both Jaida and Bob are firmly in my top 5 probably top 3, love them!

15

Adore Delano



Appeared in: Season 6, All Stars 2

"I'm too punk to wash my tights."

5 more queens before we reach the top 10, and up next is season 6 and All Stars 2 (RIP x) queen Adore Delano. Known for being less than polished, but still managing to be one of the biggest personalities in her season, Adore really captured me from the beginning, and I was rooting for her throughout season 6. Obviously she wasn't ever going to put up a fight against the powerhouse that was Bianca Del Rio, but she still made it to the end and finished runner-up alongside Courtney Act. She's quirky, brings more unpolished and grungy looks to the runway than other queens, and is just absolutely hilarious (mostly because of how dumb she is or acts). Then, Adore came back for All Stars 2, but... the competition wasn't quite what she expected it to be. She was given criticisms in the first week from Michelle and guest judge Raven, and didn't take too well to it. There ended up being a whole drama about will she stay or will she go. In the end, Adore decided the competition wasn't for her, but it was nice to see her and Michelle rekindle before she decided to walk out the work room. I really wish we'd have gotten to see more of Adore, and hopefully it's not out of the question that she returns for a future season of All Stars, but she's made a massive name for herself outside of the show, and one day I hope to see her live!

14

Manila Luzon



Appeared in: Season 3, All Stars 1, All Stars 4

"Is 80s a look?"

Another three-time contestant next, and it's Manila Luzon. Originally I'd have thought Manila would be in my top 10, but when I was going through all of the queens she slowly started getting further down the list, ending up at #14. Manila was a big favourite in season 3 - I wanted her to go all the way to the end and she did, but was ultimately beaten to the crown by Raja, and I don't think anybody could have disputed that. Manila has incredible style and can turn some amazing looks on the runway. On top of that, her lip-sync performances are great - she can bring her comedy to them as well as going all out and just putting on a show. Enter All Stars 1, and Manila ended up leaving the competition a lot earlier than expected with her partner Latrice Royale. Neither really impressed me that much in All Stars 1 (and because I already knew it was coming, I was just waiting for them to be eliminated anyway). All Stars 4 was a turnaround for Manila though - back to the queen I knew and loved from season 3. A fierce competitor, a bit of a bitch, and gag-worthy looks! Manila's one of the few queens I actively follow on social media, etc too, and it's great to see what she continues to come up with! As far as 'queens Ru loves more than most' go, I'm sure Manila is somebody we'll see return again for an 'ultimate queens' season or something way down the line.

13

Jinkx Monsoon



Appeared in: Season 5

"Water off a duck's back..."

Jinkx Monsoon is at #13, meaning there's now been 10 of 18 winners (not including CDR) in the countdown - will there be any more? I think one of my favourite things about Jinkx is that she was just so completely relatable during her time on season 5, and the fact that she swooped in and snatched the win from right under Rolaskatox's noses when they thought they were all shoe-ins for the win, was just perfect to see. Jinkx managed to slay most of the competition, whispering quietly to herself every week as Ru made some decisions 'water off a duck's back, water off a duck's back', and that ritual seemed to work. Obviously looking back now I think some of Jinkx's runways are... basic compared to what we're used to seeing now, but even that wasn't the main reason why she was the best thing about season 5. Her Snatch Game performance as Little Edie was quite possibly one of the best ever. I, and presumably many others, had absolutely zero idea who Little Edie was prior to the Snatch Game, and she absolutely killed it; introducing a new generation to the character in the cleverest way. A really deserved winner that I really need to check out more of in the real world - I feel like I never hear anything about her any more, but I'm probably not looking in the right places.

12

Tatianna



Appeared in: Season 2, All Stars 2

"Choices."

