Out gay Australian soccer player Josh Cavallo announced he will be a judge on the upcoming season of RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under.
“Start your engines!” Cavallo, who plays for Adelaide United, declared on Instagram, adding he was “Super thrilled to be a guest on the new season on RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under Season 3.”
RuPaul hosts the hit show which features 10 contestants from Australia and New Zealand. Cavallo joins returning judges Michelle Visage and Rys Nicolson for the season which premieres next week.
“As the first openly gay male professional football player, embracing your authentic self means freedom but for so many of the queer community this isn’t as easy as you think,” Cavallo wrote in his post. “It’s a battle hundreds of millions are going through every day around the world as we speak. RuPaul’s Drag Race is important for everyone to celebrate walking in your own shoes and showing the world the real you in your journey.
Cavallo came out in a video posted to social media in October of 2021.
“There’s something personal I need to share with everyone,” he revealed at the opening of the video. “I’m a footballer and I’m gay.”
The following January Cavallo spoke of the homophobic abuse he received from fans at a game.
“I’m not going to pretend I didn’t see or hear the homophobic abuse at the game last night,” Cavallo wrote in the post. “There are no words to tell you how disappointed I was.”
Cavallo also revealed he had received death threats as well.
RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under Season 3 premieres July 28.
