*Season 17 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race“ kicked off earlier this month with two back-to-back non-elimination episodes, as 14 fierce queens compete for the crown of America’s Next Drag Superstar and a $200,000 cash prize.
“… this season for the first time, I feel we have like drag race fans who are actually like on the show,” Lana Ja’Rae told EUR exclusively. “So it’s like, we know what the fans are going to want to see because we have been in their positions before. It’s like the best drag race season ever!”
The star-studded lineup of guest judges this season includes Doechii, Sandra Bernhard, Julia Schlaepfer, Paul W. Downs, Hunter Schafer, Quinta Brunson, Jamal Sims, Law Roach, Adam Lambert, Betsey Johnson, Whitney Cummings, Sam Smith, Jerrod Carmichael, June Diane Raphael, and Tracee Ellis Ross.
Per the news release, this season ushers in a new twist that only RuPaul’s Drag Race can deliver – The Badonka Dunk Tank. Following the lipsync, each eliminated queen has a chance to receive immunity and save themselves from having to sashay away. Queens will choose from 10 levers and if they pick one of the two levers that dunks Michelle, they get to remain in the competition. If not, they will be eliminated.
The previously announced cast of Season 17 of Drag Race include Acacia Forgot (Los Angeles, CA), Arrietty (Seattle, WA), Crystal Envy (Asbury Park, NJ), Hormona Lisa (Chattanooga, TN), Jewels Sparkles (Tampa, FL), Joella (Los Angeles, CA), Kori King (Boston, MA), Lana Ja’Rae (New York, NY), Lexi Love (Louisville, KY), Lucky Starzzz (Miami, FL), Lydia B Kollins (Pittsburgh, PA), Onya Nurve (Cleveland, OH), Sam Star (Leeds, AL), and Suzie Toot (Fort Lauderdale, FL).
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Every season features a mix of unique personalities, so we asked Lexi Love, Lydia B. Kollins, and Suzie Toot to share their thoughts on how they would describe this cast’s overall dynamic and how it influences the competition.
“There is a deeply competitive nature to the season,” the queens said, “…perhaps more so than other seasons where there’s a fight and a fire and everyone is so good that it really mattered to us who wins what and, and how we do… it’s very much a sibling energy.”
The queens noted that the cast this season feels more like a family.
“We are all the middle child, desperate for attention,” they shared in our exclusive interview.
“I’ve been saying the drag is so different. It’s so elevated and everyone is completely different from one another. But I think it’s also important because of the current state of the world we are in. There’s a lot of scary things happening and it’s just important to have drag be this visible on television, especially on MTV, where it’s easily accessible for every household to see.”
Watch our full conversation with Lexi Love, Lydia B. Kollins, and Suzie Toot below.
Tune in to new episodes of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” on Friday at 8:00 PM ET/PT on MTV.
READ MORE FROM EURWEB.COM: Stars of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Season 17 Tease What Fans Can Expect | EUR Video Exclusive
