When you cram the queens of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 10 onto a tea-spilling bus tour of Manhattan, you’re guaranteed drag, drama, and a whole lot of quotables. With a record-breaking 18-person cast competing in smaller brackets, the new season format has everyone talking.
We rode along with the queens to get the scoop on the new structure, the shade, and what it really means to slay on Drag Race universe. Here’s everything they spilled.
With 18 queens in the cast but only six competing per bracket, the latest season of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 10 flips the competition dynamic on its head. For some, it’s a chance to hyper-focus their energy. For others, it’s a high-pressure spotlight with no place to hide. Either way, the queens came ready to slay.
“When you have to prepare for an entire season, you split your resources evenly amongst all of those runways and preparing for every challenge,” said Irene the Alien. “But when you only have to get ready for three, you can really focus and allocate all of your resources to those runways and really go for the full fantasy, and prep for the challenges you know are going to be there. It allows you to focus more and really dial into character.”
For Jorgeous, the stakes felt even higher.
“Going into this competition, I was like, ‘It is scary,’ because even Season 14, we didn’t get eliminated in that season either. Exactly. So coming here I’m like, ‘Okay, I need to put my money where my mouth is and actually go in.’ Because girl, we’re getting eliminated, I cannot go home. I’ve been on every episode that I’ve been on, so I need to keep that up. You know what I mean? And I’m grateful at the fact that I just got off All Stars 9 too, so I had that momentum coming in like, ‘Bitch, I just did this the other day. Okay, I got this.'”
Mistress Isabelle Brooks, never one to shy away from confidence, took a different approach.
“I think my experience is different than other people because I feel like a lot of people come back to All Stars to prove stuff. But my first time around I feel I could have easily won if I was what they were looking for. And also I didn’t have to come back and [be] like, ‘I’m a star now, I know how to do TV,’ because I think statistically, I literally have the most confessionals out of any drag queen on Drag Race ever. So I’m just going to continue being myself, and it’s always the Mistress show.”
The new format comes with new challenges. “Yeah, I think there’s a little extra level of scrutiny for the first… For this set of rules. It’s kind of like your chance to go for broke and go big or go home, in general,” said Lydia B Kollins.
Daya Betty noted how the smaller groups sharpen the focus.
“A regular season, whenever you start the season it’s like, what? 15, 16 girls who are [competing], this time it’s only six, so the judges’ eyes are even more laser focused on you. Which, for some girls that can cause more stress and for others it could give them a fire under their ass[.]”
“In the regular season, you have a lot of competitors and for you to stand out for a big crowd, it’s a little bit complicated,” Cynthia Lee Fontaine added. “But, since the groups have only six members, it’s good because you have that TV time, you know? So it’s very beneficial for them, down the road.”
Phoenix, returning after a long time away from the Drag Race stage, shared her unique challenge.
“For me, it’s been like 15 years since I’ve been on Drag Race. So not having a whole lot of time to compose yourself, but also to kind of get your footing again after being off of it for so long. It’s a lot. It’s a lot to kind of mentally take on. But I think if you’ve been on it in the past handful of years, you’re a little bit more mentally prepared for it than someone like me. You know what I mean? So, it’s a lot.”
DeJa Skye offered a candid reflection on her own pacing.
“I’ll just be honest, I’m more of a grower. Oh no, not like that, mama,” she laughed. “Even on my original season, Season 14, it just takes a little bit for me to kind of warm up to it as well. And the fact that this is a brand new format, it’s almost like you’re starting all over again. You are more confident with who you are, but just having the shock of like you don’t know what to expect this time around.”
“I’m an avid watcher of the show, All Stars and the regular season, and the fact that I went in being like I don’t even know what to expect. That was a little intimidating because you are right, we only have three weeks,” she continued. “And you really don’t know, besides the criteria of the challenge sheet, you really don’t know what is really going to be held onto by fans, you don’t know what production truly kind of like wants steamy. So it’s just one of those things that like we don’t have time to engage, you kind of have to throw it at the wall and hope it sticks and you almost have to be fearless but on All Stars it’s hard to maintain…fearlessness but also knowing that you have a point of view that’s coming through.”
Denali was upfront about the business side of the condensed season.
“On a business sense aspect it was so nice to not have to prepare 15 episodes worth of drag. It was great to just kind of [have], oh three episodes [and] you can really put your pussy into each one. You don’t have to divide up. There were just a few things you had to manage throughout the process of getting ready,” she said. “Obviously… that when you’re first beginning, like on Drag Race, longevity on this show is the name of the game. You want to last the longest you can and have the exposure on television as long as you can because it makes a huge difference in your followings, in your growing as a queen when you’re just starting. But in All Stars, it’s not really the name of the game, it’s more impact. I’d say impact over longevity.”
