The international edition of All Stars is almost here, H-E-R-E, here! RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs the World will see the queens of Drag Race UK go head-to-head with some of the most talented performers from other global editions of the franchise, including the original US version and Canada’s Drag Race. The series was filmed in London and will feature Drag Race UK panellists RuPaul, Michelle Visage, Graham Norton and Alan Carr. The show will also feature some sickening special guest stars as the franchise looks to crown its very first Global Drag Race Superstar. With the franchise expanding into various new territories, there’s a plethora of iconic contestants that could be in the running. A PLETHORA! After familiarising ourselves with all of the incredible contestants, we came to a decision on the queens that we’re gagging to see on the series. Trust us, this was a hard task. Lots of crying, etc. However, we ultimately settled for the entertainers who killed their original season and placed top five, and who we think deserves a shot at rudemption. Just FYI, this list does not include contestants who made their Drag Race debut in 2021 because they deserve five minutes of peace. Let us know if we’ve omitted any strong contenders or your personal fave, but be nice! In the words of Alaska Thunderfuck, “It’s just drag!” Get your jush below.
Angele Anang (Drag Race Thailand season 2)
Original Placement: Winner
Challenge Wins: 6
When Angele Anang won RuPaul’s Drag Race Thailand, she made herstory. Not only did she win more challenges on a single season than any other contestant (six, can you believe?) she also became the first openly trans queen to take home the crown and sceptre. The first! Despite acclaim from hardcore Drag Race stans, Drag Race Thailand has flown under the radar amongst casual viewers due to the show’s lack of involvement from RuPaul. Being exposed to a worldwide audience would boost Angele’s star astronomically, and her six – we repeat, six – challenge wins would have the other contestants shaking in their boots. When we spoke to Angele after her historic win, we asked if she would ever compete in a Drag Race crossover, to which she responded: “Umm… I’m not sure! But if there were many queens from America joining the competition, I might be there. It would be fun.” We’ll take that as a yes!
Asia O’Hara (Drag Race season 10)
Original Placement: 4th
Challenge Wins: 2
It’s time for Asia O’Hara’s Drag Race, honey! Somehow, it’s been four years since the seasoned queen stomped into the werkroom, where she placed fourth behind Aquaria, Eureka O’Hara and Kameron Michaels. Although she had the second best track record out of the final four, and was a shoo-in for a spot in the top two, she bombed the lip-sync smackdown after attempting to top Sasha Velour’s legendary rose-petal extravaganza with butterflies (actual butterflies, like, living creatures) that failed to… well, do anything. While the incident ruined her shot at taking the crown, it became an instantly iconic moment for the series, and it’s about time Asia received her lip-sync rudemption. Honestly, she could go all the way.
Baga Chipz (Drag Race UK season 1)
Original Placement: 3rd
Challenge Wins: 3
Since Baga Chipz informed Britain that she “takes it up the (shhh)” on the first season of Drag Race UK, where she became the first queen to earn three wins in five episodes, the star has dominated our television screens. Since her run, the Midlands-born performer has made appearances on British programmes including The Big Fat Quiz of the Year, Roast Battle UK, Pointless Celebrities, Celebrity MasterChef and The Circle. She also landed her own spin-off with season one winner The Vivienne, Morning T&T, a parody of Good Morning Britain in which they reprised their Snatch Game-winning characters: Margaret Thatcher and Donald Trump. As one of the most successful post-Drag Race success stories, it would be a severe misstep on the producers’ part to not have her in this cast. Plus, with her quintessentially British sense of humour and style of drag, it would be an absolute riot seeing her kiki with queens from America, Canada, Holland and Thailand. Ugh, give it to us now!
Cheryl Hole (Drag Race UK season 1)
Original Placement: 4th
Challenge Wins: 0
Cheryl Hole is not gamed out just yet. Although she didn’t win a single challenge and received the dreaded “sashay away” before reaching the final three, the Essex-born queen cemented herself as a firm fan-favourite amongst Drag Race fans and joined an elite group of competitors who have earned ‘meme queen’ status. (We’ve all retweeted “I’m ready for another week of me doing mediocre!” on a Monday morning, haven’t we?) Despite her unfavourable track record, Cheryl is a sickening entertainer who deserves to showcase her abilities to the fullest, particularly her skills as a lip-sync assassin and girl-group pop princess. Like Alyssa Edwards, she’s unintentionally hilarious and makes incredible TV. Please, take a moment and manifest a future with us, a future where Cheryl Hole and Darienne Lake both sashay into the werkroom. Avengers: Endgame? Dead in a ditch.
