RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars: 9 Queens Who Went Home Too Soon (And 6 Who Stayed Too Long)

RuPaul’s Drag Race may be one big, campy explosion of color, but behind the sparkling facade lies its true nature as an intensely fierce competition with contestants who seem willing to stop at nothing for the crown.

The show’s spin-off, RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, takes this to a whole new level, with success-hungry competitors given one last chance to achieve their dreams.

But is it a strategic, dog-eat-dog approach that serves those queens who survive week after week, or is it sheer talent? This is a hugely divisive question, to which answers vary widely.

Some fans believe that an aptitude for the craft ends up in well-deserved coronations. Others feel strongly that the elimination process is muddied by a lack of fairness.

In Drag Race, it’s RuPaul and his sidekicks who decide which of the bottom two queens must sashay away after they battle it out in the lip-sync. In All Stars, the top two lip-sync for their legacy, with the winner permitted to choose which of the bottom two get sent packing.

The motivations of those who wield the power differ across the board, but there’s no doubt that some queens ignore the judges’ critiques, making selections that work to their benefit. Some controversially premature eliminations of incredible contestants — as well as the baffling survival of their lackluster competitors — certainly attest to that.

Here, we take a look back at nine queens who went home before their time, and six queens who lingered long after they should have been given the boot.

9 queens who went home too soon:

9. Alyssa Edwards – All Stars 2

Viewers were outraged when Detox chose to eliminate fan-favorite Alyssa Edwards from RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 2. Even Mama Ru was visibly flabbergasted by one of the most shocking eliminations in the history of the show.

It was apparent that the elimination had been fixed, with a shocking attempt by Detox to retain her allies, fellow Rolaskatox members Alaska and Roxxxy Andrews.

In November of last year, Detox confessed that the tough choice to eliminate Alyssa was a serious error of judgment — one that she now regrets. This is a prime example of how putting eliminations in the hands of the queens themselves can work to the detriment of truly talented individuals.

8. Detox – All Stars 2

Although Detox might have made a monumental screw-up by sending Alyssa Edwards home in 5th place, she was an incredible contestant herself.

Some fans are comfortable with Alaska’s win in RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 2 but a huge meltdown in the penultimate episode of the competition, on top of some questionable elimination decisions, make others wonder if it should have been Detox or Katya who found their way underneath the crown that year.

Whatever the case, it’s not like Detox was sent home in the early days. Even so, in the eyes of many, it was still too soon for the prominent queen — known for her eye-catching, incredibly well-assembled looks and her unique lip-sync style — to be punted.

7. Katya – All Stars 2

Again, while a lot of folks out there believe that Alaska was the rightful winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 2, there’s a sizable group of fans baying for blood in the belief that Katya was robbed of the crown that year.

After a massively fiery and turbulent season, in which Katya performed consistently well in challenges and pulled some incredible looks out of the bag, the outcome was disappointing at best.

Katya was the favorite to win All Stars 2, with a great deal of social media support (much more than Alaska). Like Detox, while she didn’t leave early on, runner-up just isn’t good enough for this star.

6. Thorgy Thor – All Stars 3

Thorgy Thor was the second queen to be eliminated in RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 3, which went down like a lead balloon. She was infuriated at being sent home so soon.

The elimination sparked an outcry among fans, and even some of the other contestants that year, who agreed that Thorgy had been disadvantaged by her role as Stevie Nicks in the divas lip-sync challenge. Unlike her competitors, taking the stage as big characters like Ross, Janet Jackson, and Mariah Carey, the role presented less opportunity to stick out.

Sadly, elimination was inevitable for this queen at the hands of some apparent favoritism by choreographer Todrick Hall, who put much more effort into the other performances.

5. Shangela – All Stars 3

Thorgy Thor wasn’t the only contestant to be shafted in RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 3. Later down the line, Shangela had her chances of success snatched away aggressively.

In either Drag Race or All Stars, the best performer is supposed to come out on top. Regrettably, it doesn’t always work that way, especially when RuPaul unexpectedly gives the eliminated queens the power to choose who will make it to the top two.

Shangela undoubtedly belonged in the top 2, but she was snubbed. In her place was Kennedy Davenport, whose multiple appearances in the bottom two meant that she should have gone home far sooner.

4. (and 3.) Manila Luzon and Latrice Royale – All Stars 1

In All Stars 1, the queens competed in pairs; something that hasn’t been seen in subsequent years. Manila Luzon and her partner Latrice Royale (Team Latrila) were kicked off the show in episode 3.

Their untimely departure came at the hands of Team Rujubee, and surprised both her and Latrice. Their fans were also dumbfounded at the elimination.

Even though Manila waved goodbye to All Stars 1 way too soon, she and Latrice were both invited back to participate in All Stars 4, competing individually this time.

2. Adore Delano – All Stars 2

Adore Delano, who competed on American Idol before appearing in RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 6, became the first queen in she show’s herstory to leave the competition on a voluntary basis. Second to go home, Adore made the decision to remove herself following the show’s much-loved Snatch Game.

Adore has since admitted that she was going through a difficult period in her life at the time, after the death of her father and the sudden breakup of her relationship.

That, on top of the harsh critiques received in both the first episode by Michelle Visage and guest judge Raven Symoné, proved too much for Adore. What a shame because she could have gone all the way.

1. BenDeLaCreme – All Stars 3

Adore Delano might have been the first queen to leave the show of her own accord in All Stars 2, but BenDeLaCreme was to follow suit in the following season. A gaggle of fans were left shaken when the favorite crumbled under the pressure of choosing which contestant left the competition that week.

In one of the most unexpected twists in All Stars history, lip-sync battle winner Ben took a bullet so that every one of the bottom three could be safe. It was a selfless move that worked to her disadvantage. Hats off to you, girl.

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