'RuPaul's Drag Race U.K.' to premiere Sept. 22

Sept. 1 (UPI) -- RuPaul's Drag Race U.K. Season 4 will premiere on BBC Three on Sept. 22, the network announced Thursday.

The popular reality show will return for its fourth installment, and will be helmed by namesake RuPaul.

The network announced the news in a video on Twitter, accompanied by a short clip of what appears to be some upcoming contestants.

Judging the drag queens alongside RuPaul will be returning panel members Michelle Visage, Alan Carr and Graham Norton.

The announcement of a premiere date comes just one day after the BBC unveiled a list of celebrity guest judges that will be joining the four series mainstays throughout the season.

This includes popular British singers like FKA twigs, Mel B and Boy George, along with iconic U.K. screen stars like Hannah Waddingham and Dame Joanna Lumley.

A full cast list of drag queen contestants has not yet been announced.

In just three short seasons, RuPaul's Drag Race U.K. has become one of the franchise's most popular installments, and has been critically acclaimed in the U.K.

The brand was the driving force behind the relaunch of the BBC Three channel, which had previously been relegated to a digital platform. It returned as a network television channel this past February, helmed by spinoff show RuPaul's Drag Race: U.K. vs the World.

RuPaul's Drag Race U.K. is widely recognized as the most popular reality show on the network, and its massive success helped the U.K. vs the World spinoff secure five times as many viewers as any other BBC Three show upon its premiere, according to Deadline.

The success of the show has also led to a number of former contestants securing music deals and endorsement packages.

This includes Bimini Bon-Boulash, the runner-up from RuPaul's Drag Race U.K. Season 2, a member of the United Kingdolls, who later signed a record deal with Sony Music, making them the first former contestant to do so.

The success of the British show also led to BBC Three acquiring the rights for the Canadian and Australian versions of the series.

Like the U.K. version, the two series, Canada's Drag Race and RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under, have both been critically acclaimed in their respective countries.

The original American version of the show, RuPaul's Drag Race, was recently renewed for a 15th season on VH1.