In the words of Lizzo: all the
rumours were true (yeah!). After years of anticipation, debates and theories as
to which former champion would stand supreme amongst the pack, RuPaul’s Drag
Race is reuniting eight legendary former recipients of the “Next Drag
Superstar” moniker to compete for the coveted title of “Queen of Queens”. Think
Avengers: Endgame and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, but with better outfits
and more blood.
The most ambitious crossover event in herstory – billed as All Stars 7 – runs for 12 episodes and premieres in the UK exclusively on the streamer of all-things drag, WOW Presents Plus, with two back-to-back episodes launching on 20 May. In a statement, World of Wonder co-founders Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato said: “The titans of the Drag Race phenomenon are back for the ultimate Queen of Queens title! We can’t wait for our UK squirrel friends to be able to watch along each week, with new episodes of All Stars and Untucked streaming exclusively on WOW Presents Plus. This is a really exciting season, filled with some impressive charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent – you’re not going to want to miss this!” Have you started those engines? If not, rev ’em up, because it’s time to meet slash reacquaint yourselves with the cast of Drag Race’s first ever winners’ season…
Jaida Essence Hall (Season 12)
Challenge
wins: 3
She’s here!
Jaida Essence Hall, the essence of beauty, demolished the
season 12 competition with her dazzling runways, charismatic confessionals and
instantly iconic performance in the presidential debate (“I would like to
retattle the retittle of her rebuttal” and “LOOK OVER THERE!”). The Old Mother
Hubbard-inspired rapper notably became just the second “pageant” queen to win a
regular season of RuPaul’s Drag Race after James Ross – formerly known as Tyra
Sanchez – and was the lip-sync assassin of her season, defeating Sherry Pie, Heidi
N Closet, Crystal Methyd and Gigi Goode. Jaida was so stunning, she was even
nominated for the 2020 People’s Choice Award for Choice Competition Contestant.
Can she snatch a second crown?
Jinkx Monsoon (Season 5)
Challenge
wins: 2
Get ready
bitches, because it’s Monsoon Season: The Sequel! With one of the most
impressive track records in herstory, landing in the top for nine consecutive
weeks, Jinkx Monsoon is sure to give her fellow champs a run for their
mothertucking money when she struts back into the werkroom. Not only is
Seattle’s supreme Jewish narcoleptic drag queen a comedic force and formidable
at Snatch Game, she proved on season five that she can lip-sync the house down (her
showdown with Detox to Malambo No. 1 is an absolute classic). Can we get an
amen?
Monet X Change
(Season 10 & All Stars 4)
Challenge
wins: 3
You better
soak it up, because the pussycat wig empress is back – and this time, she’s not
sharing her crown. After landing in sixth place on her original season, Monet X
Change made a triumphant return to the franchise on the fourth season of All
Stars – becoming the first Black contestant to be inducted in the Drag Race
Hall of Fame and the first Miss Congeniality to win a season.
The star memorably shared the title with another queen on this list, Trinity
the Tuck, which begs the question: will they be at each other’s throats to
prove who should’ve been the sole All Stars 4 winner, or will they form an
alliance to knock the others out of the running? One thing’s for sure: Monet X
Change ain’t no punk bitch, and she holds onto grudges…
Raja (Season 3)
Challenge
wins: 3
With a degree
in fierceness, and as the earliest Drag Race winner on the list, all eyes will
be on Raja to demonstrate just why she emerged victorious over drag heavyweights
such as Manila Luzon and Alexis Mateo. When the former America’s Next Top Model
make-up artist stomped into the season three werkroom with her now-iconic
cyclops hat, her fellow contestants underestimated her unique skillset. It
didn’t work out, huh? Over the course of 14 episodes, Raja won three
maxi-challenges, competed in the steamiest lip-sync showdown in herstory
against Carmen Carrera and cemented her status as the first ever fashion
queen – there’s a reason why she’s co-hosted Fashion Photo Ruview for 33
seasons, after all. Her runways are still referenced today. Like, c’mon impact.
Shea Couleé (Season 9 & All Stars 5)
Challenge
wins: 6
Even without her
All Stars win, Shea Couleé could comfortably compete on a Drag Race winners’
season and shake up the other queens. The Chicago entertainer had a
near-flawless run on season nine with four challenge wins – a feat only
accomplished in the past (on a regular season) by Sharon Needles – and
dominated the runway each week with her innovative ensembles. She won two more
challenges on All Stars 5 and even beat the Alyssa Edwards in
a lip-sync smackdown. Her name is Shea Couleé and she didn’t come to play, she
came to win (again).
Trinity The Tuck (Season 9 & All Stars 4)
Challenge
wins: 7
Trinity will reunite with two of her past competitors on the season: Shea from nine and Monet from All Stars 4. We can already sense what kind of storyline the producers are going for and we’re – what?! – here for it. Not only does Trinity boast more challenge wins than anyone on this list with seven, she is currently tied with BenDeLaCreme and Manila Luzon with the most of any queen in (US) herstory. Granted, she competed on two seasons unlike others on this list, but seven wins proves how incredible Trinity is at competing on Drag Race. Trinity can act, dance and turn a look. She will not go down without a fight.
The Vivienne (UK Season 1)
Challenge
wins: 3
C’mon UK! Yep,
the first crowned queen of the British spin-off will bring her quintessentially
British and Liverpudlian sense-of-humour over to the States to compete in the
first ever winners’ season. It’s a shame Bebe Zahara
Benet won’t be making a third comeback – imagine seeing the inaugural winners
of US and UK come face to face? Rakatatititata vs I’m Drippin’? And The
Vivienne won for a reason: she won three maxi-challenges and redefined Snatch
Game with her eerily accurate impersonation of disgraced reality star Do*ald Tr*mp.
Viv is competitive, and as the sole ambassador for UK this season, we bet
she’ll give ’em hell.
Yvie Oddly (Season 11)
Challenge
wins: 1
If Yvie Oddly
embraces her inner Cirque de Soleil in a sickening display of acrobatics
against any of these queens, it’s game over. While the self-described “drag
oddity of Denver’s commodity” has significantly less challenge wins than other
queens on this list (her one and only win was shared with Scarlet Envy), she
is, without-a-doubt, one of the most captivating performers that’s ever
sashayed into that werkroom. On top of being a lip-sync juggernaut, Yvie is one
of the quirkier and more innovative fashionistas in this line-up and – this is
a massive advantage – RuPaul loves her. Also, Yvie is not
afraid to speak her mind. If any of the aforementioned winners come for her,
she’ll come back twice as hard.
RuPaul’s Drag
Race: All Stars 7 will premiere exclusively on WOW Presents Plus in the UK from
Friday 20 May at 8am BST. Fans will be treated to two brand new episodes, as
well as new episodes of RuPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars Untucked. Subscribe to
WOW Presents Plus via https://uk.wowpresentsplus.com/
SOURCE: GAYTIMES
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