Top 30 Dark Truths About RuPaul's Drag Race

#30: RuPaul Has Never Had Another Drag Queen On the Judges' Panel

One thing fans of the international spinoffs might notice is that former “Drag Race” contestants are often hosting the show. Even more notable is that other former contestants are asked to guest judge. Many other franchises have given their cast a chance to be critiqued by artists who understand what it’s like to go through the show’s meat grinder. The closest they’ve come is when some queens, such as Alyssa Edwards, have been asked back to coach certain portions of a challenge. Whether it’s ego or something else entirely, the American series has never had a former contestant join Ru on the panel.

#29: Queens Are Credited As Themselves Rather Than Performers

There is a tricky little condition in every “Drag Race” contestant’s contract that ultimately makes a huge difference. Despite the various talents they are asked to showcase, queens are only credited as “themselves” instead of “performers.” This is standard reality TV practice. To credit them as actors, makeup artists, hairstylists, writers, or any other talent they demonstrate on the series would open the show up to a multitude of problems. It might require every contestant to be a member of the respective craft’s union, which is both difficult and expensive. IAnd that would also require them to be paid like union members.

#28: Some Song Rights Are Pulled Before the Show

Navigating copyright law is a special kind of headache. Lip Sync for Your Life songs were especially hard for the show to come by in its early years. The show’s profile was not yet what it now is, and there was less incentive to allow the use of certain songs. However, this has even affected the queens directly, arguably to the point of getting them eliminated from the competition. “All Stars 2” competitor Coco Montrese was originally planning a Janet Jackson tribute, one of her specialties, for the season’s talent show premiere challenge. The show was unable to get the rights, leaving her to use a backup. This less-than-inspired classic Hollywood dance routine contributed to her elimination at the end of the episode.

#27: UK Queens Initially Couldn’t Win Prize Money

Ahead of the season 6 premiere of “Drag Race’s” British spinoff, the news broke that the contestants would be competing for prize money for the very first time. Due to the show’s airing on the BBC, there were no sponsors or adverts, so they couldn’t win any money like their American counterparts. Instead, they won points in the form of Ru Peter Badges, and a production deal with “Drag Race” production company World of Wonder. However, queens were still expected to make magic happen with no financial benefit outside of exposure. This practice changed in the sixth season, when a £25,000 cash prize was added to the winning pot.

#26: Runways & Live Challenges Are Filmed Twice

When it comes to the mainstage, there’s a lot of production trickery afoot. Runways and live challenges like the Rusical are filmed twice. In some ways, it’s a necessary measure, as it gives editors more options for the final cut of each episode. However, it also means that moments can be strategically plucked to support the narrative as to who wins and who goes home. If a queen makes a mistake in either take, the editors can choose whether or not to include it. Yes, it’s a story measure, but it’s also fair to say that it gives them the power to amplify some contestants’ flaws while hiding the flaws of another based on what fits the desired storyline.

#25: Queens of Color Are Mistreated by Fans

In 2020, several Black “Drag Race” alums released a PSA that directly addressed the perceived racism of the show’s fan base. Queens such as Bob the Drag Queen, the Vixen, Heidi N Closet, and Latrice Royale are just a few of the former contestants who have shared their experiences with racist fans. While it’s probably fair to say that every queen on the show has had more than an acceptable amount of toxic interactions with fans, the numbers don’t lie. As early as 2018, reports indicated that the Instagram followings for queens of color were significantly lower than their white counterparts.

#24: The Fans Can Be Vicious

A chance to compete on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” can win a talented drag queen and a whole new audience. It can also leave them vulnerable to a rabid and often abusive fan base. That has only been mentioned on the show a few times, most notably when the behavior of Valentina’s fans became a talking point of the season 9 reunion. Many queens have spoken about the effect the audience has had on them and their colleagues. From constant critiques from fans who think they’re on the judging panel to literal death threats, the “Drag Race” queens have had to bear the brunt of some truly repugnant behavior.

#23: Courtney Act Knew She Wasn’t Winning

The Season 6 finalist received a rude awakening at the pre-taped live finale. To reduce the instances of spoilers, the show pre-tapes several possible endings to keep the winner a secret even to the attending audience. Bianca Del Rio, Adore Delano, and Courtney Act each filmed their own crowning as the season’s winner. Then, a break in protocol saw Bianca and Adore filming a tie. Courtney was left completely out. The writing seemed to be on the wall that Courtney’s solo crowning was a formality. She was not even in the conversation to win despite making it to the finals. Even the real winner, Bianca, called out how shady it was.

