Cast Announced for 'RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars' Season 8

It's a new day in the Werk Room, and your favorite queens are returning to snatch the crown.

Bring back our girls! Spring is in the air and that means it's time for a brand-new season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars. As always, a batch of your favorite drag queens from seasons past will be returning to fight for a coveted spot in the Drag Race Hall of Fame. With the recent wins of Jinkx Monsoon (who took home the crown for a second time and then proceeded straight to Broadway) and Sasha Colby (the G-O-D-D-E-S-S herself who turned what should have been a drag blood bath into a meet-n-greet), expectations are high for the girls. Fingers crossed they're prepared for a whole season of runway reveals, snatch games and death drops.

Read on to find out everything we know about RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 8, including when the new season premieres, who is in the cast, and much more.

When is the premiere of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 8?

Sooner than you think! A trailer dropped during the finale of Drag Race Season 15 that RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 8 will premiere on Friday, May 12, 2023 with a two-part episode.

Who is in the cast of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 8?

The cast for the eighth season of All Stars includes an exciting mix of fan favorites and queens looking for redemption after sashaying away early on their original seasons. With the arrival of Jimbo, a queen from Canada's Drag Race, Season 8 is the first non-winner All Stars season to include a queen from an international franchise.

Here are the 12 queens competing for the crown this season:

Alexis Michelle

Competed on: Season 9
Finished: 5th place
Instagram: @alexismichelleofficial

Alexis Michelle barely missed the finale of Season 9, being sent home by Peppermint when the two found themselves in the bottom two after coming up short in the "Gayest Ball Ever." Alexis's high point in the competition came during the season's "Snatch Game" episode during which she impersonated Liza Minelli before wowing the judges with her "Night of a Thousand Madonnas" runway look. As one of the more seasoned queens in the lineup, she's certainly a threat to win.

Darienne Lake

Competed on: Season 6
Finished: 4th place
Instagram: @dariennelake

Had Season 6 been conducted in the final 4 lip-sync finale era of Drag Race, she would have made it to the grand finale and stood a chance to win given her lip syncing prowess. However, she was sent home by Ru in the final pre-recorded episode after a four-way lip-sync. Darienne survived three lip-syncs before her elimination, including the iconic double shantay with BenDeLaCreme. At 51 years old, she's one of the oldest to ever compete on the franchise, but her wit and facial expression prowess could make her the oldest winner in the show's history.

Heidi N Closet

Competed on: Season 12
Finished: 6th place
Instagram: @heidincloset

RuPaul famously hated Heidi's drag name, but that didn't stop him from inviting her back for All Stars. Hailing from Ramseur, North Carolina, the ssssssssoft and ssssssupple queen arrived on Season 12 a bit rough around the edges. While her personality certainly made up for her less-than-chic runway looks, she was ultimately sent home by the season's eventual winner Jaida Essence Hall after they failed to deliver in their one-woman shows. With a lot more fame and a lot more cash coming into All Stars, we'll hopefully see all that personality with a little more polish.

Jaymes Mansfield

Competed on: Season 9
Finished: 14th place
Instagram: @jaymesmansfield

Jaymes is certainly looking for redemption. As the Pork Chop Queen (the first queen eliminated in the season) of Season 9 (along with Alexis Michelle), she barely got a chance to show the judges what she's made of. Armed with a squeaky voice and a pink Barbie aesthetic, she was booted in the second episode after she failed to wow the judges in a cheerleading challenge. She returned for a brief appearance in Season 14, however, and piqued the public's interest as to what else she has to offer. Will she be a dark horse or get booted early for a second time? We'll find out soon.

Jessica Wild

Competed on: Season 2
Finished: 6th place
Instagram: @jessicawild

It's been nearly 13 years since Jessica Wild was last on Drag Race. In fact she competed so long ago that Michelle Visage wasn't even a judge yet (we miss you Merle Ginsberg). Jessica served body and big energy as she sailed through the early stages of the competition, winning a rock star challenge before being sent home by lip sync assassin Tatianna post a bizarre autobiography-writing challenge. Drag as an art form has changed remarkably in the last decade so it will be interesting to see what Jessica brings to the table.

Jimbo

Competed on: Canada's Drag Race Season 1 & UK vs. the World
Finished: 4th place & 7th place
Instagram: @jimbothedragclown

If there is a frontrunner coming into Season 8, it would certainly be Jimbo, the drag clown from Canada. Jimbo was a fan favorite who came close to winning the first season of the show, before being clipped right before the finale by Rita Baga. When she returned for UK vs. the World, Ru (who doesn't judge the Canadian version of the show) took an instant liking to her. After finishing in the top two in the season's first two episodes, she was shockingly sent home in a ruthless move by Pangina Heals. While Jimbo's humor is effortless (and bologna-filled), her weakness is lip-syncing, so we shall see if that hurts her here.

