Top 20 Shocking RuPaul's Drag Race Moments
#20: Shannel Nominates Herself Season 1
RuPaul often asks the competing queens one dreaded question: “Who should go home tonight?” And first season contestant Shannel makes no bones about who among the final four she thinks should be eliminated. To everyone’s surprise, the Las Vegas queen nominates herself. She voices her displeasure with RuPaul and the other judges on the mainstage, telling them she feels undervalued. No one is more shocked than Ru, who tries to convince Shannel that she does see and appreciate her. Once she lands in the bottom two, the queen gets her wish, being sent home after a lackluster lip sync against finalist Rebecca Glasscock.
#19: Adore Delano Taps Out All Stars 2
Known for her grungy looks and easygoing nature, Season 6 runner-up Adore Delano is one of the show’s most beloved queens. Fans were eager to see what she was going to bring when she returned for “All Stars 2.” But she found herself receiving harsh critiques in the first main challenge from Michelle Visage in particular. Afterwards, Adore realizes that she’s not ready to be back in the pressure cooker that is “Drag Race.” Despite interventions from both RuPaul and Michelle, the queen sticks to her guns and stays true to her aesthetic. She decides to tap out during the second week of competition, leaving her fans and fellow competitors stunned.
#18: Violet Chachki’s Snatched Waist Season 7
The “Death Becomes Her” runway theme from Season 7 brought some of the series’ most… creative looks to date. But none of them impacted the judges like Violet Chachki’s impossibly corseted waist. When she rounds the corner with an extreme hourglass figure and an oxygen tank, Ru gasps, which is ironic considering Violet probably can’t breathe much at all. Guest judge Ariana Grande is left dumbfounded as well. The eventual Season 7 winner reveals in her voiceover that she is numb from the waist down, but no one ever said drag was easy – or painless.
#17: The Jury Twist All Stars 3
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At the finale “All Stars 3,” Ru brings back the eliminated queens for the last runway presentation. However, we soon learn that they’re not just here to watch. They’re actually here to vote. Each eliminated queen sits on a jury that will decide which of the four remaining queens should be in the top two. The “Survivor”-esque twist on the game proved controversial, especially since it shut out fan favorite and frontrunner Shangela from getting a chance to secure the crown. One thing’s for sure, the choice definitely got peoples’ attention and made waves.
#16: Shangela Returns Season 3
Speaking of Shangela, the first time she appeared on “Drag Race”, she ended up sashaying away in last place. But then, in the first week of Season 3, the queens get a Christmas surprise when she pops out of a huge gift box, shouting her unforgettable catchphrase. RuPaul’s announcement that she’s joining the competition catches her fellow competitors off-guard and doesn’t sit well with everyone, which makes the entrance even funnier. Shangela and her box became a part of “Drag Race” lore, and the iconic entrance would be referenced and parodied for seasons to come.
#15: RuPaul vs. Pearl Season 7
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Most of the time, pre-challenge check-ins with the queens provide a chance for RuPaul to get to know the contestants better. But this season 7 face-off between the host and Pearl over the latter’s supposed lack of charisma is one of the tensest moments in the show’s herstory. A stare-down commences and Ru is clearly irritated when Pearl delivers her now-infamous retort. The contestant’s difficult time on the show has been well-documented since. But viewers only got to see a small fraction of the story, and had little context for her near walk-off.
#14: Sharon Needles vs. Phi Phi O'Hara Season 4
Few queens got on each other’s nerves like Sharon Needles and Phi Phi O’Hara. Tensions boil over during this season 4 episode when Sharon tries to apologize for throwing Phi Phi under the bus to the judges. The latter contestant, however, has no patience for the season’s resident spooky queen. The two launch into an argument that soon devolves into digs at each other’s drag. They deliver insults that have since entered the “Drag Race” lexicon. Watching the argument unfold for the first time on air was as thrilling and dramatic as any soap opera.