#22: RuPaul’s Initial Stance on Trans Contestants

Kylie Sonique Love was the show’s first trans contestant; however, she came out at the reunion once the second season was finished. Other queens, such as Monica Beverly Hillz and Peppermint, were out during their time on the show. However, the host himself was not always open to trans contestants. RuPaul landed in hot water when he admitted that he didn’t think transwomen should be allowed to participate on the show, likening it to taking performance-enhancing drugs. He actually apologized for his comments, and even reversed course on them.

#21: Queens Have Been Completely Edited Out of a Season

“Drag Race” contestants are often relatively unknown before the show. That spotlight can bring the skeletons out of the closets. When season 12 premiered, contestant Sherry Pie was revealed to be a serial abuser who catfished several actors. As the show aired, Sherry was notably absent from many segments. This was especially noticeable because she ended up being a finalist. An even more extreme example was on “Drag Race UK” season 5. A contestant was disqualified while the season was filming and was entirely scrubbed from the edits, as if she wasn’t even there.

#20: Tyra’s Continued Vitriol

Turns out there is such a thing as a sore winner. Despite being one of the first champions of the franchise, King Tyra, formerly known as Tyra Sanchez, has dedicated much of his post-show experience to psychologically tormenting those who still enjoy it. From making cruel jokes about fellow former contestants passing away to telling fans to take their own lives, he aims his sights at anyone that he feels crosses him. He has even spread false rumors about Morgan McMichaels dying and posted what many believed was a threat against DragCon. Though many try to ignore him, he keeps popping back up leading to several people demanding the crown and title be stripped from him.

#19: Queens Can’t Appear on Another Show for a Year After the Season Airs

With the resurgence of competition-based series starring iconic former reality stars, you may have wondered why you don’t see many recent queens participating. It may seem like they just aren’t interested, but judging by the season 8 contract, they aren’t allowed to appear in another televised show for a full year after their last filmed episode airs. In fact, it may be one of the few times that being an early-out is truly beneficial. There’s a chance the standards may have become more lenient in the past few years, but it may be why you have to wait a little while longer to see your favorite appear in “House of Villains.”

#18: Confessionals Are Filmed the Morning of That Week’s Episode

One of the most popular segments of many reality TV shows is the confessional - a sacred place where contestants can tell the audience their thoughts on anything that happens during filming. Thanks to queens like Jan and Brooke Lynn Hytes, we’ve been given more insight into how “Drag Race” navigates. The former revealed that the interviews are filmed each morning before the episode itself is recorded, with some exceptions in the case of unexpected drama occurring. This method makes it easier for editors to choose what clips to include after the challenge has already been filmed. To keep things consistent, they even have everyone dress in the same outfit every day - a far cry from the standards on the earlier seasons.

#17: Queens Can’t Sue If They Contract a Disease On-Set

It’s important to cover your bases legally, but some might find this strange. In the aforementioned contract, there are several release statements that the contestants sign off on. One stated that queens assume any and all risks of working in close quarters with others, whether it’s in a general sense or a more intimate matter. What this means is that should a participant come down with something - whether it’s merely a cold or something much more serious - the responsibility lies with them, and they can’t sue the show itself. With that in mind, it suddenly makes even more sense why there were so many necessary precautions taken during the COVID-19 pandemic.

#16: The Intense Audition Process

If there’s one thing Ru has made clear, it's that she expects the best, including at the audition. Some former contestants have been quite forthcoming about the stringent requirements when submitting a tape. According to Season 11 runner-up Brooke Lynn Hytes, potential participants need to present two lip sync performances, multiple options for Snatch Game, an interview out of drag, acting challenges, and even a look made from unconventional materials. The hardest part? Having to fit it all into a twenty minute span. It’s strenuous, but it makes those who do make it seem all the more impressive. Some have even posted their own auditions over the years, showing the fans exactly what it takes to make it on.