“So, with just three episodes, everybody is going as hard as they can in the drag aspect, in the personality aspect, get those sound bites, get things in, get their voices heard. It’s a lot. It’s a lot,” she continued. “But that’s the main difference. Even with the three episodes and there only being six people, we have also seen the first episode now we got so much of each girl within it. Because there wasn’t as much screen time to share.”
“I think us three, I hope I’m not speaking for you [Denali], but I think us three felt very overshadowed on our original seasons,” added Skye. And so I think that having the six queens only, it’s going to be hard to be overshadowed. And seeing the episode, I’m so glad that we’re all really… Like, I’ve just been going backwards. I wanted people to know who I was and I just don’t think I really understood who I was. So having my story told episode one, that was very important and that was very like, I needed that. For me, it was super helpful having only six girls.”
Phoenix acknowledged the difference as well.
” I think that some queens are… How do I put this correctly? Some queens are almost like a clown, they’re like, ‘Look at me, look at me.’ And for me, that’s just not my personality. So I think when you’ve got a cool cast of 12 or 13 girls, it is so hard if you’re not one of those personalities. With six people, it’s different.”
For Olivia Lux, visibility was empowering.
“Oh baby, there’s no hiding. There’s no taking away, so to speak, okay? There are no tucks here. It is absolutely untucked, unhinged the entire time. The spotlight is on you, and now is the time to shine. Like I said, I feel like I got a lot of shit from the fan base, basically folks thinking that I was trying to put on a front. But in reality, we’re all people [with] various levels to us. And I was able to share one side of me on Season 13. And All Stars is really giving me the opportunity to show more of me. And with the candidness, with the guards down, with being authentically you comes also the trials and tribulations in a competition setting where you’re going to be head-to-head with people. It doesn’t mean that you don’t love them and their artistry, and vice versa, that they don’t live for you. But it also means you are in a competition, and it’s also the biggest drag stage in the world.”
She continued, “So I think it’s important to remember that, and I’m so glad that I was able to just be me—the good, the bad, the ugly, and the pretty. It is fight or flight. And to be completely honest, my elimination episode on Season 13, it was giving flight to you. It was, absolutely. When asked who do I think should go home, it took me so long to even formulate that. That was not TV magic, that was actually in the room. I could not even formulate with my own words, my own feelings and emotions because I just felt like I wanted to escape. I had a great run, I was very proud of the things that I had to do, but I knew that because it was fight or flight, that I decided to fight and compete.”
Six queens, three episodes of a bracket, and no room to play safe
The new All Stars 10 bracket format has the queens feeling a new kind of pressure. Smaller groups mean bigger spotlights—and less room for error.
Bosco put it simply: “It poses its own problems. On one hand you’re like, well, I at least have three episodes and I’m going home first, and that’s a great weight off everybody’s chest. But it also means you have to hit the ground running if you want to stand out and there’s no time to be safe. You’re either doing incredible or you’re falling by the wayside, as far as the competition goes. But it’s definitely a different way of being here. I can’t tell you that it’s easier, but it’s definitely different.”
For Alyssa Hunter, the visibility was an undeniable advantage.
“Yeah, definitely being in a group of six queens gives you more screen time, more like the professionals do. So yeah, it helps you to ask and see who they are, and definitely helps you to just have more culture in the show and your own bracket. So yeah, to me it definitely helped because obviously being a Latina, surrounded by this huge cast, big personality, huge egos…”
“Egos?” quipped Bosco.
“Baby, huge egos. Mistress. Just kidding. But yeah, definitely it helps. Well, all of us,” Alyssa added.
Nicole Paige Brooks, known for her Season 2 run, saw the smaller groups as a chance to shine.
“I only made it two episodes, so I was like, ‘Oh, three? Yay. Absolutely.’ And then I was like, oh, there’s only going to be six of us. So that gives you more time, less people to really be lost amongst. So I think that’s a good thing about this show is there’s 18 girls, but you’re going to be able to see them six at a time and you can focus on which one you really got to cuss out and which one you can just ignore.”
When asked who she planned to cuss out, she quipped, “Oh, you’ll see. You’re not breaking my NDA yet,” turning to Bosco.
Bosco clarified, “I’m like, you already broke it in parts. Who cares if you do it again? They can’t sue you twice.”
“Between you and Mistress, I’m going to get cut from the show,” Nicole joked.
“They wouldn’t dare. There wouldn’t be a show without you, darling. That’s fact,” Bosco assured.
Ginger Minj drew comparisons to her pageant roots.
“Let me tell you, we are all pageant girls. And that’s what I love about this season is that it’s three preliminary pageants with the three different brackets and then you go to the big final national pageant for the semifinals and the final. And I think that’s exciting because when you do step into a drag pageant, you only have that night in front of those judges to make your case and prove your point,” she said. “And at this point, I am back for my fourth time, Jorgeous is back three times in three years. But I love this format because it’s kind of catching up by throwing back to drag pageant history where you go every single year until you win. So you learn and you improve and you grow and you slay differently. I think that people are ready for what this season is going to offer.”
