‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ scores highest ratings ever

RuPaul’s Drag Race may be getting older but it’s more popular than ever.

The season nine premiere of the show last Friday was the highest-rated episode in franchise history.

Nearly 1 million viewers tuned in – double last season’s premiere episode.

Among the contributing factors: Lady Gaga as a guest judge, the show moving from Logo to VH1, and a massive social media presence.

VH1 reports that the telecast scored the series its highest Twitter volume ever.

Contributing to the buzz leading in to the new season was promotional material featuring Gaga disguised as Ronnie, a contestant from New Jersey.

She said in a mock confessional video: ‘What I’m really excited about is [seeing] how long it takes for these queens to figure out that it’s really me,’ before she pulled off her cap and threw on a pair of sunglasses.

The second episode of the new season airs Friday with guest stars Lisa Kudrow and the B-52s.

Last fall, host RuPaul won his first Emmy as outstanding reality show host.