Now for, to me, the biggest shock of the countdown. When I first started watching Drag Race from the very beginning, I raced through seasons 1 and 2, and oh my god I really could not stand Tatianna at all - she was such a bitch, and I just couldn't warm at all despite how much other fans seemed to adore her. She was brilliant in the Snatch Game as Britney Spears, but outside of that both in the work room and in challenges, I didn't get the hype. Fast forward to her making her return in All Stars 2, and I absolutely fell in love with her. I don't know what happened between season 2 and then, but she seemed completely different, and a queen that I was really rooting for to do well. She managed to win two challenges in All Stars 2 before being eliminated, and when she was brought back alongside Alyssa Edwards, my god that lip-sync was amazing! I was living for all of it - their routines, the outfits, the charisma. They both deserved it, even if it was a short-lived return between the two of them. Sadly Tatianna's Snatch Game performance in All Stars 2 as Ariana Grande didn't come anywhere close to being as good as her previous one, but it was cute and throughout the season she served us some LOOKS. Quite possibly the biggest difference in opinion I've had on a queen between their original season and their return later down the line.

11

Trinity the Tuck



Appeared in: Season 9, All Stars 4

"I call shade!"

At #11, our final queen just missing out on the top 10 (and with not much in it at all, too) is season 9 finalist and All Stars 4 winner Trinity the Tuck (or Trinity Taylor as she was known in season 9). Trinity was an immediate favourite for me in season 9 - despite being a bit of a bitch at times, she was always honest, up-front and was absolutely hilarious in all of her confessionals or when she was coming face to face with another queen. Her looks were serves most of the time, and I really wanted her to take the crown in season 9, but it wasn't meant to be. Then, she returned for All Stars and somehow she was even better than she was in season 9, within such a short period of time too. She has so much humour, so much wit, and she brought it all to life in All Stars - the most iconic moment of them all being her Snatch Game where she portrayed Caitlin Jenner. It was the Snatch Game of Love, and while that itself wasn't anything special (just give us a regular Snatch Game, please), she made the most of it and I was HOWLING the whole way through. There really was no competition from the other queens. In the end, I'm so glad she emerged victorious at the end of it all (even if she had to share the crown with Monét, which... was a choice). Here's hoping there's still so much more to come from Trinity. It was great to see her pop up in a villainous role in AJ and the Queen too, she really suited it!

10

Katya



Appeared in: Season 7, All Stars 2

"I am sweating like a hooker in church."

Top 10 time :cheer: Our first top 10 queen is none other than Russia's finest Katya Zamolodchikova. Missing out on the finale in season 7, but still taking home the title of Miss Congeniality for that season, Katya came back to us just moments later to appear in All Stars 2. I wasn't massive on Katya during season 7, but when it got down to it in AS2, she was the queen I was rooting for to do well, and I'm so glad she made it to the finale and kept her head held high with all of the nonsense going on around her with Rolaskatox. That's the one thing that makes AS2 so goddamn unbearable. Luckily Katya saved us from their ever-worsening presence though by taking a stab at Roxxxy Andrews right from the beginning - her read will probably go down as one of the best reads ever on Drag Race for me. "I think about you all the time, especially in the morning... at the bus stop." DRAG HER. Aside from always serving us incredible and zany looks on the runway too, Katya's been fairly prominent outside of the franchise too - she's appeared in Bianca Del Rio's films, AJ and the Queen, and also has her own book out now with Trixie Mattel. Obviously I'd love to see all of the top 10 live one day, but Katya stands out as one that I feel would put on an incredible show. Come to Scotland post-COVID please x

9

Miz Cracker



Appeared in: Season 10, All Stars 5

"There are no accidents in fisting."

