Top 20 Shocking Eliminations on RuPaul's Drag Race

Top 20 Unpopular Eliminations on RuPaul's Drag Race

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 20 Unpopular Eliminations on “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”

For this list, we’ll be looking at contestants whose exits from one of the franchise’s shows caused the most controversy and fan backlash, regardless if they would return for “All Stars.” If you aren’t caught up on your “Drag Race” viewing, here’s a spoiler alert.

Which of these eliminations had you calling “shade” on Ru and the judges? Sound off in the comments.

#20: Denali
Season 13

The figure skating sensation from Season 13 often seemed stuck in the safe zone. Fans could see her potential, but outside of one early triumph, Denali seemed to be constantly edged out by her competitors. Her personality and bond with fellow contestant Rosé only made viewers want her to stick around longer. But things came to a head in Week 10, when she was sent home after losing a lip sync to Olivia Lux. Fans were not pleased, and some even tried to kick up a conspiracy around Olivia — though Denali quashed any talk of “sabotage”. The fact remains that folks were so disappointed to see her go so soon.

#19: Pandora Boxx
All Stars 1

The first season of “All Stars” was controversial for its introduction of the twist that saw the returning queens compete in pairs for the entire season. Many fans thought Pandora Boxx was the first of several undeserving victims of the format. She ended up teaming with Mimi Imfurst, forming team Mandora. And while Mimi struggled, it seemed Pandora was caught in the crossfire. Now, few are contending that Chad Michaels didn’t slay in the lip sync against Mimi that sent Mandora home. But it’s clear that the partner twist heavily affected Pandora’s ability to show the judges her best drag on her own terms. And her prior elimination in season 2 made it all even harder to swallow.

#18: Team Latrila
All Stars 1

Another casualty of the pair twist, fan favorites Latrice Royale and Manila Luzon (or Team Latrila) were given the boot halfway through the season. In any other “All Stars” edition, these two would practically be sure bets to make it far. But here, they placed in the bottom during the week 3 pranking challenge, and Manila went against Jujubee in the lip sync. Although they were well-matched, Jujubee prevailed, and Team Latrila was sadly given the chop. But maybe they got the last laugh, because the pair went on to release a single appropriately titled “The Chop”.

#17: Shuga Cain
Season 11

Shuga Cain’s elimination during Week 10 was very unexpected. Vanjie may have slayed the Mary J. Blige lip sync, but many fans were convinced Shuga shouldn’t have been in the bottom two that week to begin with. First of all, it was a group challenge, and her team was even declared the better of the two. Secondly, it almost seemed as if the judges were grasping at straws to come up with negative critiques. The consensus among viewers seemed to be that Shuga was sacrificed to keep bigger personalities around. Perhaps the judges felt she may have plateaued, but viewers fell in love with Shuga and her positive attitude. Her elimination just cemented her place among many other robbed goddesses of the franchise.

#16: Shannel
Season 1

Shannel broke a lot of molds on “Drag Race”’s first season. Before her, no queen on the show had lost or removed a wig during a lip sync for your life. She was also the first contestant to severely clapback at the judges. She felt that her drag and her beauty weren’t being fully appreciated. And she let them know that she was tired of the critiques she was receiving and was ready to go home. She ultimately got her wish after lip syncing against Rebecca Glasscock. Fans remain somewhat divided on this one. Some think she was a diva, and others believe she was right to call out the judging. One thing’s for sure: her elimination still generates discussion today.

#15: Bimini Bon-Boulash
UK Season 2

Many fans nearly threw their tea and crumpets across the room when four-time challenge winner, viral sensation, and fan-favorite Bimini lost the “Drag Race UK” crown. That’s not to say that season 2’s winner, Lawrence Chaney, didn’t have a fabulous run. She was truly great. However, some felt that the high-energy Bimini had more memorable moments, and a more consistent record in the post-COVID shutdown portion of the season than others. Needless to say, we can add Bimini to the growing pile of robbed goddesses — and “UK Hun?” to the list of best “Drag Race” songs!

