Hold on to your wigs, because Season 10 of RuPaul’s Drag Race is about to begin. That means it’s time to celebrate a decade’s worth of the most jaw-dropping, tongue-popping, death-dropping moments in reality TV history.
Drag Race has blessed fans with nine incredible seasons and three editions of All Stars, with a total of 12 queens crowned for their charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent. But there is always one moment each season that stands out from the rest and instantly gains legendary status. The moment that fills your Twitter feed and is all anyone can talk about for days.
Sometimes it’s a feud, sometimes it’s a performance, and sometimes it’s a shocking twist or elimination, but it’s always great TV. In preparation for the stunt shows and shenanigans headed our way in Season 10, we’re breaking down the most memorable moments from all 12 seasons of Drag Race below.
Season 1 — Ongina’s Revelation
Things may have been a little blurry at the start of RuPaul’s Drag Race thanks to the infamous Season 1 filter, but one thing was crystal clear — these contestants were leaving their hearts on the stage. One of the most popular queens of the “Lost Season” was Ongina, who won fans over with her bald looks and endearing personality. But the Filipino queen stopped everyone in their tracks when she broke down in tears on the runway and revealed she is HIV-positive. The queen made the emotional announcement after winning a challenge based on Mac’s Viva Glam campaign, which raises money for people living with HIV, and the poignant moment became one of the first to land in the Drag Race Hall of Fame.
Season 2 — Tyra’s Post-Crown Meltdown
Fans were stunned in Season 2 when RuPaul crowned Tyra Sanchez as America’s Next Drag Superstar, but no one seemed as shocked as Tyra herself. The controversial queen burst into tears after the announcement, gave runner-up Raven a hug, and then promptly fell to the floor. Raven begged for help as Tyra clutched her chest and gasped for air, eventually taking off her wig to cool down. It turns out she wasn’t dying; she just simply “forgot to breathe.” While Tyra has been at the center of plenty of offscreen drama in feuds with Raven, Tatiana, and the rest of the Season 2 cast since she was crowned, it was this dramatic moment from the finale that stands out from Drag Race‘s sophomore season.
Season 3 — Drag Is Not a Contact Sport
If one more person weaves in front of me and stops, I’m going to go full Mimi Imfurst on them. pic.twitter.com/eAyRGYzas2
— Paul (@mrpwhitley) March 20, 2018
Season 3 gave us the iconic image of Shangela popping out of a box, and the backstage show Untucked found her delivering her classic “I don’t need a sugar daddy speech.” But when it comes to unforgettable — albeit cringe-worthy — moments from the season overall, we have to give it to Mimi Imfurst lifting India Ferrah over her head in the middle of a lip sync. Jaws dropped as India was heard screaming “Get her off of me!” underneath the music. The decision ultimately proved to be a bad one and got Mimi kicked off the show, but it gave us a legendary line and taught us a valuable lesson — “Drag is not a contact sport.”
Season 4 — Willam Gets Disqualified
Willam was a controversial queen from the moment that she walked into the Season 4 workroom and she eventually made history as the first and only contestant to ever be kicked off the show. Willam was paired with Latrice Royale in an episode titled “Frienemies” and the duo won the week’s challenge. Willam then raced to the side of the stage to throw up in a moment foreshadowing the shocking twist to come. Instead of eliminating Sharon or Phi Phi at the end of their lip sync, RuPaul instead asked Willam to return to the stage.
The host explained that Willam had violated her contract and so she was forced to immediately sashay away. On the reunion, it was explained that Willam broke the rules by bringing her husband to the cast’s hotel for a conjugal visit, but many think this was fabricated by producers and that the real reason is still unknown. That makes Willam’s elimination one of the show’s most jaw-dropping moments and biggest mysteries.
All Stars 1 — Raven and Jujubee Lip Sync
The first iteration of the All Stars spinoff separated the queens into teams of two, having them face off against their opponents in pairs every episode. But when it got down to the final four, the teams split apart and had to compete against each other for the first time. This didn’t sit well with Team Rujubee (Raven and Jujubee), best friends who were forced to lip sync against each other for a spot in the finale despite having worked as partners up until that point.
From the second the music started, both queens burst into tears and spent most of the song embracing while trying to keep it together in a scene that will give you chills. The emotional performance also fit perfectly with the brokenhearted lyrics of Robyn’s “Dancing On My Own,” making it one of the most unique, memorable, and heartwrenching lip syncs in Drag Race history. RuPaul decided to save both queens, making it the first time that the franchise featured a final four instead of a final three.
Season 5 — Roxxxy’s Wig Reveal
Ru-member: Do not remove your wig. Unless you have another wig underneath your wig, darling! pic.twitter.com/FyG3n0MFGQ
— RuPaul's Drag Race (@RuPaulsDragRace) January 8, 2015
RuPaul had a rule that queens should never take off their wigs during a performance but added the amendment “unless you have another wig underneath” after Roxxxy Andrews’ lip sync against Alyssa Edwards on Season 5. Ru was stunned to see Roxxxy pull off the first wig reveal of the series, but the captivating moment didn’t end there.