Tina Burner emphasized the urgency of such a compressed season.
“I just think if you only have three episodes to shine, you have to bring that A-game right away. Not to say that you don’t in the regular season, but the regular seasons have a chance of doing the full season and this one, knowing that you only have three episodes, it better be a finale look every episode. So I think that’s changing the landscape and the fact that you can’t be lazy. You’re in such an intense situation that any small detail may be the reason you’re not moving forward. So I think it’s great, it’s concentrated.”
She continued, “And even if you only do three episodes, maybe, I mean baby, that’s great. You got a chance, you got a platform to shine again to show how much you’ve come as an artist, how much you’ve come as a person. And especially, like I say right now in our political climate, it’s more important than ever to be able to be on this platform because we’re able to talk with the press and to stand up. And just being on that show is an act of resistance with who we are and standing proud and standing tall. I mean, baby, I stand a little taller because of my heels and my height and my wigs. I may be seven feet tall, but like I’ve said before, baby flip a hair and flip a finger.”
For Lydia, returning after Season 17, the experience was equal parts thrilling and nerve-wracking.
“It’s been so incredible. It’s been very illuminating as an artist, but also kind of nerve-wracking because there’s the chance that I could do something dreadful and fuck up on Season 17 and I was just not sure how the fans were going to receive me, so I’m now at a level of excitement because of what’s happened on Season 17,” she said.” I think things worked out and I’m very grateful for the fan base and for Mother RuPaul.”
Olivia shared a personal reflection on growth.
“Ru told us on our original season, ‘You will understand more who you are when you watch the season back.’ And Season 13, I feel like I was able to show a side of me, but only that one side, the side that was focused on presenting the best way possible. And it makes sense because it was my first time on TV. But now, all guards are down,” she said. “I feel like I’m a lot more grounded in who I am, not only as an artist, but as a person. It’s been five years. And when I walked into the workroom doors, it was a little over a year of me doing drag. So five years versus a little over a year is a big difference. So yeah, I think this season, I’m really excited to showcase more colors of who I am, not just painting in black and white. But I think we’re going to see a lot more color from me, and I’m excited to share that.”
The Pink Bracket: Reality TV chaos, ‘Bad Girls Club’ vibes, and a whole lotta rah-rah
When it comes to the queens of the pink bracket, subtlety was never on the table. The group came in loud, unfiltered, and ready to give good TV.
“I think we definitely are the reality TV superstar group,” Mistress said. “I feel like we’re—the perfect way to describe it is Flavor of Love meets Real Housewives meets Bad Girls Club.”
Jorgeous agreed immediately: “Uh huh, it’s giving Bad Girls Club real bad.”
Mistress continued, “It’s giving Bad Girls Club, it’s giving, mix it all together and throw some glitter in it, and that’s the pink group for sure.”
But beyond the chaotic energy, it was Nicole Paige Brooks who brought, as Mistress described, the “rah-rah.”
“Rah-rah is an ever-changing and ever-growing word. I mean, I’m not even sure what rah-rah is, and we’re the ones who’s been saying it,” Mistress admitted, before getting even more candid about her relationship with Brooks. “The thing is, Nicole is kind of like a social experiment for me. I’ve groomed her and I’ve taught her how to do her thing, and I think I’ve taught her a little too well. So now I’m scaling back.”
Tina Burner added, “The girls would be girl-ing. …Baby, it’s high school. It was going back to high school for me. It was a little wild. But you’re like the older one, too, in a group. And it sometimes is interesting because, thank God that Nicole Paige Brooks was there in my group because we could team up together at least when the girls try to team up with us. Baby, they may be the children, but we’re the teachers. We’re the ones with the salaries.”
Kerri Colby added that while the pink bracket had no shortage of personality, their real focus was making the kind of TV they’d want to watch back.
“The thing about the pink bracket is we all definitely wanted to win, but we also all definitely wanted to make TV that we wanted to watch back and we did not hold back. So I feel like we’re all up in the air, like what are we about to see, because we know it was so… Everything when it’s happening is a lot faster than it seems, and we were just unhinged. But it’s really good. I think the whole season’s going to be sickening, but that pink bracket…”
Fulfillment for the Seattle queens
For queens like Irene the Alien and Bosco, All Stars 10 was more than just a comeback — it was a chance to rewrite the narrative.
Irene, who infamously went home first in her original season, was determined to show the world the queen she’s always been.
“It’s important not to judge a fish by how it climbs a tree, and we need to celebrate drag queens for what they’re good at,” she said. “And personally, I think that my skills don’t lie necessarily in lip-sync performance, but rather in things like hosting and interviews. So the opportunity to do more challenges and showcase those talents and those challenges was really important to me. And then to prove that I am good at those kinds of things and then prove that lip-syncing is something that I can do, it was so gratifying, and I’m just so grateful to Drag Race for giving me the opportunity to do that. Going home first, that didn’t make sense. That was wrong. And the impression that people got of me was skewed by that. And I’m just so glad that people are going to get to finally see the Irene that I’ve always known has been.”