#14: Ongina
Season 1

Few queens from those early seasons won as many hearts as Ongina. Halfway through season 1, the fifth place finisher tearfully revealed her HIV-positive status on the mainstage, and was lauded for her bravery. However, the next week, she became one of the few contestants to be eliminated after winning the previous episode. The lip sync was so close that Ru had to excuse herself to deliberate. But ultimately, Ongina was sent home over Bebe Zahara Benet, who ended up winning the season. For years afterward, fans would clamor for Ongina to come back for an “All Stars” season. It took a while, but she finally returned for “All Stars 5.”

#13: Valentina
Season 9

Ru said it herself. Valentina had everything it took to win. But her ill-fated lip sync for your life performance during season 9’s ninth episode, when she refused to take off her mask, changed things. Once she did, it became obvious that she hadn’t learned the track’s lyrics. At that point, we all probably realized she’d be going home. But that didn’t stop the whole thing from becoming one of the season’s most upsetting shockers. Given how her narrative had unfolded, it didn’t seem like anyone, least of all the judges, thought her story would end that way. Her fans were particularly angry about the elimination, with some taking it too far.

#12: Trixie Mattel
Season 7

Even without the benefit of hindsight, Trixie Mattel’s elimination during week 4 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” season 7 was unexpected. From her entrance to her now-iconic makeup, she earned scores of fans right away. But when she went home after lip syncing against Pearl, people were confused. Pearl is, of course, extremely talented. But let’s just say the result didn’t reflect what many thought should’ve happened. Luckily, Trixie returned for another shot. She would improve her placement in the season from 11th to 6th, and later won “All Stars” 3. Fans were clearly right to see something there. Trixie has gone on to become one of the most successful queens to come out of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”

#11: BenDeLaCreme
Season 6

Both of BenDeLaCreme’s exits have been gag-worthy; we’ll never see wite-out the same way after her self-elimination in All Stars 3. But unlike robbing herself from going forward in the competition, in Season 6 she was arguably robbed by Ru. The season provided plenty of shady moments, most notably between Darienne Lake and BenDeLaCreme, that all came to a head in this dramatic Lip Sync for Your Life. Many fans agreed that Darienne’s droopy and unflattering topaz gown should’ve automatically secured DeLa her place in the competition. After an insanely close lip sync battle, audiences were shocked when Ru chose to send DeLa home, who had placed high five times over the competition.

#10: Nina West
Season 11

Viewers fell in love with Nina West in Season 11 - she was kind, creative and hilarious, and seemed to really want to improve from week to week. That’s why some fans couldn’t forgive Ru when she chose to send her home over Silky Ganache, after an infamously ‘meh’ lip sync to TLC’s ‘No Scrubs’. Audiences thought this was the end of Silky’s stint when they saw her almost trip over a piece of falling costume, show off her undergarments, gave us a lazy wig reveal.. Granted, Nina didn’t give the best performance either, but she managed to keep her composure and understand the energy of the song, which should’ve landed her the win in many fans eyes.

#9: Pangina Heals
UK vs the World 1

In a season of unpopular and shocking eliminations, this one really hurt. Pangina Heals was not just a contestant on “UK vs the World.” She was true royalty, having co-hosted the international spinoff, “Drag Race Thailand.” At the time she was eliminated, she had also won two of the four main challenges so far. When Blu Hydrangea pulled her lipstick, Pangina could barely keep it together. Sometimes, when a queen cries on the runway, fans aren’t as empathetic as they could be. But in Pangina’s case, we were crying right along with her. She went into the competition with her entire country on her shoulders, and her disappointment seemed to feel so much bigger because of it.

#8: Shea Couleé
Season 9

Season 9 saw the birth of a brand new twist on Drag Race; the Lip Sync for the Crown. Where track records used to be taken into account, winners were now chosen solely based on who could pull out the best lip syncs in the Top Four finale. BFFs Shea Couleé and Sasha Velour both had impeccable track records, so viewers assumed they would take first and second place, with superstar Shea more likely to nab the top spot. However, this contentious twist saw the front runners battle it out in the finale’s first lip sync, meaning Shea couldn’t even place second despite her incredible run. Sasha’s rose petal extravaganza was the clear winner, but audiences have been left thinking ‘what if?’ to this day.