#15: Ru Doesn’t Interact With Queens

Harsh treatment or merely a reality of the genre? We’ll let you decide. Though RuPaul does have several moments where he appears to genuinely connect with a contestant, when the cameras are off, it’s a whole different story. Reportedly, the host keeps the queens at an arm’s length when they aren’t filming and hardly speaks to them at all. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Most likely, at the end of a long day of shooting, he just wants to detach and relax. However, it does undeniably keep a wall up between him and those competing for the crown, which may be exactly as intended.

#14: Queens Can Be Sued for $2M For Breaking Confidentiality

An unfortunate reality of the fandom at large is that spoilers are rampant. Everything from who the contestants are to their placement is leaked. In an attempt to quell this, producers include a clause in the contract that prevents those competing from discussing anything about their season in detail. While this doesn’t stop information from being released altogether, it at least stops most of it at the source. Should a participant circumvent this non-disclosure agreement, then they could get taken to court to the tune of two million dollars. The stipulation covers everything from a queen's statements on social media to their appearances across various media once the show has started airing, making it clear why some choose to be as vague as possible.

#13: “Nothing You Say Matters Unless That Camera’s Rolling”

As stated earlier, RuPaul isn’t exactly known for having a warm off-camera rapport. If a queen tries to get too close, disaster may follow. During a break from filming an episode for Season 7, Pearl told the host how much she enjoyed working with her and how honored she felt. Ru’s response? To say that nothing she said mattered unless the camera was on. It was an unexpectedly harsh response, even if there was a grain of truth to it. In a genre like this, being genuine doesn’t get you far unless it’s broadcast for everyone to see. Unfortunately, that lesson seems to have come at the price of a permanent split between Ru and Pearl and there’s no telling if theyll ever mend it.

#12: Queens Get Only a Few Weeks To Prepare

Imagine this: after preparing your audition tape and waiting, you finally learn that you’ve made the cut. After the initial excitement, you need to prepare and unfortunately, you don’t get much time. With just a few weeks to get all your looks for runways, mini-challenges, and whatever else ready, it suddenly becomes much more daunting. Even beyond outfits, some need time to learn how to sew, act, dance, or perform any other skill Ru has them show off. Even packing is a logistical nightmare, with contestants having a five-bag limit that’s easily exceeded with hair, shoes, and makeup alone. Some queens have reported having even less time before filming - a testament to how dedicated they are to their craft and the program.

#11: Some Queens Pay Thousands For Their Runways

No wonder the queens are hungry for that $200,000 cash prize. With the time to prepare being so limited, those that can’t or don’t want to craft every single look instead turn to friends or designers for help. The contestants have been increasingly more candid about what it costs to finance their time on the show, with several spending at least four figures. Others have resorted to more desperate measures to ensure they can have the best runways, from personal loans to taking out a second mortgage. Others rely on the generosity of family and friends. With so much importance being placed on fashion and expectations creeping higher and higher with each passing season, we can only wonder when the bubble will finally pop.

#10: Queens Are Isolated from Each Other

Many may wonder how the Drag Race producers are always able to capture the riveting interactions between the queens. Well, for one, contestants are reportedly isolated from each other when they are outside the werkroom. It is said that the queens are housed in separate hotel rooms and prevented from interacting with one another when the cameras aren’t rolling. In order to ensure strict adherence to this rule, the producers apparently place tape over their doors to know if anyone snuck out. Even more, the contestants are completely cut off from the outside world, with no phones to contact their loved ones. Now you know why they get so excited to see their family videos.

#9: Seasons Are Filmed In Roughly 4 Weeks

It takes anywhere from 12-14 weeks for a regular season of “Drag Race” to air in full. But that doesn’t mean the show is filmed in the same amount of time. Although each episode is regarded as a new week, in reality, they are shot over a much shorter period. It has been widely reported that each season of “Drag Race” wraps up after roughly four weeks, with the average episode taking about two to three days to film. This would mean that the queens only have hours to sew and design exquisite dresses, come up with hilarious commercials and write sickening verses. Boy, it really does take nerve!

#8: RuPaul’s Bad Memory

Anyone who’s a fan of “Drag Race” can attest to the fact that RuPaul has a pretty remarkable recollection of pop culture moments. So it’s quite surprising, and maybe a little shady, that Mother’s memory becomes a little faulty when it comes to her own children. RuPaul has been captured multiple times forgetting the names of past “Drag Race” contestants. Sure, there have been a gajillion seasons at this point, and about a dozen times that number of queens, but the least Mama Ru can do is remember the winners’ names, right? Well, wrong apparently. Fans were stunned when RuPaul seemingly forgot that of the Queen of All Queens at DragCon 2022.