For Bosco, her return was about finding fulfillment.
“It felt really, really cool. It felt like, I don’t know, full circle. I felt really good about what I had done the first time, and I was proud of what I was able to get done in Season 14. But I left not feeling very fulfilled. I think I could do better. And regardless of how 14 worked out, I felt like I could have done a better job. And this time I’m feeling really, really confident,” she said. “I don’t think I would change anything that I did this time around. And I think that’s being showcased as well. I think the proof is in the pudding and I feel really, really proud of what I put forward. And I don’t know, I’ve been studying. I got my doctorate in pussyology and yeah, with a double major in cunt, and I feel like we’re really being able to show that on TV.”
Tina Burner, Mistress Mondays, and Nicole Paige Brooks as the Fandom’s fave
For Tina Burner, the shift from New York nightlife queen to reality TV competitor was humbling—and empowering.
“So the thing was is I had reached the top of my game in New York City, which is arguably the biggest city in the world. You know what I mean? And so I had reached the top of it, doing nine shows a week before I left. I couldn’t go further than that, so that’s why,” Burner said. “I’d done pageants. As a comedy queen, I auditioned eight times. And so the funny thing about that is, you could be the top of that and people could love you here. But I went there and it was starting over again. Nothing I did before that mattered. And what only mattered a lot to people is, they forgot about that, and it was whether I wore red, orange, and yellow or what I just did on that show. But the thing is, I’ve had a career for many years outside of the show.”
“So what was different this time is, I just kind of leaned into the noise as far as I just used it, took it. It gave me power. Do you know what I mean?” she continued. “It turned into constructive criticism for me and I got a chance to see myself on the show in HD. And like I always say, ‘Baby, okay, you are right that makeup was not giving. And so I’m going to work on that.’ Nobody tells you that in New York.”
Beyond the show, queens are finding new ways to connect with fans—and each other. Mistress reflected on her viral YouTube series “Mistress Mondays” and which queens are most (and least) likely to appear.
“I think it’s a given, Nicole Paige Brooks has to be on—one day. I mean, as my prodigy, she’s going to have to be there. The queen least likely to appear…” Mistress teased.
Jorgeous chimed in, “Hmm, the trade of the season?”
“No, I would have to say, I’m about to say Ginger Minj. It’s all about her public image,” she said. “I don’t think she would give me that. I feel like after the Eureka video, I feel like some people are just like, ‘Ooh.’ They might just want to put themselves out there. You know, it’s an interesting experience because I think doing the YouTube is kind of different than being on reality TV because it’s a little more real.”
She continued, “And I think that Mistress Mondays… I mean, it’s proven time and time again, not that I am the gay TMZ, but I kind of am the gay TMZ. I’m the Wendy Williams of Drag Race stratosphere. And I think it kind of humanizes the queens a little bit more than some of them are used to or expect, because the girls trauma dump when they’re on Mistress Mondays, they have a good time and that’s what makes it fun. I think I show it a very different side than the produced side of Drag Race. Always tune in to Mistress Mondays, free over on the YouTube channel.”
Meanwhile, Nicole Paige Brooks reflected on her own unexpected surge in fan praise—despite her pink bracket episodes not even airing yet.
“When we got on Season 2, they actually were like, ‘You have to sign up for Twitter.’ 15 years ago, they’re like, ‘You need to sign up for Twitter and Instagram. You have to have these accounts.’ So when you go home, we’ll be closer to y’all. So now to be…we were just starting those platforms back then and now there’s so many more and they are literally as opinionated as any of the judges on the panel,” she said. “Luckily they all love me so far. And I’m a delete and block sort of girl. So if you even say something and I don’t understand it, you probably got blocked. I feel empowered by the block, so I’m unbothered by the comments, but I’m liking watching my numbers go up. That’s interesting. Because I probably had or have the lowest numbers of any of the girls. So it’s going to be interesting. It’s a different beast. But it also is, I don’t know, more financially lucrative now. I went back home and became a dad. I got to take my child to school every day. We didn’t go on a tour, you know what I mean?”
Facing The Fandom: Queens get real about negativity, niche building and backstage bonds
When it comes to fan reactions, not all that glitters is gold. The queens of All Stars 10 know that with fame comes scrutiny—but also an opportunity to redefine their narrative.
Ginger Minj, alongside Tina Burner, has seen the highs and lows.