In at #9 we have Miz Cracker, from the New York drag scene - daughter of Bob the Drag Queen (f***ing her way to the top apparently x) and niece of Monét X Change, who had a bit of a rocky road in terms of personal relationships when she first appeared on Drag Race in season 10. Her and Aquaria had ongoing beef because the two of them are often confused for one another, and Aquaria felt like Cracker often tried to copy or replicate what she does. However, as much of an Aquaria fan I am, I believe they're both completely different and it never really came across on the show to me that they were similar in... any way, really? Cracker managed to reach the top 5 of season 10 before being eliminated, and while she had some decent looks and performed well in challenges, it was All Stars 5 where she really shone bright. She was a favourite of mine in season 10, but I was firmly backing Cracker from the word go here. She came back fighting with incredible runways and some great challenges. Despite her Snatch Game performance being subpar, some desperate lip-syncs and her relationships with the other queens still seeming strained, her looks were undeniably incredible. I'm still gutted she couldn't pull off a surprise win, but in a season that's set up for Shea Couleé to win from the beginning, she didn't really stand a chance.

8

Naomi Smalls



Appeared in: Season 8, All Stars 4

"Check your lipstick before you come for me."

Naomi Smalls is a queen I've always had a lot of love for. At the beginning of season 8 I was a little unsure, but by the end of the first episode I absolutely loved her. She had a great run in season 8, finishing high three times, winning a challenge in episode 6, but also faltering and finishing low and in the bottom just one week before securing her win. Despite that, it was amazing watching Naomi storm all the way to the top 3. She's fierce, she serves us LEGS for days and she's one of those queens that I've loved watching since her time on Drag Race has ended. She's always doing something on Instagram, and her photoshoots are always insanely gorgeous. She's definitely fish, but she's high-fashion and she knows how to captivate her audience! Naomi returned for All Stars 4, and right from the beginning I was rooting for her too. She made it all the way to the top 4 again, matching her high/win record for season 8 - winning a main challenge and placing high three times. All Stars 4 saw her end up in the bottom three times though, so maybe not quite as successful a run as season 8. Still, a fantastic queen, and such a lovely person out of drag too - the type of person I'd absolutely love to be friends with because Davis just seems amazing!

7

Kameron Michaels



Appeared in: Season 10

"Well I auditioned for Pit Crew, but this is gonna be way more fun!"

Besides the fact Kameron Michaels is insanely hot out of drag, she was immediately one of my favourite queens from season 10. I warmed to her so quickly, and was rooting for her to do well in all of the challenges - it ended up being a massive shame see her in the bottom three times, but each time she KILLED the lip-syncs, and to me is definitely a lip-sync assassin (not the Ru-favourites-that-he-wants-to-bring-back-for-the-sake-of-it types we saw in All Stars 5 x). Kameron had a unique vision for drag, and always advocated for 'muscle queens'. It was great to see her always coming out on the runway and not knowing what to expect. Her comic-book inspired looks always had me in awe. Very polished and very fashionable too! I was so glad Kameron made it to the final of season 10, however I always knew that she wasn't going to win because I'd always had it in my head that it was Eureka that won season 10 after talking about it with a friend. It was even more surprising to me, then, that it was actually Aquaria that ended up winning. Kameron will always be one of my favourite queens for just powering through and never letting being in the bottom bring her down, keeping on serving week after week, despite often being one of the quieter queens in the work room. I need to get onto watching Vegas Revue next because I can't wait to see what drama unfolded / how Kameron and all the other queens did with the residency!

6

Jujubee



Appeared in: Season 2, All Stars 1, All Stars 5

"Flow like a butterfly, sting like a Jujubee!"

Jujubee's another strange one (and maybe it's because by the time I'd reached season 11 and caught up while that was airing, it seemed like so long ago that I'd watched season 2), but during season 2 I don't remember liking her at all - she seemed like too much of a bitch, but maybe I just wasn't fully aware of the type of show Drag Race was yet lmao. I really can't remember much about her in season 2 either, so it's maybe about time I give it a rewatch? All Stars 1 and All Stars 5 I'm definitely more familiar with though, and she was a true star in both of those. All Stars 1, it was great to see her paired up with Raven and she truly was hilarious! I was rooting for her and Raven to get to the final, but even before that I knew it was Chad Michaels that took the crown so was prepared for anything really! She slayed the comedy challenge in the finale, and she gave some good looks. She really turned the heat up in All Stars 5 though, serving some really incredible looks, being a fierce competitor in the challenges, and just being the Jujubee we all love - hilarious, quick-witted and sharp-tongued. A fierce queen that will always have a place in my heart. Her reads are great too, and of course who could forget her amazing Snatch Game performance in All Stars 5 as Eartha Kitt? AMAZING.