#13: Jujubee Hyperventilates on Stage All Stars 1
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Emotions can run high on the main stage, especially when queens end up in the bottom with a friend. During the first “All Stars” season, teammates Raven and Jujubee lip synced to Robyn’s “Dancing On My Own.” Their rendition is a complete heartbreaker, because they love each other dearly. Delivering a duet instead of a duel, the queens cling to each other for support, and tears are shed all around. But when Jujubee sobs so hard after the tune ends that she begins to hyperventilate, the action has to stop while she recovers. It’s a beautiful and authentic moment from one of the franchise’s most unforgettable queens. And yes, both she and Raven get to stay!
#12: Monica Beverly Hillz Comes Out Season 5
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After failing to deliver during the Week 2 challenge of “Drag Race” Season 5, Ru and the judges can tell Monica’s head isn’t in the game. The queen breaks down and begins talking about a secret she’s been holding in since she entered the competition. When she tearfully tells everyone that she’s transgender, the judges rally around her in support. Ru’s words clearly mean a lot to her, and they seem to give her the strength to slay the lip sync. Although she wasn’t the first trans queen featured on the show, she was the first to speak her truth on the main stage.
#11: The First Double Sashay Season 5
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Season 5 also features another “Drag Race” first: the double elimination. In episode four, the queens are tasked with recreating RuPaul’s life and career through the artform of ballet. The week’s bottom two, Vivienne Pinay and Honey Mahogany, have to lip sync to the classic Britney Spears hit, “Oops!…I Did It Again,” but oops, they forget to bring the energy. After a disappointing performance from both queens, RuPaul announces to a shocked studio that she’s sending both of them home. It’s a jaw-dropping moment that’s been repeated, but will never be topped when it comes to shock value.
#10: Ongina’s HIV Revelation Season 1
For this challenge, the Season 1 queens are asked to put together screen tests for MAC Cosmetics’ Viva Glam campaign, where proceeds are donated to help those living with HIV/AIDS. When Ongina’s inspirational commercial earns her the win, she’s completely overcome with tears on the stage. It turns out the challenge is especially personal to her, because she’s HIV positive herself. It’s a vulnerable and very real moment, which is all the more impressive when you consider that the show was still in its infancy at this point. Needless to say, it cemented “Drag Race” in the hearts of its viewers and made Ongina a fan favorite.
#9: Laganja Estranja’s Meltdown “RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked” (2010–)
She feels very attacked! Laganja Estranja made an impression from her very first episode, but as season 6 continued, some questioned whether she was putting on a persona for the cameras. This came to a head during the Untucked segment after the “Drag Queens of Comedy” challenge. Once Bianca Del Rio brings it up to the group, Laganja faces a barrage of questions and comments about her supposed inauthenticity. It does not go well. The queen fights back until she becomes so flustered that she has to leave the room. It remains one of the most heated moments in “Drag Race” herstory.
#8: Sasha Velour’s Rose Petals Season 9
As Sasha Velour and Shea Couleé compete in the grand finale’s first ever Lip Sync Smackdown for the Crown, they seem evenly matched despite their two very different styles. However, eventual winner Sasha soon begins a series of reveals that include hidden rose petals in both of her gloves. That alone has us living, but the queen is far from done. The pièce de résistance, of course, is the bunch of petals she lets loose from under her wig. The crowd’s ecstatic reaction says it all. This moment was not only incredibly unexpected and exciting, it was also a game changer. Other queens would attempt to replicate the magic…with varied levels of success.
#7: Shangela vs. Mimi Imfurst “RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked” (2010–)
Shangela’s iconic speech is still warmly remembered by fans. But her frustration came from a very real, and very intense argument with fellow Season 3 queen Mimi Imfurst. After receiving a critique on the runway, Mimi’s style of drag becomes the topic of conversation among the contestants. When Mimi accuses Shangela of having a sugar daddy, it’s immediately obvious that she’s just pushed the wrong button. And what follows is intense. Between Shangela’s spirited monologue, Mimi’s stunned silence, and cocktails being thrown across the room, this “Untucked” segment pretty much has it all. It continues to blow our minds.