Crystal Methyd (Drag Race season 12)
Original Placement: 2nd/3rd
Challenge Wins: 1
Has there ever been a queen like Crystal Methyd? With her innovative aesthetic, loveable personality and batshit crazy performances (shout out to when she re-enacted the life cycle of a bird and regurgitated in her mouth to the beat of Nelly Furtado’s I’m Like a Bird), Crystal quickly became one of the most beloved contestants ever. After the season 12 finale, we manifested a dream scenario with Crystal in which she and her fellow finalist Gigi Goode, who fans championed as ‘Crygi’ on socials, returned into the werkroom for the same season of All Stars. “We’re only going to go back for All Stars if we’re a couple,” she said. “We’re going to be on the show as a couple, but then the stress of the competition will break us up, and then we’ll get back together before the finale and then it’ll be a double crowning.” If anyone from the International All Stars team is reading this, make it happen and give Crystal a producer credit.
Darienne Lake (Drag Race season 6)
Original placement: 4th
Challenges won: 1
“Big girl walking down the sturdy street, big girl walkin’ in all these dirty feet” is one of the most iconic and groundbreaking lyrics in the history of music, and Rochester’s very own Miss Darienne Lake, was responsible. John Lennon who? The hilarious performer and acclaimed rapper made her debut on the show’s much-loved sixth season back in 2014 and reached the top four alongside Bianca Del Rio, Adore Delano and Courtney Act. For some reason, she hasn’t returned to the franchise since – except for the time she expressed her love for bread in the season 10 premiere – but it’s about goddamn time we got some more Darienne. We want it and we need it.
Divina De Campo (Drag Race UK season 1)
Original Placement: 2nd
Challenge Wins: 3
Divina De Campo on International All Stars? I do think. Although the queen led every social media campaign leading up to the Drag Race UK finale, she lost out on the first ever British crown to The Vivienne; making it one of the closest battles for the title since Manila Luzon and Raja. She did win the hearts of Drag Race viewers around the world, however, thanks to her sharp wit, deadpan sense-of-humour and for her part in forming one of the most iconic girlbands of the decade: The Frock Destroyers. Since her run, Divina has released an album with the group, as well as a critically-acclaimed EP, and conquered the world of theatre. Divina is a queen who can do it all, which was reflected in her three maxi-challenge wins and zero bottom placements on Drag Race UK. She’s a force to be reckoned with. Cast her!
Envy Peru (Drag Race Holland season 1)
Original Placement: Winner
Challenge Wins: 4
Our second champion on the list, Envy Peru notably became the first ever crowned contestant of Drag Race Holland and the first Peruvian queen in the franchise to emerge supreme. As the winner of Snatch Game, Envy proved she could serve comedy, as well as glamour when she triumphed in the makeover. Fun fact alert! According to the DOB Scoring Method, an unofficial fan-made scoring system to measure the statistics of Drag Race contestants, Envy is the most successful queen to date; surpassing the likes of Bianca Del Rio, Tyra Sanchez, The Vivienne, Divina De Campo and Rosé. Is it too early to call a frontrunner? Shortly after her win, we asked Envy if she’s down for a that much-rumoured winners’ season. “I would love that! Why not? That would be cool. With the winners from the US, UK, Canada, Australia and Holland? Oh my god. Whoa. That would be very pressure-cooking!” she admitted. “I think I’m just gonna enjoy my reign for as long as I need. I look up to all those amazing queens. It would take balls!” Yes, this is International All Stars, but her response has us convinced that she’ll make a gag-worthy comeback.
Janey Jacké (Drag Race Holland season 1)
Original Placement: 2nd
Challenge Wins: 2
Out of all the queens on the list, it might be Janey Jacké who’s the hungriest for the crown. The queen, who placed runner-up behind Envy Peru, told GAY TIMES after her loss: “All Stars is calling! I’m hungry. I would love to be there. Drag Race makes you, as an artist, a person and a performer, go through a new depth. It helps you redevelop your craft and try new things, and that’s why I’m so grateful for this experience, especially in a year like this.” She continued: “I cannot wait to see what All Stars is gonna bring out of me and what I can bring to that platform. I just love competing – it felt like my natural habitat!” Janey was one of the highlights of Drag Race Holland thanks to her runways, comedic timing and sharp wit. While she may have been voted the ‘Shadiest Queen’ by her fellow sisters, and was initially touted as the villain of the series, Janey’s vulnerability showcased her various layers. In other words, she’s reality TV gold.