“We are both Miss National Comedy Queens. Took me two years to win, took her three. We had this one girl who won, who took her seven years, and the audience responds so well to the people that they’ve watched year after year,” Ginger said. “You have to also look at it. Yes, it is a competition and I think the fans tend to get a little bogged down in that aspect, but it is a competition so everybody has to be at each other’s throats all the time. Instead of looking at it as a reality television show where we get to celebrate queer artists and queer artistry. And maybe you like me, maybe you don’t. The best thing about this format is that if you don’t like me or you don’t like Jorgeous, there are two other brackets. And 17 other girls. You’ll be fine, I promise.”
For Ginger, the queens are fans too.
“Before we are competitors, we are super fans of this show and I love it. I’ve watched it from Season One. And when a new season is on, even though we know the girls, we’re all texting each other, ‘Bitch, did you see this? Oh my God.’ So it’s exciting when the fans have strong opinions because we are those fans as well.”
Tina echoed the sentiment. “We are those fans and seeing yourself on it, you don’t judge it to yourself. I judge it as [I’m] watching the show.”
Ginger added, “But I also think that the fans should understand that as super fans ourselves, which most of us are, we would never choose to come back or choose to do something that we don’t think would be worth it for the viewers.”
For Tina, dealing with negativity is all about control.
“I knew coming back that my big thing was I wanted to show such a different side of myself and like I say, blow up and show up. In that zero-fucks era. Because I just wish I could be mad about the negativity, but I’m really not. I honestly enjoy it. I sent a message today to someone. You know those polls which are like Toot or Boot, and I was just like [to them], try something uplifting. What does this [poll] do? I know you’re just doing it for click-bait, but turn something out or get one of us to write your jokes. We [are] funny. That’s the thing.”
“If you roast me and you can come at me and it’s fun, I’m going to find the humor because baby, I punch myself up before you ever get a chance to do it. And I’ve looked myself up before you’ll ever have a chance to do it. But I’m going to be honest with you, the people that do appreciate it, the people that do appreciate me, they come to my shows. They sell out my shows in Provincetown. They come to my cabarets because they know what I’m going to bring as a performer,” she said.
“So it’s like, sure, let it be generational. Let you root for that young girl. You do that because we at one point in our careers were those people,” Burner continued. “A lot of people sometimes even leave the industry of drag or can’t stick it out. I didn’t start drag till I was almost 30 years old, so I made a conscious decision as a grown-ass man to make this my living. So if you don’t think that I’m in it, I ain’t going nowhere. This was a decision I made. So come along for the ride if you’d like, or you can jump off the bus and jump on somebody else’s bus and that’s okay. I’m not going to take offense to it.”
Denali emphasized that finding your niche is the true key to longevity.
“I think that that’s the true name of the game is to find your niche and then to lean into it after Drag Race. The fans will eat up anything that you do as long as it’s like showing you and the best way to show you is to lean into those niches. Figure skating has been such a part of my life so to combine drag and skating and have people consume drag in a little bit more of a [more unique], interesting way, taking other drag queens skating and talking to them and stuff, they really enjoyed just seeing all of that. So it’s been fun to kind of like explore those avenues.”
“The best advice I ever got from someone about my career was find what makes you unique, blend all of those things into one and then serve it on a platter and have… That makes you exclusive. People will be like, who’s that one figure skating drag queen? And they know exactly who I’m talking about,” she added.
DeJa weighed in on post-show growth.
“Yeah, I can say definitely the race starts after Drag Race. That is where it really is. The whole thing of Drag Race is a highly edited show and it doesn’t always showcase all of our strengths. And it doesn’t always show you’re showcasing your strengths, so when you’re able to control how you look, you’re able to get the content that you want to get out there, you’re able to find your niche,” she said.
“…A lot of people still don’t understand why the fact that Ru said that I was a lip sync assassin in my first episode. I definitely think just showcasing what maybe you missed on Drag Race and kind of making the bitches eat it every now and then, if you know what I mean,” DeJa continued. “And making sure that they know that you are a force to be reckoned with and there was a reason why Ru would do that. Ru has only cosigned a few people and Denali is one of them. The fans want the control. This is Ru’s show baby, and I’m on the show, Ru paid me, you’re not paying me so remember that. The fans think that they have all the control and they don’t.”
Phoenix opened up about reconnecting with fans in a new era. “Like you said, they [DeJa and Denali] use their YouTube as another platform and I really feel like I’m kind of like… after drag, built a whole other kind of business, you know what I mean. I went to more of the production side of things. But now being back on it, it’s funny because today Denali was on Instagram Live, I’ve honestly never gone on Live before, ever. And I saw her on it, I hopped on, I said hello, I was getting ready and I was like I should go on Live, I never do this. So for the first time I jumped on Live.”
She added, “So I’m watching other girls because I’m trying to go, okay, I built that side of me so now I need to work on and take whole advantage of this moment, you know what I mean. So I am kind of watching girls that have used other different platforms to connect with their fans because, you know, Season 3, kicked off second, people…don’t really know me. Especially this new fan base so I am trying to reconnect with them and using stuff like Instagram Live. But literally today when I hopped on your Live afterwards, I was like should I get on Live, I was like ‘Oh my God.’ So I did that. So I’m like, you know, I’m trying to figure out what avenue I want to take in after this.”
