RuPaul's Drag Race season 15 explained

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Season Number:15
Module1:
Host:RuPaul
Num Contestants:16
Winner:Sasha Colby
Runner Up:Anetra
Label1:Miss Congeniality
Data1:Malaysia Babydoll Foxx
Companion Show:RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked!
Num Episodes:16
Network:MTV

The fifteenth season of RuPaul's Drag Race premiered January 6, 2023.[1] The reality competition series moved to MTV for broadcast, instead of VH1 in the United States.[2]

This season features the largest cast in the show's history, with sixteen queens competing for an amount of $200,000, the largest cash prize in the show's history. It is also the first season to feature biological twins, Sugar and Spice.[3] Series judges Michelle Visage, Carson Kressley, and Ross Mathews returned, and Ts Madison, who had previously appeared as a recurring guest judge, joined the judges panel.

The season was won by Sasha Colby, the third trans person to win the main series of RuPaul's Drag Race,[4] [5] with Anetra as the runner-up. Malaysia Babydoll Foxx was named Miss Congeniality.[6]

Production

In November 2021, RuPaul announced a casting call for season fifteen of RuPaul's Drag Race on social media. The casting call was open until January 7, 2022, the day season fourteen premiered.[7] In August 2022, VH1 officially announced the show's renewal, as well for its companion series, .[8] This season also included the milestone for its 200th episode of the series.[9]

In December 2022, it was announced that season 15 would begin with a special two-part premiere on January 6, 2023, on MTV instead of VH1.[10] Later that month, season 14 winner Willow Pill revealed the season's cast, with a record-breaking sixteen queens competing. The drag racing themed promotional images accompanying the cast announcement drew comparisons to the promotion for the show's debut season.[11]

Post-production

Following the two-part season premiere, subsequent episodes were sixty minutes long, including commercials. This was a reversion to the previous format for seasons one through nine before the show expanded to ninety minutes in season 10. Further, instead of airing Untucked immediately after each main episode, MTV aired the new reality program The Real Friends of WeHo between the main episode and Untucked. The shortened format and programming lineup change elicited backlash from the show's fan base.[12]

On February 9, it was announced that beginning with the March 10 episode, episodes for the remainder of the season would be returning to the ninety-minute format.[13] On August 9, ninety minute edits of the entire season (including the previously truncated episodes 3–10) were released on Paramount+ in the United States and WOW Presents Plus worldwide.[14]

Contestants

See also: List of RuPaul's Drag Race contestants. Ages, names, and cities stated are at time of filming.

Contestant! scope="col"
AgeCityOutcome
Sasha Colby38Los Angeles, California
Anetra25Las Vegas, Nevada
Luxx Noir London22East Orange, New Jersey3rd place
Mistress Isabelle Brooks24Houston, Texas
Loosey LaDuca32Ansonia, Connecticut5th place
Salina EsTitties31Los Angeles, California6th place
Marcia Marcia Marcia25New York City, New York7th place
Malaysia Babydoll Foxx32Miami, Florida8th place
Spice23Los Angeles, California9th place
Jax25New York City, New York10th place
Aura Mayari30Nashville, Tennessee11th place
Robin Fierce26Hartford, Connecticut12th place
Amethyst27nowrapWest Hartford, Connecticut13th place
Sugar23Los Angeles, California14th place
Princess Poppy26San Francisco, California15th place
Irene Dubois29Seattle, Washington16th place
Notes

Lip syncs

Legend:

EpisodeContestantsSongEliminated
2Amethystvs.Irene Dubois"7 Rings"
(Ariana Grande)
Irene Dubois
3Amethystvs.Princess Poppynowrap"Ain't No Mountain High Enough (Eric Kupper Remix)"
(Diana Ross)
Princess Poppy
4Spicevs.Sugar"You Better Run"
(Pat Benatar)
Sugar
5Amethystvs.Salina EsTitties"Q.U.E.E.N."
(Janelle Monáe ft. Erykah Badu)
Amethyst
6Jaxvs.Robin Fierce"In Your Room"
(The Bangles)
Robin Fierce
7Aura Mayarivs.Jax"Sweetest Pie"
(Megan Thee Stallion, Dua Lipa)
Aura Mayari
EpisodeContestantsSongWinner
8nowrapMalaysia Babydoll Foxxvs.Marcia Marcia Marcia""
(Anitta)
Marcia Marcia Marcia
Loosey LaDucavs.Spice"Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)"
(Joan Jett)
Loosey LaDuca
Luxx Noir Londonvs.Salina EsTitties"It's All Coming Back to Me Now"
(Celine Dion)
Salina EsTitties
Jaxvs.nowrapMistress Isabelle Brooks"Tell It to My Heart"
(Taylor Dayne)
Mistress Isabelle Brooks
Anetravs.Sasha Colby"I'm in Love with a Monster"
(Fifth Harmony)
Sasha Colby
Malaysia Babydoll Foxxvs.Spice"Don't Go Yet"
(Camila Cabello)
Malaysia Babydoll Foxx
Anetra vs. Jax vs. Luxx Noir London"The Right Stuff"
(Vanessa Williams)
Luxx Noir London
ContestantsSongEliminated
Anetravs.Jax"Finally"
(CeCe Peniston)
Jax
9Salina EsTittiesvs.Spice"Thats What I Want"
(Lil Nas X)
Spice
10Malaysia Babydoll Foxxvs.Salina EsTitties"Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)"
(Beyoncé)
Malaysia Babydoll Foxx
11Anetravs.Marcia Marcia Marcia"Boss Bitch"
(Doja Cat)
Marcia Marcia Marcia
12Loosey LaDucavs.Salina EsTitties"Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)"
(Kate Bush)
Salina EsTitties
13Loosey LaDucavs.Luxx Noir London"For the Girls"
(Hayley Kiyoko)
Loosey LaDuca
14Anetravs.Mistress Isabelle Brooks"When Love Takes Over"
(David Guetta ft. Kelly Rowland)
None
EpisodeFinal contestantsSongWinner
16Anetravs.Sasha Colby"Knock on Wood"
(Amii Stewart)
Sasha Colby

Guest judges

Special guests

Guests who appeared in episodes, but did not judge on the main stage.Episode 1

Episode 6

Episode 7

Episode 10

Episode 12

Episode 13

Episode 14

Episode 15

Episode 16

Episodes

See also: List of RuPaul's Drag Race episodes.

