RuPaul's Drag Race: 10 Biggest Production Favoritism Scandals

MsMojo

The werk room isn't just filled with drag queens, but also production manipulation! Join us as we spill the tea on the most controversial favoritism scandals in RuPaul's Drag Race history. From unexplained returns to suspicious challenge wins, these moments had fans questioning if the playing field was truly level. Which queen do you think benefited most from producer favoritism?

Transcript

00:00I'm a great lip-sinker, so I just have to kind of be confident in what it is that I do.

00:06Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're taking a closer look at the Drag Race queens who appear

00:10to be favored by producers, and the controversies that this behind-the-scenes manipulation stirred

00:15within the fandom. The girls who win the challenge was literally surprised they win the challenge,

00:22but you know, that's the game. Art Simone, Down Under Season 1. Before joining Drag Race Down Under,

00:29Art Simone had already made a name for herself in Australia and was seen as a strong contender.

00:34However, those expectations quickly crumbled when she was eliminated in the second episode

00:38after bombing the Snatch Game. Then, without warning or explanation, RuPaul brought her back

00:53two episodes later, as if nothing had happened.

00:59While it wasn't the first time a queen had been brought back, previous seasons typically offered

01:13all eliminated contestants a fair chance to return. But that was not the case here. This decision was

01:19widely criticized, especially since the other two eliminated queens, Jojo Zaho and Coco Jumbo,

01:25were both people of color with less visibility than art, who could have greatly benefited from

01:30more screen time.

01:31Coming back with a strong look I think was important for you, and I think you achieved

01:36that tonight.

01:36When life gives you a second chance, child, this is what you do.

01:41Tia Coffey, UK vs. The World Series 2.

01:44While it has introduced many international queens to a broader audience,

01:48the UK vs. The World franchise has also drawn criticism for putting non-UK contestants at a

01:53disadvantage.

01:58In the second series, Tia Coffey proved to be a formidable competitor, snagging four maxi-challenge

02:08wins. However, by the finale, some fans felt the competition was being steered in her favor.

02:13Marina Summers, the season's lip-sync assassin, was expected to be Tia's toughest opponent in the

02:18lip-sync SmackDown for the crown. Instead, she was conveniently eliminated in the first round by

02:24Hanaconda, a decision that many fans disagreed with.

02:27Thank you for an amazing season. You are and will always be a global phenomenon.

02:36Now, sashay away.

02:38Although Tia's talent made her a deserving winner, many believe the finale would have

02:43been more satisfying had she faced and defeated her strongest rival head-on.

02:47To go from Baroness Basic to Queen of the Mother-Tucking World is wild, but it proves that

02:53you can do anything that you set your mind to. So, everyone, make sure you do your homework and pay

02:58your taxes.

02:59Jimbo, All-Stars 8.

03:01RuPaul appeared to take a liking to Jimbo on the first series of UK vs. The World.

03:05After Jimbo's unexpected elimination that season, she became the first international queen to compete

03:11on a regular All-Stars season, joining the All-Stars 8 cast.

03:14Hi, I'm Jimbo, and you may remember me from Canada's Drag Race Season 1 and UK vs. The World.

03:20The breasts of the West, the tits of the top. Big tits. That's me.

03:25From the moment she walked into the workroom, it was clear the producers were set on making her the

03:30winner. That's not to downplay Jimbo's talent. She easily could have won UK vs. The World Series 1.

03:35Still, All-Stars 8 seemed specifically designed to play to her strengths.

03:40Do you have a big, thick oak tree that grows and kind of bends at a weird angle?

03:44Let us take a whack at it. We'll prune it like a pro.

03:48Unlike past All-Stars seasons that brought back heavy hitters, half of this cast were early

03:52outs who offered little actual competition. As a result, Jimbo cruised to the finale and

03:57snatched the crown with relative ease.

03:59This is it. Our final performance. It all comes down to this. This is my time. This is

04:04my crown. And Candy Muse, I'm gonna funk you up.