“Just don’t break your NDA on Live,” DeJa warned.
“Correct, and they were trying, they were like can you get us the tea and I was like I’m smarter than her honey,” Phoenix replied.
Reflecting on the evolution of digital drag fandom, Denali added, “One positive thing about the pandemic and Season 3 was that everyone was online. Everyone was consuming this like crazy on the internet. Really grateful for it because it helped us build a huge foundation that we were able to ride for a long time. And then the opposite though is, yeah, we had no in-person connections and the thing that I love about drag the most is being backstage with other drag queens, it’s my favorite part of drag. The personality and the bouncing around with, you know, these just awful cross-dressers. It’s my favorite thing.”
“I literally always say the real show is backstage,” Phoenix said.
“There really should be a show just about backstage. Follow backstage, it’s so cool. This is what I live for for drag so to connect with 17 other girls on a cast like this for four days straight has been so heartwarming and fun,” Denali said. “I hate these monsters but I love them more. I really was like, you know, it’s my third press day, yesterday was my third day, and I got into my room and I was decompressing a little bit and I was just reminiscing on the day with my boyfriend and I was like, I think I love every single one of these girls and that doesn’t always happen. This felt like an expedited camp-style experience where you’re like you’re going through something really hard so you get to know everybody really quickly. And you know everybody, like their prettiest, most raw kind of sense of self and I’m obsessed with all of them in their own ways.”
DeJa couldn’t resist a quick correction: “She also said boyfriend but she meant fiancé!”
Jorgeous’ iconic tweet style, unhinged branding, and the art of banter
When fans noticed Jorgeous capitalizing every single word in her tweets, the explanation was peak chaotic energy.
“First off, I’m sick in the f**king head, girl. Literally, I have ADHD, so I want to look pretty when I’m typing it out. And girl, if people think that, that it’s set that way. People think it’s already set up like that. No, I literally click the ‘shift’ button every single time,” Jorgeous said.
Irene the Alien couldn’t help but react: “What the f**k is wrong with you?”
“Bitch, I’m quick with it,” Jorgeous shot back.
“That’s so San Antonio,” Mistress added.
Jorgeous doubled down. “That’s very San Antonio. We’re all like dumb bitches all day. And in the best way.”
“Jorgeous shuts it down,” Irene said, laughing. “Exactly,” Jorgeous agreed.
Mistress chimed in, pointing out how effortlessly Jorgeous has built her brand. “But that’s a prime example of branding without wanting to, without meaning to.”
“That and unhinged tweets,” Mistress continued.
“Yes, exactly,” Jorgeous said. “I need to make a YouTube video of the process. I like doing that. I really do.”
Speaking of iconic dynamics, Irene opened up about her playful “drama” with fellow queen Aja, which turned out to be some of the most entertaining banter of the season.
“I love All Stars. I think that Aja is one of the girls that I got the closest to throughout the filming of the season. And I think we both have been doing drag for a really, really long time. And the longer you do drag, the more time you spend in drag dressing rooms, the more you realize that the way drag makes you bond is by being shady to each other and trying to get at each other,” Irene said.
“And so the first episode, when we were doing that, we were playing. You know what I mean? None of that was serious. And you can even see in some of the clips, I’m laughing, we’re having a good time,” she continued. “We’re going back and forth in a really fun way, watching the first episode and seeing them edit it with all the sound effects. It really does make it seem like we’re going at each other for real. We’re making TV for fun, but I think that the fact that we can both do that, and then when the camera’s cut, we’re like, ‘Girl, that was so fun.’”
Family ties and Season 14’s legacy
For Olivia Lux, stepping back into the workroom wasn’t just a competition—it was a family reunion.
“It was surreal because it felt like we were transported back to my living room because we hang out all the time, we live nine minutes away from each other, type tea. So it was a very meta situation. I was like, ‘This is strange, and we’re in a workroom?’ But it felt very comforting,” Olivia said, reflecting on competing alongside fellow House of Miyake-Mugler sister Aja.
“To be completely honest with you, I feel like that was one of the reasons why I feel like I was so comfortable just being me because of the encouragement from my sister there, just being present. And it felt like I had a piece of me from back out in the workroom that I didn’t have Season 13. It was like I actually had a family member there with me. And unfortunately, we have to compete against each other. But I think at first, we’re like, ‘Let’s make the most of this moment for us and make sure that we have each other’s back.'”
Looking back at her Season 13 experience, Olivia also spoke about the impact of being a “baby queen” at the time. “Season 13, I’m going to say it, it was, I feel like the last season that everyone was super hooked on, everyone was watching because of the pandemic. People were watching it at home versus in the clubs. And because of that, people felt more connected with us because we were on their living room TVs versus in cloudy bar TV with Britney Spears playing in the background.”