Notes and References

  1. Nolfi . Joey . December 12, 2022 . 'RuPaul's Drag Race' moves to MTV for season 15 premiere date . December 12, 2022 . . en . December 12, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221212192521/https://ew.com/tv/rupauls-drag-race-moves-mtv-season-15-premiere-date/ . live .
  2. Web site: Swift . Andy . December 12, 2022 . RuPaul's Drag Race Moving to MTV for Season 15 in January — Full Details . December 12, 2022 . . en-US . December 12, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221212190554/https://tvline.com/2022/12/12/drag-race-season-15-release-date-moving-mtv/ . live .
  3. Web site: Vary. Adam B.. 'RuPaul's Drag Race' Announces Largest Cast Ever for Season 15, Including First Twin Contestants. Variety. Dec 13, 2022. December 13, 2022. December 13, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221213191614/https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/rupauls-drag-race-season-15-cast-1235458769/amp/. live.
  4. https://wwd.com/pop-culture/new-fashion-releases/jinkx-monsoon-perfume-hera-release-info-1236221768/amp/ ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Star Jinkx Monsoon Launches Fragrance Inspired by Her Trans Identity Journey and Greek Mythology’s Queen of Olympians
  5. https://ew.com/tv/willow-pill-comes-out-trans-rupauls-drag-race-season-14/ RuPaul's Drag Race star Willow Pill comes out as trans: 'Starting to finally feel bits of happiness'
  6. Nolfi . Joey . April 14, 2023 . Kornbread presents 'Drag Race' season 15 Miss Congeniality winner . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230610014639/https://ew.com/tv/rupauls-drag-race-season-15-miss-congeniality-winner-malaysia/ . 2023-06-10 . 2023-10-10 . Entertainment Weekly . en.
  7. Web site: Ting . Jasmine . January 28, 2022 . Everything You Need to Know About 'RuPaul's Drag Race' Season 15 . December 12, 2022 . . en-US . January 11, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230111223035/https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/tv/a38916478/rupauls-drag-race-season-15/ . live .
  8. Web site: Bell . BreAnna . August 15, 2022 . 'RuPaul's Drag Race' Renewed for Season 15 at VH1 Along With 'RuPauls's Drag Race: Untucked' . December 12, 2022 . . en-US . December 12, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221212231945/https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/rupauls-drag-race-renewed-season-15-rupauls-drag-race-untucked-1235339380/ . live .
  9. Web site: Mendelsohn . Jon . August 15, 2022 . 'RuPaul's Drag Race' and 'Untucked' Spin-Off Gets Greenlight For New Seasons From VH1 . December 12, 2022 . . en-US . December 12, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221212231944/https://collider.com/rupauls-drag-race-season-15-renewed-untucked-vh1/ . live .
  10. Web site: Curto . Justin . December 12, 2022 . Want Some Drag Race With Your MTV? . December 12, 2022 . . en-us . January 11, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230111223035/https://www.vulture.com/2022/12/rupauls-drag-race-season-15-release-date-cast-trailer.html . live .
  11. Nolfi . Joey . December 13, 2022 . 'RuPaul's Drag Race' reveals largest cast ever for season 15 . live . December 13, 2022 . Entertainment Weekly . en . January 11, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230111223036/https://ew.com/tv/rupauls-drag-race-season-15-cast-revealed-meet-the-queens/.
  12. Web site: Sim. Bernardo. 'Drag Race' Fans Are Petitioning to Bring Back 90-Minute Episodes. Jan 17, 2023. Out. February 8, 2023. February 8, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230208062525/https://www.out.com/television/2023/1/17/drag-race-fans-are-petitioning-bring-back-90-minute-episodes. live.
  13. Nolfi. Joey. RuPaul's Drag Race season 15 expanding to 90-minute episodes on MTV. Feb 9, 2023. Entertainment Weekly. February 9, 2023. February 9, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230209230557/https://ew.com/tv/rupauls-drag-race-season-15-expanding-90-minute-episodes/. live.
  14. Nolfi. Joey. RuPaul's Drag Race season 15 unseen footage to debut in extended 90-minute episodes on Paramount+. July 27, 2023. Entertainment Weekly. August 10, 2023.
  15. Daw. Stephanie. Billboard. Dec 14, 2023. Ariana Grande Sashays Her Way Back to the Judges' Panel of 'RuPaul's Drag Race' Season 15. December 15, 2022. December 15, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221215080052/https://www.billboard.com/culture/pride/ariana-grande-guest-judge-rupauls-drag-race-season-15-premiere-1235186744/amp/. live.
  16. Web site: Tinoco. Armando. 'RuPaul's Drag Race': MTV Drops List Of All Celebrity Guest Judges For Season 15. Dec 19, 2022. Deadline. December 19, 2022. December 19, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221219171704/https://deadline.com/2022/12/rupauls-drag-race-season-15-mtv-guest-judges-list-1235202170/amp/. live.