Kahanna Montrese

Competed on: Season 11
Finished: 14th Place
Instagram: @kahannamontrese

Miss Montrese is another relative unknown in this cast. While not the Porkchop queen of Season 22 (that was Soju and her cyst), she was sent home in the second episode by OPPALANCE queen Mercedes Iman Diamond. Kahanna was known for her acrobatic abilities and dance background, but wasn't able to wow in either the design or acting challenges she was given. She has been a mainstay of the Las Vegas show RuPaul's Drag Race Live, however, so clearly she's got something to offer aside from an occasional back flip.

Kandy Muse

Competed on: Season 13
Finished: 2nd place
Instagram: @thekandymuse

Kandy Muse is the only queen on Season 8 who made the finale of her original season (although many quibble with the double shantay that saved her and eventual winner Symone, saying Symone was the obvious winner). Perhaps it's those naysayers that Kandy is now out to prove wrong. With five lip sync wins, she's certainly an assassin, and she won her season's roast, so she's certainly a threat. I'd pencil her in for the season's end game.

Lala Ri

Competed on: Season 13
Finished: 10th Place
Instagram: @misslalari

Lala Ri unfortunately is mostly known for a collection of hot-glued bags in what many call the worst runway look in the show's entire history. While Miss LaLa did win her season's Miss Congeniality prize (as did Heidi N Closet), she was a little bit of a mess on Season 13 (where she competed alongside Kandy Muse) and was sent home after a lackluster Bossy Rossy appearance. All eyes will be on Lala should she make it to a design challenge, and I am PRAYING they have a runway where they reinvent one of their old looks.

Monica Beverly Hillz

Competed on: Season 5
Finished: 12th Place
Instagram: @monicabhillz

Monica made history back in Season 5 of the show by revealing during its filming that she was trans and actively transitioning while on the show. Obviously that didn't leave much headspace for the wacky challenges of the series, and Monica departed in the season's third episode. She's now returning a proud trans icon and hoping to become the fifth trans queen in a row to win a U.S. season. Of the entire cast, I'm most excited to see what Monica has up her sleeve.

Mrs. Kasha Davis

Competed on: Season 7
Finished: 11th Place
Instagram: @mrskashadavis

Aging out Darienne Lake by one year, the oldest queen this season is Mrs. Kasha Davis. Mrs. Kasha Davis largely flew under the radar during Season 7 before being sent packing by Kandy Ho after an ill-fated awards show-themed challenge. Her casting came as a bit of a surprise as she didn't make much of an impression on her first season, but perhaps she's got something new she needs the world to see.

Naysha Lopez

Competed on: Season 8
Finished: 9th Place
Instagram: @nayshalopez

Naysha Lopez had a rocky ride on her original season. After being sent home in the premiere, she was then invited back in episode three after two queens were sent packing in a lackluster lip-sync. The joy, however, was short-lived as she was eliminated for a second time in the girls group challenge. Naysha is another queen looking for redemption. She's been working constantly since Season 8 (including as a Jennifer Lopez backup dancer) and has new sides of herself to show.

What does the winner of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 8 get?

The queens will be competing for a gag-worthy grand prize of $200,000, and per usual, they will also be fighting for a coveted spot in the Drag Race Hall of Fame.

How does RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 8 work?

Mother Ru likes to keep audiences on their toes by switching up how each season works. None of the queens were eliminated on All Stars Season 7, but that was largely due to the fact that they were all previous winners and the cast was significantly smaller. Since All Stars 8 is a traditional All Stars season, perhaps they'll go back to the format of Season 6, but it's just as likely that we'll get a new variation.

How many seasons of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars are there?

There are seven complete seasons of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars that have aired previously. This will be the eighth season of the spinoff franchise. There are also 15 seasons of RuPaul's Drag Race as well as dozens of international seasons.

Where was RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 8 filmed?

Season 8 was filmed at Sunset Las Palmas Studios in Hollywood. All seasons of both Drag Race and Drag Race All Stars have been filmed in this location.

How do I watch RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 8?

RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 8 will be available exclusively on Paramount+.

What time does RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 8 come on?

New episodes will drop every Friday morning starting on May 12, 2023.

Is RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 8 on Paramount+?

Yes! All Stars Season 8 will be available on Paramount+ along with the previous seven seasons of All Stars and seasons 1-14 of RuPaul's Drag Race.

Is RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 8 on Hulu?

No. All Stars Season 8 will be streaming exclusively on Paramount+. While you can watch seasons 1-4 of All Stars and seasons 2-9 of RuPaul's Drag Race on Hulu, the newer seasons are not available on that platform.

Is RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 8 on MTV?

No. While RuPaul's Drag Race did air on MTV and is available to watch on MTV.com, RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 8 is available exclusively on Paramount+.

Is RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 8 on VH1?

No. While seasons 2-5 of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars aired on VH1, Season 8 (like seasons 6-7) is available exclusively on Paramount+.