She added, “So I also feel as though Season 13, me being a newer queen, I was the start of the newer queen generation, like the Marcia Marcia Marcias and more. The first real one that we talk about is Valentina. She mentioned she had been doing drag for nine months. People had said she had been performing for nine months, she was doing drag before that. Yeah, it was really eye-opening for me. But I think a lot of other newer queens, and I’m glad that I could lead a representation of that because newer queens are going to be older queens eventually, and they’re going to be the next generation. Why would you stifle the growth of a child? You want people to grow and thrive. And later on, that child could grow up to make change. And that’s the same way with drag queens.”
Season 14 has also carved out a special legacy, with multiple queens returning for All Stars 10. Bosco shared how meaningful that was.
“At that point, it felt very flattering. I don’t know, we were a very close season friendship-wise. We have a group chat that still goes to this day. Whenever one of us is in town, we always meet up and link up. We try to keep things really, really close. So for all of us to find out that so many of us were going back, it felt really, really sweet and also affirming, like yeah, we do have it like that. Absolutely.”
Alyssa Hunter echoed that sentiment: “I think that Season 14 is one of the sweetest ones. Just the sweetest cast. We have that chemistry.”
Bosco added, with a grin, “It doesn’t make for great TV, but we love each other.”
Daya Betty reflected on how their shared journey has kept them connected.
“It’s actually kind of surreal, in a sense, because, you know, we all sort of started this journey together in Season 14 and we’ve been able to progress through our drag journeys and kind of the cycle after Drag Race together. And improve our crafts while doing so. So, it’s cool just to kind of see the evolution with each other and also being a part of one another’s evolution,” she said. “But also, that just means I know how fierce all the girls from Season 14 are. Obviously there’s so many of them, so that just makes it even more competitive and I love competition, baby, so… It’s cool. I think Season 14 is one of the sickest casts ever. And I don’t just say that because I’m on it.”
More musings of All Stars returns, that Ice Spice lipsync and more
Returning to All Stars 10 after Season 8 has been a surreal ride for queens like Acid Betty and Cynthia Lee Fontaine, who’ve witnessed the show—and drag itself—transform.
“It was weird for me because I showed up and I was top six already,” Acid Betty said. “Like I said, a lot of girls ain’t never made top six. So I was never been top six. They were like, ‘Hey, girl, you’re already top six.’ Okay. It was cute. I think I only did three episodes myself, which is enough for me. So when they were like, ‘Oh, let’s guarantee three episodes,’ I was like, ‘Oh, that’s enough for me.’ So yeah, I was excited to be back and excited to be with some of these old and new girls, to be honest.”
For Aja, her return was punctuated by a memorable lip sync moment with Ice Spice.
“Oh, it was definitely funny because we got the song. So actually they had gave us that song and they gave us another song that was like by Charlie XCX and I think they wanted us to be on our toes,” she said. “So when they told us it was the Ice Spice lip sync, which is funny because the only one I actually learned, I just had felt in my heart, I followed my intuition and I was like, ‘I think it’s going to be Ice Spice.’ The girls were like, ‘I think it’s be Charlie XCX.’ And I said, ‘Yeah, girl, whatever.’ It was Ice Spice. And I thought to myself, ‘This is going to be crazy.’
“RuPaul literally goes, ‘Prior to tonight you were asked to prepare a lip sync performance of, ‘Think U The Shit (Fart).’ Falls out,” Aja laughed. “When I tell you it was so funny. Ice was like, you could tell she was like, ‘Oh, work.’ And it was crazy because what a song title. But she’s from the Bronx, I’m from Brooklyn. And they didn’t show this, but there was a part where I was talking and she goes, ‘Are you from the Bronx?’ And I was like, ‘No.’ I was like, ‘I’m from Brooklyn, but the Bronx is like my sister.’ And she fell out.”
Cue one of the day’s most chaotic moments as the bus hit a pothole, sending tea, cups, and pastries flying. “Bricks are being thrown,” Aja joked.
“The bricks are getting bricks thrown at them. Oh, my God,” Acid added.
Kerri Colby joined in, “We are at Stonewall. The bricks are flying. I was just watching this crazy TikTok and someone said that, ‘Protect the bricks because it was bricks thrown at Stonewall.’ That’s crazy. I was like, TikTok likes to read me through.”
For Cynthia Lee Fontaine, the evolution of Drag Race was impossible to ignore.
“So, of course there’s always change. I think it’s starting with the format. But also, how the drag has been seen, thanks to Drag Race, is different. And that brings, I think in my case, with all the preparation to go to the TV show and all this stuff, a little bit more stress,” she said. “Because back in the days it was more into the interaction and personality, and it was more crafty. Now, this show elevated this artistry from drag queens to a super star. The runway is like you are on a runway in Paris or Italy, you know what I’m saying? So, the pressure is a little bit more high, you know what I mean? Not just only the TV show elevated the branding of drag, but also the viewers of the show and the fans of the show.”
