Summary
- Some queens on RuPaul's Drag Race fail to display the charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent required for success on the show.
- Certain contestants, like Roxxxy Andrews and Valentina, allowed their personal issues and lack of preparedness to hinder their competition performance.
- The show has seen its fair share of memorable losers, including Rebecca Glasscock and Serena Cha Cha, who failed to meet the standards set by their competitors.
RuPaul's Drag Race has a long legacy of legendary contestants, but some lost big. From campy comedy queens to glamorous pageant queens, both ends of the drag spectrum (and everything between) have produced iconic performances. However, not every queen makes a splash on the show. Sometimes, a talented queen makes a mistake that sends them home too soon. In other cases, a mediocre queen overstays their welcome, and their elimination can't come quickly enough.
Whatever the reason, some queens notably failed to display the charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent it takes to make it on RuPaul's Drag Race, getting them decisively cut out of the competition and leaving a bad taste in the mouths of not only the judges but the viewers as well. These contestants will never be the most successful RuPaul's Drag Race queens, but they all made an impression in their own way.
Roxxxy Andrews (Season 5)
Although Roxxxy made it into the top 3 in her first season and was fourth runner-up in RuPaul's Drag Race All-Stars, she was always a pageant queen threatened by her over-the-top campy competitors. In season 5, she had an everlasting vendetta against quirky Seattle sleeper hit and season winner Jinx Monsoon. While being wrapped up in a one-sided feud, she was continually distracted during challenges and found herself at the bottom five times.
Unfortunately, she did make it to the top, but it was clear by her last challenge performance that she was not on the same level as her counterparts. Her catty attitude and egotistical outlook on the competition were her ultimate demise in not snatching the crown.
Valentina (Season 9)
As a fan favorite, Valentina did relatively well in the competition before her elimination episode. Her lack of planning and structure for her TV pilot challenge landed her in the bottom two. During her lip-sync against Nina Bo'nina Brown, she refused to remove the mask that was part of her "Kid Club Couture" runway look.
RuPaul, having none of it, made it clear that it was a lip sync for her life. Valentina then begrudgingly took off her mask, revealing that she did not know the lyrics to the song, thus cementing her as that week's queen to "sashay away" in an elimination that was both surprising and wholly deserved.
Mariah Paris Balenciaga (Season 3)
Mariah was a queen who came into the Werk Room with fierce energy, making fans think she would be a powerhouse in season 3. However, her performances in challenges often were underwhelming and could not be saved by her stunning runways. Her elimination came down to a disgraceful performance as Joan Crawford during "Snatch Game."
Crawford is one of the most referenced stars throughout the entire series, so it was a bold choice to impersonate the legendary but controversial Mommie Dearest icon. Mariah's portrayal of Crawford was noted as lackluster and simply not funny to RuPaul, landing her a one-way ticket to the bottom two, where she forgot the lyrics while lip-syncing for her life.
Derrick Barry (Season 8, All Stars 5)
Derrick's performance on the show was very one-note, so it was a surprise that she lasted even long enough to place fifth among the queens of RuPaul's Drag Race season 8. Fast-forward to All-Stars 5, and Derrick was the first to sashay away after a line-up of celebrity impersonations flopped in the talent competition.
The other queens immediately singled out Derrick as not having a significant or entertaining performance. Compared to the other contestants on All Stars, Derrick was unrefined and had failed to develop her drag persona since her first season, unwilling or unable to grow beyond the Britney alter ego.
Jaymes Mansfield (Season 9)
As the first of the RuPaul's Drag Race season 9 queens to be eliminated, it was clear that Jaymes was under-prepared to take on future challenges. Despite being a likable queen, she was underwhelming and did not shine through as a top competitor. In her lip-sync against Kimora Black to the hit song "Love Shack" by the B-52's, she had spirit but was not serving what the judges wanted. As far as losers go, she was graceful but forgettable. This was a case of a girl who had some talent yet clearly was not to make it on RuPaul's Drag Race.
Charlie Hides (Season 9)
Known as probably one of the most infamous losers in Drag Race "herstory," Charlie Hides gave a dismal performance in the fourth episode of the season. In the week's main challenge, her talk show segment was uninspired and riddled with awkward comedic timing.
Inevitably making the bottom two, Hides did not attempt to lip-sync for her life against Trinity Taylor. Claiming that she had a broken rib and did not know the words to Britney Spears' "I Wanna Go," Charlie stood in place for the entire performance, and it was clear to judges and viewers alike that she had given up.
Rebecca Glasscock (Season 1)
Referred to by drag race fans as the "lost" season, the initial premiere of the series had plenty of questionable aspects. One of these is the season's main villain, Rebecca Glasscock. She was one of the first-ever queens labeled "resting on pretty." Although there were different standards for Drag Race queens then, Rebecca was not on the same level as her competitors. Other girls from the season deemed her unworthy of making it to the top 3, insisting that her place should have been taken by season standout Shannel.
Serena Cha Cha (Season 5, All Stars 6)
Being the youngest contestant of season 5, Serena quickly rubbed the other queens the wrong way. Her plan to rely on her art-school background to outshine older queens backfired. Instead, her cocky attitude and avant-garde fashion sense landed her in the bottom twice in season 5.
Her elimination could not have come soon enough, as even her lip-syncs were subpar and ineffectual compared to more seasoned queens with years of performing under their belts. The same went for her appearance on All Stars 6 years later. Many fans questioned the forgettable queen's appearance on All-Stars in the first place, and she was eliminated first after her mediocre "All Stars Variety Show" act.
Magnolia Crawford (Season 6)
Competing with zero desire to be there was Magnolia Crawford's first mistake. The list of other faults during her limited performance continues, starting with her memorable and infamous confession during episode 2 of "Untucked" that she was there only for the exposure.
Her constant complaining and her unimaginative use of her "hoedown" party box to construct a garment for the runway cemented her spot in the bottom two. Many fans were happy to see her go when she was told to sashay away after lip-syncing to "Turn the Beat Around" by Vicki Sue Robinson against Darienne Lake.
Mimi Imfurst (Season 3)
Mimi Imfurst's performance on RuPaul's Drag Race was chaotic and problematic. Displaying one of the most iconic lip-sync taboos to ever come out of the show, Mimi physically picked up fellow queen Indiah Farrah during the elimination contest in season 3, leading to the famous RuPaulism of "drag is not a sport."
Throughout her journey on Drag Race, Mimi was known to be an over-the-top queen, but without the ability to reel it in when needed. She annoyed her castmates too, causing a major RuPaul's Drag Race beef between herself and fan-favorite Shangela during "Untucked" in season 3.