04:08Gigi Goode Season 12

04:09By the Season 12 finale, Gigi Goode was the queen to beat, having snagged four maxi-challenge

04:15wins without ever landing in the bottom two. But that track record felt almost too perfect.

04:20You've won a cash tip of $5,000. Oh my god. I just won my third challenge. That's nuts to me.

04:30After a lackluster lip-sync in the premiere, it seemed producers deliberately kept Gigi away

04:35from the bottom two, even when she arguably deserved a spot there. Then, in the Rusical,

04:40Gigi snatched a surprise win over Jan, who gave an equally, if not more, impressive performance.

04:45This decision not only seemed to push Jan to a breaking point, but also sparked backlash

05:00from fans, who accused the show of favoring Gigi while setting up Jan for a try-hard edit.

05:05Jan! Tonight you ruled the world. You are safe. Let me join the other girls.

05:15Ultimately, though, Gigi lost the crown to Jada Essence Hall.

05:19Trixie Mattel All-Stars 3

05:21I went on tour as a comedian, topped the iTunes charts with folk music and drag,

05:26and then I went on to even star in and develop my own television show,

05:29and I felt like an all-star before I got here.

05:31After Bendele Krem, the frontrunner of All-Stars 3, eliminated herself,

05:35the crown became anyone's to snatch. Based on track record alone, Shangela was the obvious choice

05:41to win. However, for the first time ever, RuPaul let the eliminated queens vote on who should make

05:47the final two, which many saw as producer interference to control the outcome.

05:51This done Ben had been RuPaul's best friend race. There's gonna be eliminated queens who

05:56choose who won the most challenges. There's gonna be eliminated queens who choose their friend.

06:00As she was responsible for sending several queens home, Shangela failed to secure their votes and was

06:05passed over in favor of Trixie Mattel and Kennedy Davenport. Trixie then beat Kennedy in the final

06:10lip-sync and won the crown. Although this decision was criticized, it may have benefited the show in

06:23the long run, as later sexual assault allegations against Shangela may have tainted its reputation

06:28had she won. Shea Coulee All-Stars 5 Shea Coulee certainly would have won season 9 if not for the

06:35introduction of the lip-sync smackdown for the crown.

06:40Following that loss, it was clear Shea would get her crown eventually, and that moment seemed to

06:50arrive on All-Stars 5. From the start, the show leaned into her redemption arc, framing her as

06:55the queen with something to prove.

06:57Fans would take off their hats, and rose petals would fall out, because I was the butt of this joke,

07:03and I wanted to find an opportunity to reclaim my rose.

07:07Much like All-Stars 8, this season featured mostly early outs and queens who hadn't competed in years,

07:13meaning there was little real competition. Also, the revamped format, where one top queen faced a lip-sync

07:18assassin also worked in Shea's favor, as it shielded her from potential elimination by her fellow

07:23contestants. While Shea is undeniably talented, the edit left many with the impression that her win

07:29was predetermined.

07:30What this competition has given to me this time is far more valuable than $100,000.

07:40Jinx Monsoon, All-Stars 7

07:42All winners, All-Stars, has been brought up to me many times. I guess season 5 wasn't enough for you,

07:49so I've come back to do it again!

07:51With several past winners returning to compete, All-Stars 7 was the first season where anyone

07:57could have plausibly taken the crown. However, as the season progressed, one name quickly rose to

08:02the top. Jinx Monsoon. The quirky underdog-turned-powerhouse wrapped up win after win,

08:08even in episodes where other contestants arguably outperformed her.

08:12You are ripped out of the ultimate safe space, and then thrust into a world full of people who

08:18would just as soon run you down with their car and leave you for dead in the middle of the streets

08:25of Amsterdam!

08:27Through a mix of undeniable talent and what many perceived as a nudge from production,

08:32Jinx secured a spot in the lip-sync SmackDown for the crown. But the final showdown against Monet

08:37exchange stirred controversy, as some argued the edit heavily favored Jinx while cutting out

08:42Monet's strongest moments.

