While it’s only just begun, the competition in season seven of RuPaul’s Drag Race has already reach critically fierce levels, and there’s not clear frontrunner yet. However, RuPaul has consistently proven that she knows a superstar when she sees one and can pick fantastic winners. Despite this, more than a few genuinely talented queens have been heartbreakingly eliminated over the years. Here is a look at five contestants who were asked to sashay away all too soon.
BenDeLaCreme
For diehard BenDeLaCreme fans, it was obvious that this was one queen who was going to cruise her way into the season six final three. She had it all—a 1950s housewife fashion sense, a hilariously campy sense of humor, some serious acting skills, and a lovable personality. Unfortunately, Dela still found herself lip syncing for her life twice in the competition. While she survived round one in a surprising twist where both she and fellow contestant Darienne Lake were spared from elimination, Ben’s luck ran out in round two, and she was sent packing.
Pandora Boxx
Like BenDeLaCreme, Pandora Boxx was a total sweetheart with serious skills. Her Carol Channing impression during the “Snatch Game” challenge was one of the funniest moments in Drag Race history, but Boxx found herself frequently criticized by the judges for her campy costume choices. While Pandora was eliminated in the eighth episode of the second season, she went on to win Miss Congeniality and appeared in numerous episodes of the Drag Race spinoff, RuPaul’s Drag U.
Jujubee
Unlike many of these other jilted queens, Jujubee made it into the final three of season two. However, lots of outraged fans argued that she deserved the title of America’s Next Drag Superstar. Jujubee knew how to kill it on the runway and during a lip sync, but she was also hilariously catty—with her read of contestant Tyra Sanchez during the Library mini-challenge being another iconic moment for Drag Race. While she didn’t win the crown, she was selected for season one of RuPaul’s All Stars Drag Race and appeared in several episodes of Drag U as well.
Willam Belli
There has never been (and probably never will be) a Drag Race contestant quite like Willam Belli. Unlike other contestants, she had legit acting experience, appearing on high-profile shows like Nip/Tuck and Boston Public. And, unlike other contestants, she was eliminated, not because of poor performance, but because she broke the rules. The official story was that her husband was making nighttime visits to her hotel room, which was prohibited by her contract with the show. However, conflicting accounts of her departure exist, and we may never know the real story. What we do know is that Sharon Needles should thank her lucky stars that William was kicked off because we would be hailing her as the season four queen otherwise.
Tammie Brown
Tammie Brown is one of the most polarizing figures to ever appear on Drag Race—she’s a queen that you either absolutely love or absolutely hate. Her quirky mannerisms and unique makeup style did not serve her well on a show that’s looking for more mainstream drag talent, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t a gifted performer in her own right. Plus, she’s one of the few contestants who had the balls to talk back to Mama Ru (albeit bizarrely). Don’t worry about the haters—you just keep on walking those children in nature, Tammie Brown.