#7: Multiple Crownings Are Filmed

In the early seasons of “Drag Race,” the finale and crowning of the winner was shot in the studio, months before airing. However, after the season 3 winner was leaked by internet blogger Perez Hilton, producers of the show decided to alter the format. These days, a live grand finale is filmed in front of an audience, only a few weeks before it actually airs. In order to prevent spoilers, the producers film multiple endings, with each finalist being announced as the winner. RuPaul then picks the actual champion afterwards, which is only revealed when the episode airs. Hence, the winning queen gets to find out they’ve won at the same time as the viewers.

#6: Merle Ginsberg Is Replaced by Michelle Visage

RuPaul and Michelle Visage have been squirrel friends for decades. The two reportedly first met in the late 80s and have worked closely together ever since. Although Visage is now a staple on “Drag Race,” she was noticeably absent from the judging panel during the first two seasons of the show. According to the multi-talented entertainer, she was contacted by RuPaul to be a judge right from the start. However, at the time, Visage had just signed a five-year contract with CBS Radio and wasn’t permitted by her boss to appear on “Drag Race.” After going over her boss’ head to the VP of CBS Radio, she was given the go-ahead and replaced Merle Ginsberg from the third season onwards.

#5: The Strange Connection With Charles Manson

“RuPaul’s Drag Race” is a reality series centered around drag queens competing for the ultimate prize. So what in the world would such a show have in common with the cult leader and serial killer Charles Manson? Well, you can relax a bit. Manson has never been a guest judge on any of the episodes. However, some seasons of “Drag Race” have been filmed on soundstages in Simi Valley. Situated within Ventura County, California, the valley was reportedly once home to the Manson family and was the location of some of their despicable crimes. When asked about the connection in a Vanity Fair interview, Mama Ru said “Weve come to cleanse the whole area of its checkered past.”

#4: You’ve Got She-Mail

RuPaul has come under fire in the past for some statements that have been viewed by many as transphobic. In the formative years of “Drag Race,” episodes began with a pre-recorded video from RuPaul that opened with the line [Ooh girl, youve got she-mail]. Regardless of the intentions behind this, the term was clearly a pun on the transphobic slur she-male. After a controversial season 6 episode, in which the slur was used in a mini-challenge, the show was called out for the lack of oversight. As a result, the mini-challenge was removed from the episode, and the opening line of the pre-recorded video was changed to the less controversial: SB

#3: Grueling Production Hours

Anyone who’s worked on a film or TV show will not hesitate to let you know that production hours can be long. And while that’s arguably harder for the technical crew on an average set, you have to take into consideration that the “Drag Race” queens need to be in full drag for the better part of the episode. According to some sources, a production day typically takes around 11-12 hours. This means that queens have to be tucked, wearing heels, hair and make-up, and be fully dressed for practically half a day. It’s pretty understandable now why they’re quick to take off as much as possible as soon as they hit the werkroom for “Untucked.”

#2: Production Manipulations

Since its premiere, “RuPaul’s Drag Race” has been widely celebrated as a cornerstone of queer representation. But at its most basic, it is still a reality TV show, a genre that is apparently notorious for being heavily manipulated. “Drag Race” seems to be no exception. Reports have long made it online that the show favors certain queens to win, and sometimes sets up other contestants to fail, up to the point that they allegedly know beforehand that theyll be going home. While there may be no way of confirming this, fans have pointed out the perceived unfair treatment of Max and the unfavorable edit given to Jaremi Carey, formerly known as Phi Phi OHara, as indicators.

#1: Willam’s Disqualification

In the history of “Drag Race,” there have been quite a few shocking eliminations. One of the very first in that category was the disqualification of Season 4 contestant Willam. After winning the Frenemies episode alongside Latrice Royale, Willam was sent home for reportedly breaking the rules. It was later revealed that Willam had received unauthorized visits from her partner during filming, which constituted a breach of contract. Although the queen has maintained that there was another more shady reason for her disqualification. Since her exit, Willam has consistently spilled behind-the-scenes tea about the show, including claims that the queens were not properly fed, and the presence of safety hazards on set.

Which of the above is the most shocking - and which do you think is maybe not so bad? Let us know in the comments below!