08:51It felt as though the show had positioned her as the one to beat, and ensured no one actually

08:56could.

08:57Georgis Season 14

08:59I gotta say Georgis, you know you were born for drag? You do it so well. You understand your

09:05silhouette, you understand your body. Lovely Georgis.

09:08Once RuPaul tells a queen they were born to do drag, it often feels like they can do no wrong

09:14in her eyes. That was certainly the case for Georgis on Season 14. While she could lip-sync

09:19the house down boots, yes mama, God, oh crrrr, Georgis struggled in nearly every other area. Yet

09:24she was repeatedly spared from the bottom, even when she deserved to be there.

09:28It must be so hard for you to look in the mirror and not see what I see.

09:35Girl, I hope she knows that she ain't the only gorgeous one up in this gig, mama.

09:39The most baffling moment came during the Glamazon Prime Design Challenge, when Georgis walked

09:44out in a single scrap of fabric with star-shaped cookie cutters glued to it and still won.

09:48Georgis, you are one smart cookie.

09:52That decision united the Drag Race fandom in outrage. Although Georgis was eventually

10:04eliminated just before the finale, many fans believe she lasted far longer than she should

10:09have. Ginger Minj, All-Stars 10

10:11The first two brackets of All-Stars 10 hearkened back to the golden era of Drag Race, but things

10:17took a sharp turn with the third bracket, when accusations of favoritism began to emerge.

10:21I am in the lead! I'm a leading character.

10:24Agh! Agh!

10:27And it makes me hungry for more.

10:29Due to the nature of the challenges, fans perceived the third bracket as being perfectly

10:33suited to the strengths of one queen, Ginger Minj. While the other groups had a mix of design,

10:39comedy, and performance challenges, the third bracket featured mostly comedy-based challenges,

10:43an area where Ginger thrives.

10:45You're the chap I asked when you smacked me on the fanny.

10:48You told me you were cheating with my own damn granny!

10:51Black it off with me!

10:53But eyebrows really shot up when she won the lip sync for your legacy in Episode 2, despite

10:57many believing that Denali outperformed her.

11:00This decision felt questionable, not just to the viewers, but also to fellow queens like

11:04Alyssa Hunter and even Denali herself, who reportedly stormed off stage afterward.

11:09I'm gonna be honest. I'm gag, because the vibe was Denali, Denali, Denali. But at the

11:15end of the day, I'm not the judge.

11:17Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified

11:22about our latest videos. You have the option to be notified for occasional videos, or all

11:27of them. If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.

11:32The Rue Girls Global All-Stars Season 1

11:36The Global All-Stars Season was designed to spotlight drag from around the world, with

11:41each queen representing a different franchise.

11:43From all the drag-race queens in the world, I've chosen each of you to represent your nation.

11:50I know that's right here.

11:52Given the language barriers, one would expect the challenges to level the playing field.

11:57However, most of them still favored the English-speaking queens.

12:01Fans also noticed that the judges consistently gave more favorable critiques to Alyssa Edwards,

12:05Kitty Scott Claus, and Queen Kong, the only Rue Girls in the competition.

12:09Alyssa Edwards, Kitty Scott Claus.

12:12You are safe to slay another day.

12:15Thank you so much.

12:17You three may leave the stage.

12:18Meanwhile, the other contestants had to overcome not just the language hurdles, but also the

12:24added pressure of forming a rapport with the judges from scratch. This perceived favoritism

12:28quickly soured many fans' opinions of the season.

12:31No, in Italy, we don't do roast. It's something that we don't have. But more than funny, I think

12:37I'm delusional. So, okay, that works.

12:40Although Alyssa Edwards remains beloved, her win felt like a coronation for the queen the

12:44show had already picked from the start. What's the most baffling show of favoritism by the

12:48Drag Race producers to you? Let us know in the comments below.

12:52It may be a good opportunity to tell you that that was probably me behind the wheel of that

12:58car.

12:59You just got to hear you.

13:00Your

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