5

Shangela



Appeared in: Season 2, Season 3, All Stars 3

"Halleloo!"

Poor Shangela. She started off in season 2, being the very first queen of the season to be eliminated. Then, she was brought back for season 3 only to be slaughtered by the competition for not being talented enough, not having enough experience, etc. She was firmly in the boogers camp while the Heathers reigned supreme over everybody else. It wasn't great to see, but what is great to see is that Shangela has come out the other end and has made a massive name for herself - she's headlined her own residency in Las Vegas, as well as going on to appear in All Stars 3, making it to the very end and then having the crown snatched from her. I think Shangela in All Stars 3 is one of my biggest 'robbed!' moments from Drag Race. Obviously, if BenDeLaCreme had decided to stay in the competition, I don't think there'd have been any competition, but still. With the queens that were left, that was Shangela's to lose?! Shangela served us some absolutely amazing looks in All Stars 3 - she's such a down to earth, genuine and loveable queen too. She has her moments, and she brings the fun-factor too. Stripping down to her fat-suit in one of her AS3 lip-syncs was hilarious, and obviously her never-ending Game of Thrones references while talking about all the other queens were great to watch.

4

Raven



Appeared in: Season 2, All Stars 1

"Am I a 10? A perfect 10!"

Raven was the first queen I properly loved when I started watching Drag Race. I'd finished season 1, and while I enjoyed some queens I didn't properly root for them or love them in the same way. Then, season 2 came along and Raven was my immediate favourite. I was rooting for her to win the whole time, and then we get to the finale and it seems like everything's going well and she's going to take the crown... but it goes to Tyra Sanchez instead. Don't get me wrong, I didn't mind Tyra during season 2, but Raven really was robbed. At the time, she was such a fashionable queen and always had amazing runway looks. She was sexy, she was witty, entertaining and hilarious. Raven then returned for All Stars 1 and was paired up with Jujubee - the only pairing that seemed like it was a dead-cert winning combination. The two of them performed really well in the challenges, and Raven just reminded me exactly why I loved her so much in season 2. She brought it all to the runway, to the lip-syncs and to the challenges. Sadly, she ended up finishing in second place once again, losing out to Chad Michaels. She's not done too bad for herself since then though, becoming Ru's make-up artist from season 9 onwards and making the odd appearance on the show here and there. Raven's a fabulous queen, and if it's not too much of a reach to imagine her competing again, I'd love to see her come back to maybe finally take the crown?

3

Alyssa Edwards



Appeared in: Season 5, All Stars 2

*tongue pop*

What's not to love about Alyssa Edwards? She's undoubtedly one of the most memorable drag queens to have graced the Drag Race runway for me. She's charming, endearing, loving, caring, passionate about what she does, and... messy. During season 5 she had to deal with Rolaskatox taking over everything, and of course her bitter relationship with Coco Montrese that always seemed to be there no matter how civil they were with one another. It was hilarious to watch, because her quips to Coco and Coco's reactions were just amazing. Alyssa didn't always have the best runways - she was pretty much as basic as you could get, but she brought so many memorable moments and quotes with her. Flash forward to All Stars 2, and Alyssa came back looking a lot more polished and, in the beginning, a lot more reserved and poised too. That didn't take long to drop though when she got into the competition. Sadly, she was eliminated in only the fourth episode, but came back with a vengeance, being saved in a lip-sync against Tatianna that they both won. The look on Phi Phi O'Hara's face when she saw Alyssa looking back at her in the mirror is simply unforgettable. Iconic moment. Who could ever forget Alyssa being asked explicitly to apologise to Katy Perry for her terrible Snatch Game performance too? Iconic. Alyssa went on to star in her own Netflix series after Drag Race too. Dancing Queen followed Justin, his life and his world of pageantry and bitchy American mums. It was hilarious, but also so heartwarming to see into Justin's life and everything he does on top of drag. So much love for Alyssa, and I hope we see more and more of her in the future!

