag Race in Canada…. unless you move to the States and uproot your whole life, but now there’s something for queens in Canada to strive for, and motivation is so important,” she said.“Ru has given me lots of advice over the years. We talk so frequently; I feel like I glean wisdom from every conversation," Bowyer-Chapman added. "The biggest piece of advice was: Be yourself and go in there and prove yourself!"Canada's Drag Race will premiere on Crave this summer.[video_embed id='1952828']BEFORE YOU GO: Sandra Oh, Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis and more play quarantine gamese[/video_embed]