The series was initially announced in October 2019 under the working title RuPaul's Celebrity Drag Race, with the title later changed to RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race before launch.

The show is a spin-off of RuPaul's Drag Race, featuring celebrities competing in drag while raising money for charity, mentored by alumni of the Drag Race franchise known as 'Queen Supremes'.

The first season, which premiered April 24, 2020 on VH1, was structured as a four-part miniseries with self-contained episodes, each featuring three celebrity contestants competing in fan-favorite challenges from the main series.

For its second season, which premiered August 12, 2022, the format was completely retooled into a season-long competition focused exclusively on lip sync performances, with celebrities' identities concealed by drag personas until elimination.

The second season's concept of concealing celebrity identities behind personas, revealed only upon elimination, bears similarities to the format of the music competition series The Masked Singer.

In season two, the last contestant remaining at the end of the competition wins $100,000 for their chosen charity.

The series retains the same judging panel as the flagship show, with RuPaul, Michelle Visage, Carson Kressley, and Ross Mathews serving as judges throughout both seasons.