Im loving this countdown callum, being very introverted at first glance i relate to kameron michaels more than most queens tbh.

Im loving this countdown callum, being very introverted at first glance i relate to kameron michaels more than most queens tbh.

Thanks Harry! :heart: Yeah, Kameron's very relatable and just so lovely!

Omg you flew through these without me commenting! Alyssa :heart:

2

Bianca Del Rio



Appeared in: Season 6

"Not today Satan! Not today!"

We reach the top two now, and despite winning season 6, Bianca Del Rio settles for bridesmaid status here. Bianca's always been an absolute favourite of mine - being the clear frontrunner in season 6. I remember watching this for the first time, and she's probably one of very few queens that have had the complete package from start to finish. She can do comedy, she can slay acting challenges, she had some really great runway looks, and she knows how to take a bitch down when they're being annoying. There are so many iconic moments from season 6 that involve Bianca - from her Snatch Game performance as Judge Judy (that's undeniably one of the best in history - the interactions with Ru and the other contestants were amazing), to her chats with other queens in Untucked, and confronting them for being snakes on the runway, and then of course there's her comedy challenge where she tore it UP. The jokes were flowing and she's probably the only person that's actually managed to have everybody genuinely laughing all the way through. CLOWN REALNESS. Bianca's performance throughout the season was so deserved too, finishing high a number of times and winning a few challenges - never placing in the bottom. Bianca's not without her controversies though - recently she's come under fire for some of her jokes on tour being a little too risque. Having seen her live myself (the only queen I have so far), I do agree that some of the jokes she chose to include were very bold and bordering on offensive, but for the most part she's a staight talking, hilarious entertainer that knows how to work her crowd! There's only one other queen/winner that can match up to Bianca though when it comes to Drag Race and all that they've done outside of the show too, and that's my #1 queen...

1

Aquaria



Appeared in: Season 10

"I don't define drag. Drag is defined by me."

Where to start with Aquaria? I remember making my way through Drag Race for the first time, and after watching season 6 I didn't think that anybody would ever be able to come close to matching Bianca Del Rio in terms of being that one queen that I love head and shoulders above all the others. Season 7 came along, I wasn't feeling it. Season 8, still wasn't feeling it. Season 9, definitely wasn't feeling it. Season 10, in the words of Alexis Mateo, BAM!. Along came Aquaria, and I was in love. She walked into the work room and she knew she was a fierce competitor. Obviously there could have been a fine line between knowing she's amazing and developing an ego, but Aquaria always stayed humble and she took on board everything the judges had to say about her drag, and she used it to her advantage and it took her all the way to the finale and to the crown! Aquaria's drag is so fashion-forward - her looks can be very in-your-face or very subtle, but either way they're still incredible. She was a great competitor in all of the challenges thrown her way in season 10, and in particular it was amazing to see that she also had the comedic side in her when it came to Snatch Game. Her performance as Melania Trump was hilarious. It was quite understated - she didn't try to undercut anybody else to make her voice heard, but when it was her turn to talk she made sure it counted. It was the little things like referring to Ru as Barack, or the 'HELP' message that made it so good. She really knew the character and knew how to make it funny. Outside of Drag Race, Aquaria's probably the queen whose career I follow the most. I'd love to see her live one day, but even just seeing all of her Instagram posts of this photoshoot and that photoshoot, hearing about her walking the runways at iconic fashion shows, getting involved with her idols like Lady Gaga, etc - she's really blossomed into that queen that has carried the Next Drag Superstar title and used it to do good! It'll take some type of queen to ever topple Aquaria, or Bianca, for me I think - and while there's still time yet, I'd be surprised if it happened any time soon. "TRADE."

The age of Aquaria is upon us!

Very good top 2!!!