#7: Raven
Season 2 & All Stars 1

Raven has been one of the most recognizable faces of Drag Race since her first appearance back on Season 2, when her talent, wit and honesty made her an instant fan favorite. So, when she just lost out on the crown to Tyra Sanchez, some fans couldn’t help but shout ‘robbed’ at their TV screens. In the years after the show, Raven’s success continued to grow, leaving fans desperate to see her get the crown when she returned to the first All Stars season. However, viewers were left with a case of déjà vu when Raven once again placed runner-up to winner Chad Michaels, earning her the title “Queen of Runner-Ups” and leaving another bunch of fans angry at Ru’s decision.

#6: Latrice Royale
Season 4

Large and in charge, chunky yet funky, the bold and the beautiful… it’s Latrice Royale! Latrice made a huge impression on fans when she first appeared on “RuPaul’s Drag Race”. She was a hilarious and talented queen who took us to church with every lip sync performance, and gave us some of the most iconic “Drag Race” quotes of all time. So it was only natural that viewers wept when she just missed out on a Top Three spot on Season 4. She gave a tear-jerking speech before sashaying away in one of the most emotional exits of all time, securing her position as the most ‘dearly beloved’ Drag Race alumni, a reputation that stayed with her years later on All Stars 4.

#5: Katya
Season 7 & All Stars 2

Absurdly funny ‘loveable weirdo’ Katya became an instant fan favorite on Season 7, and it was clear to see why. She had a pretty great track record during the season, gave us tons of iconic moments, and her struggles with substance use disorder and anxiety pulled on the heartstrings of many viewers who could relate. So of course, fans were devastated when Katya came in fifth place. The judges failed to find the fashion in her Hello Kitty-inspired eleganza, and she narrowly lost out to lip-sync assassin Kennedy Davenport. While Alaska earned her crown in All Stars 2, we would’ve equally loved to see Katya in the “Drag Race” Hall of Fame.

#4: Alyssa Edwards
All Stars 2

Alyssa Edwards was indeed a ‘lovely fourth runner up’ on All Stars 2, but that wasn’t good enough for fans. Our favorite tongue-popping queen made a huge impression on audiences ever since Season 5, but was truly robbed in All Stars 2, where friendships and alliances trumped fair competition. Season 5 clique Rolaskatox appeared once again on All Stars 2, where the controversial ‘Lip Sync for Your Legacy’ twist was first introduced. This twist saw challenge winners send home one of the lowest placing queens each week. So, when Detox chose to send Alyssa home over Rolaskatox bestie, Roxxxy - who had placed bottom five times - it was understandable that viewers, and even Ru herself, gasped with indignation.

#3: Tatianna
All Stars 2

Tatianna first graced our screens back on Season 2, so viewers were happy to see her make a comeback on All Stars 2. She proved to the world that she was more than just a pretty queen, and floored audiences from episode one with her iconic “Same Parts” performance. She and fellow robbed queen Alyssa Edwards also provided us with one of the most legendary lip sync battles of all time with ‘‘Shut Up and Drive’’. However, her run was brought to an end when Rolaskatox struck once again. Alaska chose to save a struggling Roxxxy, admitting it was because she had lent her a shirt, and sent Tatianna home. In the words of Tatianna herself: "We all make choices. That was a choice.”

#2: Shangela
All Stars 3

After making waves on Seasons 2 and 3, Shangela came out of the box one last time for All Stars 3. She was a strong competitor, giving us side-splitting lip syncs and brilliant challenge wins. Fans thought the win was hers until another twist was thrown in, that saw eliminated queens brought back to decide who would make it to the Top Two. Although Trixie’s win was deserved, audiences were angry that this twist seemed to make no sense. Shangela was a fan-favorite with an incredible redemption arc, and watching her face crumple when she realized she hadn’t made the final two broke our hearts. Unfortunately, disturbing allegations that have since surfaced against Shangela paint the situation in a different light.

#1: Manila Luzon
All Stars 4

The Lip Sync for Your Legacy curse struck once again with Manila Luzon in All Stars 4. She was a runner-up on Season 3, and competed again as a team in All Stars 1, so fans were thrilled to see her return for another shot at the crown. And girl, she came to work! Manila slayed in the competition, proving that she’d perfected her drag aesthetic since Season 3 and had built on her other talents, too. However, her time was up when challenge winner Naomi Smalls had the power to eliminate a fellow queen - and chose to send home her strongest competition. In one of the most dramatic eliminations to date, Manila was sent packing, and the internet was sent into overdrive.