Culture

“Gagged by this decision”: Canada’s Drag Race viewers react to controversial elimination

By Sam Damshenas

5th January 2024

The latest exit from Canada’s Drag Race is causing an uproar on social media.

(Major spoilers ahead.)

For their semi-final maxi-challenge, the five remaining contestants – Aurora Matrix, Denim, Nearah Nuff, Melinda Verga and Venus – transformed their loved ones into members of their drag family.

Denim won their first challenge of the series, securing their place in the final, while Nearah and Denim faced each other in the lip-sync smackdown to Carly Rae Jepson’s beloved Emotion track ‘I Didn’t Just Come Here to Dance’.

Ultimately, Brooke Lynn Hytes and the judging panel – Brad Goreski, Traci Melchor and special guest star Sarain Fox – chose to chop Melinda from the competition.

In her exit interview, Melinda celebrated making herstory as Edmonton’s first queen to appear on Canada’s Drag Race. 

“I hope everyone at home will be proud of what I was able to accomplish,” she said. “It doesn’t matter how many times you fall – pick yourself back up. And when you find that joy in your heart, pay it forward. See y’all soon.”

Over the course of the season, Melinda’s meme-worthy appeal has made her a strong fan-favourite – particularly for her instantly iconic takedown of the judges in Untucked for their critiques of her “Vivienne Westwood-inspired” ensemble.

Her elimination caused a bit of backlash on Twitter, with many opining that she defeated Nearah in the lip-sync and “deserved to win” the entire season.

“I still don’t understand how Melinda Verga ended up on the bottom,” said one fan, while another spoke for all of us Melinda stans as they tweeted: “She is the mother I never had, she is the sister everybody would want. She is the friend that everybody deserves. I don’t know a better person.”

Check out the best reactions below.

On next week’s episode, the top four will drop their debut singles with the help of Canadian pop icon Nelly Furtado.

Canada’s Drag Race is now streaming in the UK on BBC iPlayer.