#6: Asia O'Hara’s Butterflies Season 10
After season 9’s finale lip sync, the season 10 queens probably figured a stunning mid-performance reveal was the way to win RuPaul over. Finalist Asia O’Hara planned to release live butterflies into the theater during her performance. In theory, it’s a great idea. In practice, it’s something else. The creatures hidden in various parts of her costume are uncooperative, and aren’t able to fly when she releases them. Asia’s desperation becomes evident when the gimmick doesn’t work, and her flinging the lethargic butterflies into the air makes it even more mortifying. There was only one thing that flew far away here, and it was the queen’s chances of winning the crown.
#5: “Drag is NOT a Contact Sport” Season 3
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When India Ferrah and Mimi Imfurst find themselves having to lip sync for their lives, it’s clear Mimi is intent on stealing the spotlight. It’s deeply uncomfortable to watch her stumble out of her costume and place herself in front of India so the judges can’t even see her perform. The latter queen’s response, to head down the stairs and position herself in front of the panel’s table initially seems like a good way to get things back on track. But the opposite ends up being true as Mimi lifts India over her shoulders, and hauls the screaming contestant back up on stage. No one likes a dirty lip sync, and Ru swiftly eliminates Mimi for her antics.
#4: Willam Belli Is Disqualified Season 4
Willam Belli inspired lots of conversation during her time on season 4 of “Drag Race”, but nobody expected the queen to leave the competition under such unusual circumstances. We thought her throwing up on the main stage would be the weirdest thing to happen during the episode, but we were wrong! After a lip sync between Phi Phi O'Hara and Sharon Needles, Ru oddly calls Willam forward, and announces that she’s being disqualified due to numerous instances of rule-breaking. Willam has since told her side of the story, alleging that there was more going on behind the scenes. But viewers at the time were blindsided, especially since the contestant had won the main challenge that week.
#3: Roxxxy Andrews Reveals All Season 5
The roast challenge ends up being a breakthrough for Season 5’s Roxxxy Andrews. Sure, her comedy routine doesn’t work. Yet she comes prepared for the “Whip My Hair” lip sync, delivering the wig reveal that spawned countless others. That moment alone has us screaming, but there’s more that follows once the performance ends. The queen’s harrowing story about her childhood trauma completely wrecks us, RuPaul and everyone within earshot. It’s easy to get caught up in the stress and pressure of the competition. But this vulnerable moment gives everyone more insight into who Roxxxy is as a person – and it’s striking.
#2: BenDeLaCreme Eliminates Herself All Stars 3
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The “All Stars” rules have given us many brutal and unforgettable eliminations. But none were as crazy as this one from “All Stars 3.” In episode 6, BenDeLaCreme is a frontrunner. She’s won several challenges and once again earns the right to eliminate a queen from the competition. She pulls out that fateful tube of lipstick and turns it to reveal… her own name scribbled in Wite-Out. RuPaul is confused. Michelle Visage can’t believe it. Her fellow All Stars start sobbing on stage. But through the chaos, BenDeLa gracefully explains her reasons and how she’s doing the best possible thing for her. Talk about leaving your mark!
#1: Valentina’s Masked Lip Sync Season 9
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She’s beautiful, she’s a model, she… doesn’t know the words. “Drag Race” has seen a lot of fallen angels over the seasons, and Valentina is the prime example. In the most shocking moment in the show’s herstory, the season 9 queen finds herself in the bottom two for the first time. Everyone is confused from the jump when she doesn’t take off her face mask. After all, what’s a lip sync without, you know, lips? The tension increases when Ru stops the music and demands a redo. But the writing’s already on the wall. Valentina doesn’t know the song’s lyrics. By the time the mask is gone, so are her dreams of being America’s Next Drag Superstar.
