RuPaul is one of the most-famous and successful drag queens in the world thanks to the international RuPaul’s Drag Race franchise, but he didn’t do it alone. Since the 80s, best friend and Drag Race judge Michelle Visage has been right by his side, and the pair have become inseparable both on and off screen. Visage, who is married to husband, David Case, and has two daughters, Lillie and Lola, initially became famous as a member of the girl band Seduction in the early 90s. Since then her fame has catapulted into icon status in the LGBTQ+ community due to her endless support and activism – and of course, her RuPaul’s Drag Race judging role alongside her best friend. “We can complete each other’s sentences, we get exactly what each other are saying,” Visage told ET Canada of her friendship with Ru. “Everybody has that one friend where you look at them and they know what you’re thinking.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Michelle Visage (@michellevisage) Here’s how Ru, 60, and Visage, 52, went from being party pals to one of the most-lucrative friendship duos in showbiz ‘herstory’. From tomboy to teen supreme: Shiloh Jolie-Pitt’s 2021 transformation How it all began Ru and Visage have been pals for over thirty years, going all the way back to the clubs of New York in the late 80s – 1988 to be exact, where they were part of the vogueing movement. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Michelle Visage (@michellevisage) It is believed that The Love Ball celebration in 1989, where Visage also performed, is where Madonna first witnessed vogueing and got the inspiration for her monster hit song Vogue . Besties in business Long before RuPaul’s Drag Race , there was The RuPaul Show – a VH1 talk show that ran from 1996 for 100 episodes. And surprise, surprise, Visage was Ru’s co-host for that show, too. Not only was the quirky talk show with its music guests a hit at the time, it was one of the very first shows in the United States with an openly gay host. They even got Diana Ross, Ru’s all time favourite hero, to make a rare appearance on the show. What a moment it was to be alive! The rise of RuPaul’s Drag Race RuPaul’s Drag Race may be on its 13th and most-watched season yet, but diehard fans (like us) will be quick to remind you that Visage only came on board as a judge on season three in 2011, replacing Merle Ginsberg. So if the pair is so close, and had worked together before, why was Visage not on Drag Race from the start? Well, interesting story, actually … Of course, it’s been revealed that Ru did of course ask his buddy Visage to join him as a judge on season one, but she was on a five-year contract with a conservative CBS radio station at the time, and was unable to join a show with LGBTQ+ themes. But when Ru asked her to join the show again for the filming of season three, Visage finally took the leap and fought for approval from her employers. On 24 January, 2011, Visage finally debuted as a permanent judge alongside Santino Rice and Billy B, and she’s been part of the Drag Race family ever since. What did 2020 look like for LGBT icon Shiloh Jolie-Pitt? Good cop, bad cop Visage told ET Canada that she was often labelled the “Simon Cowell” of the show, who’s known for his often scathing criticism on competitive music shows like American Idol. “I’ve been called the ‘Simon Cowell’ of RuPaul’s Drag Race. To me that’s a compliment,” she said. “Simon is the only one who cuts to the chase, he tells you what he’s thinking, he tells you what needs to be fixed, and you wanna please him. So that is my role on RuPaul’s Drag Race – you wanna please me! I’m gonna tell you the truth.” Visage works hard for her Drag Race pay cheque Visage doesn’t just pack up and go home when Drag Race wraps filming. Her ties with Ru and the LGBTQ+ community extend way further than just a reality show. She often travels the globe appearing on Werq the World tours alongside queens from RuPaul’s Drag Race , and appears at all of Ru’s drag events, spin-off shows and drag cons. Ru and Visage even have their own podcast What’s The Tee? where they discuss anything and everything that good (and hilarious) best friends do. Born a crime: 6 struggles Trevor Noah faced growing up From small budgets to international stardom View this post on Instagram A post shared by Michelle Visage (@michellevisage) RuPaul’s Drag Race has been licensed to all corners of the globe , from Thailand to Canada, but Ru and Visage have only ever hosted the American and British versions of the hit franchise. That’s all about to change. Earlier this month it was announced that the duo will be appearing on the brand new RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under in Australia and New Zealand, which is expected to air in late 2021. The show will be entirely shot in New Zealand due to the country’s lack of Covid-19 cases. #FriendshipGoals During a recent interview with Cosmopolitan , RuPaul revealed that his friendship with Visage feels like it was destined to be. “Over the years she popped up in different situations and I thought, ‘My goodness, this is someone who I really need to get to know.’ I like her a lot. She makes me laugh,” he said. And fortunately, for them, for us, for their careers (and their bank accounts), they clicked instantly. “After seeing her so many different places, I realised, ‘Wait a minute, we were supposed to be together.’ It’s like the universe saying, ‘Hey, I’m trying to tell you something.’” We’re glad they listened. Want more stories like this? Sign up here . Follow STYLE on Facebook , Instagram , YouTube and Twitter .