Stacey McKenzie

Stacey McKenzie is a Jamaican-born Canadian fashion model, runway coach, motivational speaker, television personality, and actress. Born on March 27, 1977, she has built a multifaceted career in fashion and entertainment. She is particularly well known for her appearances as a judge on various high-profile competition television programs.

After initially encountering obstacles in her early attempts to establish a modeling career, McKenzie temporarily put her aspirations on hold and returned to Canada to complete her high school education. Shortly after graduating, she relocated to Paris, France, to resume her professional modeling pursuits on an international stage.

Her move to Europe quickly yielded significant industry success. During her very first runway season in Paris, McKenzie was cast to model for prominent high-fashion designers, including Jean Paul Gaultier, Thierry Mugler, and Christian Lacroix.

In addition to her modeling work, McKenzie expanded her profile through several major television projects. In 2006, she served as a main judge during the inaugural season of the reality television series Canada's Next Top Model. Over her television career, she has also appeared as a judge on America's Next Top Model.

McKenzie has participated in literary and cultural broadcasting as well. In February 2012, she served as a panelist on the media contest Canada Reads, where she advocated for the book On a Cold Road by Dave Bidini. During the competition's opening day, she cast a decisive tie-breaking vote that led to the elimination of the memoir Prisoner of Tehran.

In September 2019, McKenzie joined the cast of Canada's Drag Race, the Canadian adaptation of RuPaul's Drag Race, as one of its three permanent main judges. Her work on the show gained industry acclaim, and in May 2021, McKenzie alongside her fellow co-judges Brooke Lynn Hytes and Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Host or Presenter in a Factual or Reality/Competition Series at the 9th Canadian Screen Awards.