Top 10 RuPaul's Drag Race Contestants Who Deserved Better
#10: Valentina All Stars 4
Top 10 Valentina Moments on RuPaul’s Drag Race
This queen was a serious contender, but her season 9 elimination was practically unavoidable after that painful masked lip sync. But thankfully, Valentina redeemed herself on All Stars 4 with her serious stage presence and signature kooky humor. And if you ask us, this polished queen’s performance as part of “Club 96” had its share of funny moments. But the decision of who to send home was in Latrice Royale’s hands. Thus, the contestant RuPaul once said had “the stuff to go all the way” got the chop. Although she more than made up for her past lip sync flub, we would have liked to have seen more of this bonafide diva.
#9: Aja All Stars 3
Top 10 RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars 7 Moments
There haven’t been many “Drag Race” moments as shocking as frontrunner BenDeLaCreme’s self-elimination on All Stars 3. Yet there was a less appreciated - but no less contentious - occurrence in the same episode. Of course, we’re referring to DeLa’s choice of which queen to bring back. Aja had a solid track record and was the most recently eliminated contestant. However, DeLa chose to undo her past elimination of Morgan McMichaels. Did she make this move to save face? In any case, Aja had made it the furthest of all the axed queens, and arguably deserved to return. She also considerably upped her makeup and fashion game since her Season 9 run, so it was frustrating to see her comeback cut short.
#8: Vivacious Season 6
Even though her time on season 6 of “Drag Race” was fleeting, this queen left a lasting impression on everybody. Granted, Vivacious’ performances in the challenges weren’t exactly stellar - although her acting was accidentally hilarious. But she gave us Ornacia, and for that we’re forever thankful. Plus, she brought her unique and audacious Club Kid aesthetic to the show, and masterfully represented the scene. It was stunning, and her iconic stature was truly something to behold. For her experience as a performer and as a human being, we would have loved to see more of what this legend had to offer.
#7: Willam Season 4
After a strong showing in the competition, Willam was abruptly removed from the race. The official reason for the queen’s exit was illicit conjugal visits. But according to her, the real story was far more complex. In Twitter posts and an interview, she alleged that she was disqualified for a pattern of rule-breaking, and perhaps more notably for calling out producers’ bad behavior. She has also claimed that her planned run on All Stars 1 was scrapped just two days before filming began! “Drag Race” has had its fair share of controversial eliminations, but this one left many viewers scratching their heads — and wishing for a different outcome.
#6: Thorgy Thor All Stars 3
Thorgy will be the first to tell you that her All Stars elimination was questionable. This kooky queen was sent packing only two episodes into her comeback appearance because of her “Divas Live” lip sync. But there’s no question that the assigned parts in this challenge weren’t all equally entertaining. Shangela’s Mariah Carey and BenDeLaCreme’s rapping Julie Andrews were already hilarious on paper. Yet Thorgy quickly expressed her doubts about the viability of her Stevie Nicks character as written. She also correctly predicted that it would place her at a disadvantage compared to someone like Shangela, whose role would help her succeed. It was definitely hard to see her feel like she was set up to fail!
#5: Alyssa Edwards All Stars 2
Drag Race Recap: Girl Group Challenge with Lip-Sync Guest Alyssa Edwards | MsMojo's Drag Race RuCap
The members of “Rolaskatox” are undeniably talented, but their antics were sometimes difficult to watch. Notably, they seemed to eliminate other queens on All Stars to keep each other in the race. And Alyssa Edwards was collateral damage. Just one week after winning the “HERstory Of The World” challenge, she was eliminated by Alaska. She then fought her way back into the competition with a hilarious stand-up routine and iconic lip sync. But when she landed in the bottom alongside Alaska and Roxxxy Andrews a few episodes later, Detox sent her packing. It was Roxxxy’s umpteenth time in the bottom, and Alyssa definitely had more to show. She’s a “Drag Race” titan, and we would’ve loved to see her become a finalist.
#4: Tatianna All Stars 2
Tatianna’s “The Same Parts” monologue cemented her as an early front-runner on All Stars 2. Yet she was eliminated by Alaska the very next episode. Thanks to her comedic talent and lip sync skills, she subsequently rejoined the competition. But history repeated itself, and Alaska sent her home once again. The choice felt particularly egregious, as “Rolaskatox” member Roxxxy Andrews was a regular fixture in the bottom at this point. Meanwhile, Tatianna had just won the previous challenge, and was undoubtedly responsible for some of the season’s best moments. Yet because of existing alliances, she simply didn’t get her due.
#3: Manila Luzon All Stars 4
Top 10 Manila Luzon Moments on RuPaul’s Drag Race
When this queen returned to the franchise a whopping third time, we all felt like it was high time for her talents to be rewarded. There’s no question that Manila is a legend. After all, we have her to thank for one of the most iconic lip syncs of all time! Yet she was controversially eliminated on All Stars 4 the very first time she landed in the bottom. Top queen of the week Naomi Smalls won the lip sync and gave Manila the chop, seemingly because of a debt to Latrice Royale. It’s definitely a valid way to play the game, but it still hurt to see such a beloved and talented competitor sashay away.
#2: Raven Season 2 & All Stars 1
Top 10 Stars You Forgot Were on That's So Raven
This now-renowned queen's skills with a palette earned her the title of Ru's personal makeup artist. But before that, she took the “Drag Race” franchise by storm with great looks, attitude, and a face beat for the gods. In her first season, she made it all the way to the final two, but controversially lost to Tyra Sanchez. The real kicker, though, is that Raven’s comeback appearance basically followed the same trajectory. Many queens were booted off All Stars 1 far too early, but she survived the oft-maligned season until the very end. She just didn’t get the crown. We love winner Chad Michaels, but it was hard to see Raven place as runner-up yet again. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Max, Season 7 According to This Queen, an Unflattering Edit During Judging Made Her Look Bad Jan, Season 12 & All Stars 6 She Got the Challenge Win She Wanted During Her Second Run, But Had the Drive to Last Far Longer Silky Nutmeg Ganache, All Stars 6 For Delivering a Series of Jaw-Dropping Secret Lip Syncs, But Not Getting to Rejoin the Race Mrs. Kasha Davis, Season 7 This Queen Was Basically Axed for Flubbing One Word While Hosting the DESPY Awards Tammie Brown, Season 1 & All Stars 1 One of the Show’s Most Memorable Personalities Went Home in the Second Episode — Twice
#1: Shangela All Stars 3
Trixie Mattel is a superstar for a reason. But her All Stars 3 win over “Drag Race” vet Shangela didn’t sit right with everyone. In a shocking finale twist, the eliminated contestants got to pick the season’s top two queens. Shangela spoke to the work she’d put in since her first appearance on the series, and made a compelling case for herself. However, based on what we saw of the deliberation, the jury seemed to at least partially favor queens who needed a career boost. Or maybe personal feelings were involved. Who’s to say? Unfortunately, this meant that despite her insanely strong track record, Shangela didn’t even get to lip sync for the win. Needless to say, the decision caused quite a stir.