Gigi Goode (Drag Race season 12)
Original Placement: 2nd/3rd
Challenge Wins: 4
I’m That Bitch. Maria the Robot. Madonna: The Unauthorised Rusical. The runways! Thanks to her impeccable run on Drag Race season 12, Gigi Goode boasts several iconic moments to her name. Although Jaida Essence Hall snatched the crown at the last minute, Gigi solidified her reputation as one of the fiercest queens ever as she became the first to win Snatch Game, the Ball Challenge and the Rusical in a single season. That’s a big deal! In the year since she stomped onto our screens, Gigi has slain the world of fashion with numerous editorials (including one for GAY TIMES, check that out here) and collaborated with Rihanna for her 2020 SavagexFenty show. But, is it time for Gigi to return to the fold? “I had no interest in doing All Stars, and then I was kind of shocked and surprised at how many people wanted to see me there. The thing is, I want to do All Stars, but only after my drag has evolved and changed,” she told us last year. “I don’t want to do All Stars 6 and I’m probably not going to do All Stars 7. I want to wait until I’m a different drag queen, do you know what I mean?” She didn’t say anything about International All Stars though, huh?
Jimbo (Canada’s Drag Race season 1)
Original Placement: 4th
Challenge Wins: 1
Justice for Jimbo! During the first season of Canada’s Drag Race, the Ontario-born entertainer was fervently championed on social media by fans who claimed she was robbed of several maxi-challenge wins. Her elimination in the semi-final led to uproar amongst the fandom and a change.org petition, as well as some nasty comments towards the judging panel. While we don’t condone hate in any form, it did leave a sour taste in our mouths when Jimbo failed to secure wins for her law-firm commercial and performance in the Heritage short-film. Like many contestants who have returned for All Stars, this could be Jimbo’s chance to redeem her lack of challenge wins and skills as a lip-syncer. If she didn’t have that headpiece on during her lip-sync against Rita Baga, she could’ve sashayed all the way to the final. Facts are facts!
Lemon (Canada’s Drag Race season 1)
Original Placement: 5th
Challenge Wins: 2
Lemon shattered preconceived misconceptions about her artistry on Canada’s Drag Race when she served glamour and comedy, as well as flips, high-kicks and handstands into the splits (!). Her Snatch Game performance as YouTube personality Jojo Siwa earned rave reviews from the judges, while her transformation into Miss Fitts, a spoiled beauty pageant contestant, saw her triumph over comedic heavyweights such as Jimbo. Her e-lemon-ation at the hands of Rita Baga was controversial as hell, so a second chance on All Stars is a given at this point. She expressed interest in the spin-off too, as she told GAY TIMES that she’s planning on reuniting with Michelle Visage on All Stars when she wins that crown.
Natalia Pliacam (Drag Race Thailand season 1)
Original Placement: Winner
Challenge Wins: 3
It would be sickening if one winner returned for International All Stars, but three? Again, the Avengers found dead in a ditch! Before Lawrence Chaney conquered Drag Race UK season two, Natalia Pliacam provided the Drag Race franchise with a herstory-making moment as she became the first plus-size queen to triumph over her competitors. Like Angele and Envy, Natalia’s participation on the series would catapult her fame to brand new heights. 27,000 followers on Instagram doesn’t feel right for a queen with this much C.U.N.T. Honestly, it’s about damn time for Drag Race Thailand to get some respect within the fandom, and Natalia and Angele are the perfect contestants to shine some much-needed light on Thailand’s dynamic roster of drag talent. They won for a reason, so…
Peppermint (Drag Race season 9)
Original Placement: 2nd
Challenge Wins: 1
It’s about time, surely? With her stint on Drag Race season nine, Peppermint flew the flag for the transgender community as the first queen to enter the werkroom as an openly trans woman. She didn’t earn as many wins as her fellow finalists, but she killed the competition with her charismatic confessionals and lip-sync showdowns, steamrolling her way to second place ahead of drag juggernauts such as Trinity the Tuck and Shea Couleé. Peppermint continued to make history outside of the show as one of the stars of Head Over Heels, in which she became the first trans women to create a principal role on Broadway. She’s also a vocal activist on social media and through her art – most notably for her Blend music video, which interspersed news clips of trans-related discrimination, including the murders of several trans women in the United States and Trump’s transgender military ban. Peppermint would be the perfect queen to represent the crown, and it’s about time we saw her back on our screens. Also, she’s the only finalist from season nine without a crown. Doesn’t feel right, does it?
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