Top 10 Worst Decisions in RuPaul's Drag Race
#10: Willam Breaks the Rules “Frenemies”
It’s hard to be too critical of Willam, because she’s just so iconic. But her choice to break various rules during the filming of season 4 arguably wasn’t the best move. After winning two main challenges, the queen was starting to seem like a frontrunner. Instead, her off-screen behavior led to an instant disqualification. It’s still one of the most shocking moments “Drag Race” has ever seen. Willam’s version of events doesn’t quite line up with the official story the show put out afterward, but the end result remains the same. Whatever the truth of the matter, she left the show way too early.
#9: Farrah Moan Tears Into Michelle Visage “RuPaul Roast”
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When it comes to comedy, there’s always a fine line between being funny and just plain mean. Utica Queen learned that lesson the hard way in Season 13! But Farrah Moan’s season 9 routine was even more shocking. Asked to roast judge Michelle Visage, she completely misjudged the tone and went in way too hard. Of course, you want to tell jokes that’ll ruffle some feathers. After all, that’s kind of the point of such a performance. But the queen’s remarks felt way too personal, and just weren’t that funny! Unsurprisingly, Farrah was subsequently sent home. It was a truly excruciating moment, to say the least.
#8: Shannel Nominates Herself for Elimination “Absolut Drag Ball”
All the way back in Season 1, it was clear that the intensity of “Drag Race” was getting to Shannel a little. But even so, her speech to the judges in episode six felt rather out of the blue. Many viewers agreed with her suggestion that she was being critiqued far more harshly than the other contestants. Still, her choice to nominate herself for elimination was strange. Few would argue that she deserved to go home over Rebecca Glasscock. But essentially volunteering to leave before the bottom two were even announced probably didn’t help her case. After all her hard work, it was a shame to see her get sent home earlier than necessary.
#7: Roxxxy Andrews Sings in “Read U Wrote U” “All Stars Supergroup”
The All Stars 2 finale saw the queens tasked with writing lyrics for - and performing - “Read U Wrote U.” For some strange reason, Roxxxy Andrews made the choice to include a sung portion to her part instead of sticking exclusively to rap. It was always going to be tough to stand out against Katya, who absolutely rocked her verse. But by attempting to sing, Roxxxy fell incredibly flat, and was by far the weakest performer in the girl group. Needless to say, she finished in fourth place. Considering how high the stakes were, we’re still not quite sure what was going on inside her head!
#6: Coco Montrese Dances at the Talent Show “All Star Talent Show Extravaganza”
The point of a talent show is to show off something you’re good at. So why pageant queen Coco Montrese decided to do a dance routine is anybody’s guess. The performance could generously be described as taking inspiration from vintage Broadway musicals, but it ended up looking incredibly odd. Coco’s bizarre jerky movements felt off, and we have no idea what the top hat bit was all about. We get wanting to try something new, but the first episode of the season probably wasn’t the best time to experiment! Alaska’s horrified face truly says it all. You probably won’t be shocked to hear that Coco was eliminated after this awful showing.
#5: Charlie Hides Remains Static During a Lip Sync “Good Morning Bitches”
The lip sync for your life is arguably the most iconic part of “Drag Race”. Two contestants fighting for their survival is typically riveting stuff. But when Charlie Hides went up against Trinity Taylor in Season 9, only one queen gave it her all. While Trinity worked every single inch of the stage, Charlie basically stood still in one spot for the duration of the song. There’s no getting around the fact that it was a poor showing. There’s no world in which you can win a lip sync like that! Hides later revealed that aside from not really knowing the words, she was also dealing with a cracked rib. While that explains her stiffness, she probably should’ve mentioned it beforehand!
#4: Kenya Michaels Tries to Be Beyoncé “Snatch Game”
There’s nothing quite as cringe as a dreadful Snatch Game performance. From Phi Phi O’Hara’s Lady Gaga to Asia O’Hara’s Beyoncé, there’s been no shortage of duds over the years. But Kenya Michaels’ impersonation of Queen Bey has to be the worst of the lot. She delivered a dreadful display that was anything but funny, and missed the mark completely. The most baffling part is that this challenge is one of the show’s fixtures. So you’d think the queens would consider their celeb options carefully, and prepare properly before arriving! It’s safe to say that Kenya made the worst Snatch Game choice we’ve ever seen - at least so far!
#3: Valentina Lip Syncs in a Mask “Your Pilot’s on Fire”
Top 10 Valentina Moments on RuPaul’s Drag Race
A lip sync requires your lips to be visible. It’s right there in the name! But that didn’t stop Valentina from trying to keep the mask from her runway look on when Ariana Grande’s “Greedy” started playing. This choice was ridiculous enough on its own. But when she reluctantly removed the face covering at Ru’s request, it became clear that she hadn’t even bothered to memorize the lyrics. This was an utterly inexcusable lapse in judgment, especially for such a highly-rated contestant. It obviously ended her stay in the competition, but at least we got one of the show’s most quotable moments out of it.
#2: BenDeLaCreme Eliminates Herself “Handmaids to Kitty Girls”
Top 10 BenDeLaCreme Moments on RuPaul’s Drag Race
As All Stars 3 got rolling, it quickly became clear that BenDeLaCreme was a frontrunner. She was consistently in the top, and seemed to have a clear path to the finals. Yet she shocked everybody when she chose to eliminate herself just two episodes before the end. She later claimed that she was “over the produced drama” of the show. From that perspective, the choice to leave was fair. Still, she put in so much work, dominating the competition week after week. We could practically picture Ru giving her the crown, so it’s hard not to feel sad for what might’ve been! Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few dishonorable mentions… Alyssa Edwards Attempts to Embody Katy Perry, “Snatch Game” Because You Can’t Afford to Miss Every Joke That’s Spoon Fed to You Alaska Tries to Bribe Detox, “Family That Drags Together” She Had to Know She Couldn’t Get Away With That on TV Pearl Talks Back to Ru, “The DESPY Awards” There Was No Need to Make This Any More Awkward Than It Already Was Alexis Michelle Paints Herself Green, “RuPaul Roast” Let’s Just Say It’s Not Her Color Aiden Zhane Impersonates Patricia Quinn, “Snatch Game” Why Didn’t She Do the Accent?
#1: The Former Queens Don’t Vote Shangela Into the Top Two “A Jury of Their Queers”
“All Stars” 3 was a controversial season for many reasons, but the jury vote stands out as the main one. The twist, which saw eliminated contestants return in the finale to vote for the top two all-stars, was highly unpopular among viewers. That was largely because, for reasons we’ll never understand, Shangela wasn’t selected as one of the final two queens. It made no sense, especially because she was considered the favorite to win after BenDeLaCreme’s departure. No shade to Trixie or Kennedy, but Shangie not even getting the chance to lip sync for the crown will never sit right with us. We’re not sure why the panel of past contestants cast their ballots as they did, but we do know she was robbed.
