RuPaul's Drag Race All-Stars 5 cast announced, series moves back to VH1
Guess who's back in the house? RuPaul's Drag Race is welcoming fresh icons and classic superstars to click-clack about the Werk Room as part of the All-Stars 5 cast — all of whom will compete on VH1 after all.
The network revealed Thursday the 10 queens competing for $100,000 and a spot in the RuPaul's Drag Race Hall of Fame next to past winners Chad Michaels, Alaska, Trixie Mattel, and reigning All-Stars co-champions Trinity The Tuck and Monét X Change. VH1 further confirmed that, after a prior announcement indicated the show would move to Showtime, All-Stars 5 would remain on its cable channel home.
VH1
Sampling multiple major seasons from Drag Race history, the All-Stars 5 cast finally brings season 1 fan-favorite (and the OG robbed queen) Ongina back into the competitive fray for the first time since 2009, while season 2's Jujubee and season 3's Alexis Mateo — both of whom competed on All-Stars 1 back in 2012 — return for another shot at the title as well. Joining them are season 9 standout Shea Couleé, season 3 sisters Mariah Paris Balenciaga and India "Get Her Off of Me" Ferrah, season 8's Stonewall historian Derrick Barry, and a season 10 trio including Miz Cracker, Blair St. Clair, and Mayhem Miller.
In a press statement, RuPaul also promised a "new twist that is so twisted it's guaranteed to twist your twisted minds."
RuPaul's Drag Race All-Stars 5 premieres Friday, June 5 at 8:00 p.m. on VH1. Ahead, catch up with the cast of queens sashaying back into the Werk Room, and watch a video of their episode entrances above.
Shea Couleé
VH1
Original season: 9
Place: 3rd
Shea Couleé captured our hearts across season 9 of RuPaul's Drag Race, but even one of the brightest stars of the franchise didn't stand a chance against Sasha Velour's legendary rose-petals-in-the-wig lip-sync at the finale. Unfortunately, Shea met her untimely end as Sasha (rightfully, in this case) won the crown, but Drag Race has dutifully welcomed Shea back into the family for another shot at the title — one many fans have willed her to win since she sashayed away three (long) years ago.
Miz Cracker
VH1
Original season: 10
Place: 5th
Miz Cracker crumbled (and, as she told EW back in 2018, "scream-cried for an hour") after her shocking season 10 elimination, but after embarking on headlining tours and battling demonic possessions, she's put herself back together for a major revival on the main stage — one that's sure to reintroduce fans to the New York-based queen's beloved brand of sassy comedy and killer looks.
Ongina
VH1
Original season: 1
Place: 5th
After 11 years of fans pleading for her cute little bald head to bop down the runway once again, the OG gone-too-soon diva has rebounded. Despite the season 1 frontrunner unexpectedly stumbling halfway through the competition and losing an epic lip-sync against eventual winner BeBe Zahara Benet, Ongina — who memorably came out as HIV-positive following her MAC Viva Glam challenge victory — had bided her time (and talents) over the past decade, and she's finally ready to slay everyone with the glow-up.
Jujubee
VH1
Original season: 1, All-Stars 1
Place: 3rd (season 2), 3rd (All-Stars 1)
Perennial third-place finisher Jujubee — who performed two of the most gobsmacking lip-syncs in franchise history ("Black Velvet" in season 2, "Dancing On My Own" in All-Stars 1) — makes a play for Shangela's title as the series' foremost recurring competitor as she returns for another shot at the crown.
Blair St. Clair
VH1
Original season: 10
Place: 9th
She didn't make it very far on season 10, but theater kid/fashionista hybrid Blair. St. Clair has made headway in the music industry, leading a landmark publishing deal between Producer Entertainment Group and Warner Music's Alternative Distribution Alliance with her new single "Easy Love" (which EW exclusively premiered last summer).
Mayhem Miller
VH1
Original season: 10
Place: 10th
Fierce queen turned IG zaddy, Mayhem Miller was previously touted as season 10's presumptive winner by fans, though her shock elimination early in the competition left jaws on the floor. Since then, aclassic video of her darting eyes has become a viral sensation (yes, that's Mayhem!) in Drag Race culture and beyond, she absolutely slayed her lewks on the inaugural Drag Race Holi-Slay Spectacular, and appeared as Kanye West (yes, that was Mayhem, too!) on the first episode of season 12. In other words: Mayhem has remained an integral part of the Drag Race fabric, but now is her time to shine on her own.
India Ferrah
VH1
Original season: 3
Place: 10th
As Mimi Imfurst learned after hoisting her competition over her shoulder during a lip-sync all the way back on season 3, drag is not a contact sport. For India Ferrah's surprise return to the competition, however, those rules might not apply, as the classic contender has a lot to prove after spending the last 10 years gestating, evolving, and plotting revenge for her early elimination.
Mariah Paris Balenciaga
VH1
Original season: 3
Place: 9th
The grand diva is back! Despite her attitude and charisma for days, Mariah Paris Balenciaga has kept a relatively low profile since her season 3 debut, but it's hard to imagine time has softened her approach to the craft. Consider us ready to watch Mariah make verbal mincemeat out of her younger sisters if they cross her path.
Derrick Barry
VH1
Original season: 8
Place: 5th
The Vegas showgirl (currently fronting the Drag Race Live! residency concert) and LGBTQIA+ historian (people died at Stonewall... no? Whoops!) takes center stage for her first All-Stars run, and we're confident the glowed-up glamour queen will be wearing more than a bikini with a sheer skirt this time around. That will be fighting for gay rights!
Alexis Mateo
VH1
Original season: 3
Place: 3rd
BAM! We've wanted Alexis Mateo (and her chorizooooo) to come home ever since her final bow on All-Stars 1, and our prayers have been answered. It'll be interesting to see how this classic queen (who surprised us in the past with her comedic chops and beauty queen looks) has updated her aesthetic to fit within Drag Race's rapidly evolving standards — especially after she birthed her drag daughter, the legendary Vanessa "Miss Vanjie" Mateo, into the queer canon several years after her last appearance.
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