Daya Betty interjected, “Well, there’s still crafty queens, though.”
“Yes, I am bringing drag back to a tangible and accessible place,” Lydia B. Kollins added.
Cynthia couldn’t resist complimenting Lydia. “But, let me tell you, the way that you create your looks, it’s spectacular. Because she can show you, probably a piece of fabric, and be like, ‘Oh I love this fabric.’”
The moment turned playful as Daya quipped, “Oh now we’re getting good shade. That rose is strong, though. All right, time to take Grandma’s drink away. I love you, Cynthia.”
“Thank you. I second all of that, sister. I second all of what she said,” Lydia replied.
Turning to Daya, Lydia continued, “You’re very crafty too.”
“But don’t ever call me that,” Daya shot back.
Cynthia couldn’t resist one more joke. “Who will meet her at the parking lot?”
“I live there,” Lydia answered, without missing a beat.
“That’s where he [RuPaul] scraped her off of the pavement,” Daya added, sealing the moment with a laugh.
Is All Stars 10 rewriting the rules? The queens say yes, and they’re here for it
All Stars 10 is doing more than just expanding the cast—it’s redefining what returning to Drag Race can look like.
“I think it’s sort of just releasing all the rules that we had before and now it’s really showing us that anything absolutely can happen and you shouldn’t expect anyone to not come back, or to come back, I guess,” Lydia B. Kollins said.
Daya Betty turned to Cynthia Lee Fontaine for her take. “What about you, Cynthia? Because I know that you said that you kind of went throughout all the programs and the networks and stuff? I feel like you would have a really good insight as to what it means, from going from All Star seasons, like All Star Seasons One or Two, where you had half the amount of girls that you have on this cast. Do you think it’s going to be more beneficial, in that sense, now that more girls can come back and show what they’ve been doing, since there is so many various forms? [To Shadow and Act Managing Editor Trey Mangum] Not me becoming the interviewer coming for your gig!”
Cynthia smiled and responded, “The exposure and the TV time is going to be more valuable because the amount of girls per group on rocket is bracket, you know? They get the opportunity to showcase. Maybe probably what I couldn’t be able to showcase in my older seasons, if that makes sense?”
Daya expanded on the evolution of drag visibility.
“And also, I think something to add to that is, drag queens, obviously we’re at the club circuits and, you know, doing what you would expect a drag queen to be doing. But a lot of us have also liked breaking out of stereotypical role of what drag is, I think. There’s so many girls from the Drag Race franchise that have hit the fashion markets, or different television programs, kind of bringing drag to the masses in different ways, other than just RuPaul’s Drag Race. And it’s cool to showcase all the ways that RuPaul’s Drag Race has affected the lives of these queens. So, a lot of people can complain about having a lot of queens on a season. I like to complain about having a lot queens on a season. But also, it is sickening because we have so many fierce queens in the same dome.”
“And it doesn’t feel congested because it is broken up. It allows the queens to breathe and show who they are,” Lydia added.
Daya couldn’t resist, “Alexa, play ‘Queendom’ by RuPaul.”
Cynthia brought it home with a reminder of the cultural significance. “And it comes in a time that it’s needed. Because of the political situation that happened in this country, you know. So, I then would all sit down with the girls and said like, f**k it. They are against drag? Okay. Let’s have a full cast of 80 bitches and let’s show society that this art is real. It’s not a crime, you know? It’s fun. So I like that. And I said recently, in one of our interviews this week and they were like, no! Even I want to see a season of 25, 50 girls at max.”
“Let’s not get crazy, sister,” Daya said, laughing.
“You know what, the more she says it, the more I’m on board,” Lydia replied.
Talk turned to the idea of a “Squirrel Games”-style premiere where most of the cast gets eliminated before the competition even starts. “I’m totally excited, that sounds intense,” Daya said.
“That actually sounds really cool. I think we should do that. Notes for production,” Lydia added.
Daya reflected on the platform’s power. “Well, if you were nervous about the travel to shoot for these weeks… you now feel things are going to be seen, regardless, on television. So, it’s kind of… For me, as a drag queen, my favorite part is the visual aspect, to be able to kind of transform myself. So, I’m like, well, even if I suck shit in your challenges, at least I’ll know I look cool and I have a very specific niche group of people that I kind of fall into, when it comes to my visual style. And so, I think that it’s less about creating a fan base but just having those that support your style and your niche style more.”
Lydia agreed. “No, that makes sense. There is compartments of fans that like different things and I think that there’s a lot of different girls on the cast that’s going to attract a lot of the fans, I don’t know.”
“Yeah, yeah. We’ll see. Or completely repel them. Which could also be very fun,” Daya concluded.