After the performance, Roxxxy burst into tears and revealed that her mother left her at a bus stop when she was a child. Ru gave a powerful speech about how gay people get to choose their families and then dropped another bombshell by keeping both Alyssa and Roxxxy in the competition. Now that’s a moment.
Season 6 — Laganja Feels Very Attacked
Although Laganja’s infamous meltdown technically happened during an episode of the backstage show Untucked, the trail leading up to the meme-worthy moment was an ever-present part of Season 6. Laganja made an instant impression by entering the workroom with a death drop and she was an overwhelming presence throughout every moment that followed. A walking catalogue of catchphrases, the weed-loving queen seemed to be trying to follow in the footsteps of her quotable drag mother, Alyssa Edwards. The problem was, however, that her personality came across as forced and inauthentic.
When the other queens tried to call her out for putting on a show, she didn’t handle it well. In a giant pink wig, Laganja screamed through tears that she felt very attacked and ended up storming out of the room. Unfortunately for her, it was the last impression she left on the show, as Ru told her to sashay away after that episode’s lip sync.
Season 7 — Pearl vs. RuPaul
“I feel very uncomfortable right now,” Max said while stuck in the middle of the showdown between Pearl and RuPaul in the Season 7 workroom, and it was easy to see why. While Ru was giving the two queens advice for the upcoming challenge, Pearl felt the host was insinuating that she had no personality. After Pearl called her out, Ru responded by explaining that she was “hoping that it will light a fire under your ass.”
What happened next was a staredown between the two that seemed to last about 17 minutes. Pearl eventually broke the awkward silence with her now-famous question, “Is there something on my face?” The confrontation didn’t hurt the queen, as she eventually made it into the Top 3. But the moment itself will live on in Drag Race infamy.
Season 8 — Chi Chi DeVayne’s Bead-Busting Lip Sync
Lip syncs on Drag Race are an opportunity for a queen to save herself from elimination, but when done correctly, they’re also an opportunity to create a moment that makes you a legend. That’s exactly what Chi Chi DeVayne did when she was forced to perform against Thorgy Thor to the Dreamgirls song “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going.”
Chi Chi’s performance was infused with so much passion that at one point the beads on her dress exploded all over the stage, which only added to the magical moment. Ms. DeVayne clearly took the lyrics to heart and the showstopping lip sync not only kept her in the competition but instantly made her Drag Race royalty.
All Stars 2 — Two-Way Mirror Twist
All season long it was teased that the eliminated queens of All Stars 2 would be returning for their revenge, but the way they came back still managed to be a face-cracking shocker. Following Alyssa Edwards’ elimination, the ladies stood in a circle listening to Phi Phi trash talk the tongue-popping fan favorite.
But suddenly, the mirror that the contestants write their goodbye lipstick messages on lit up with all four previously eliminated queens standing behind it. That meant that Alyssa heard everything that Phi Phi was saying about her and she was ready to respond. The two queens were in a feud all season but the shocking return only fueled the flames and was just one of many reasons why All Stars 2 is one of the best cycles in the entire franchise.
Season 9 — Valentina’s Mask
Season 9 was filled with shocking moments — Eureka’s forced elimination! Sasha’s rose-petal wig reveal! But it was Valentina’s elimination that will go down as not only one of the most memorable moments of the season, but of the entire series as well. After 9 seasons, it can be hard to shock fans with something unexpected, but when Valentina — who had been largely viewed as a frontrunner up until this point — attempted to lip sync for her life with a mask on, the Drag Race fandom was rocked to its core.
Ru and Michelle turned to each other as Ariana Grande’s “Greedy” began to play and asked what we were all thinking — “Is she seriously leaving that thing on?” And as it turns out, she was. At least until RuPaul stopped the track for the first time in the show’s history to demand she take it off, asking, “It’s a lip sync. What part of that do you not understand?” Val reluctantly removed her face wear to reveal the second shocker — she was hiding her mouth because she didn’t know the words to the song. The mega-mistake led to Valentina’s elimination, making it one of the hardest falls from the top that the franchise has ever seen.
All Stars 3 — BenDeLaCreme Eliminates Herself
BenDeLaCreme seemed like an unstoppable force throughout all of All Stars 3, winning five out of the first six challenges and making herself seem like the only true contender for the crown. But DeLa had a bigger goal than winning when it came to returning to the competition, as she seemed more focused on keeping her Miss Congeniality reputation intact. That made it a lot harder for the sensitive soul to have to pull lipsticks with the name of the queen she wanted to eliminate each week.
And so, after lipsyncing for her legacy for the fifth time that season, DeLa shocked RuPaul, the judges, and viewers everywhere by choosing to eliminate herself instead of one of her competitors. And although her sensitivity seemed sincere, it was also a brilliant move — the queen knew she was creating a buzzworthy TV moment that would keep her name in our mouths for years to come.
So what drama does the milestone tenth season have in store? Fans can find out when the new season premieres on Thursday, March 22 on VH1.