The iconic reality show, bursting with glitz and glamour, has taken the world by storm. Now its dramatic sixteenth season is available to stream.
RuPaul’s Drag Race has been a TV staple for 15 years now, with hundreds of contestants vying to be crowned America’s next drag superstar.
Contestants take on a series of mini and maxi challenges complete with weekly eliminations. Ru is joined by a panel of judges, including Michelle Visage and Ts Madison, as the girls lipsync for their lives and strut their stuff on the catwalk.
The sixteenth series of the Emmy-winning reality show is now available to stream on Paramount+. Originally airing in January of this year, it sees 14 bold new drag queens showcase their unique styles and talents.
We take a look at the rules drag queens must follow as they battle it out to become the ultimate winner.
Tell no-one you’re on the show
As exciting as it is, contestants need to keep their mouths closed when it comes to the series. Not even their spouses are allowed to know, as William Belli from season four’s Drag Race found out the hard way.
William was disqualified for telling his husband where he was – and allowing him to visit at his hotel. He admitted in the finale’s reunion episode: “”When you go away to Drag Race, you can’t tell anyone—it’s top-secret. And I told my husband I was doing a non-union horror movie in Europe, which I’ve done before and they suck, so don’t watch them. And he didn’t believe me. He was like, ‘Why you gotta take all this drag?’ So I lied, and he followed me to the hotel. The first night, he knocked on my door, and it was a delivery!”
No phones during filming
Similarly, the queens can’t have their phones with them on set – and their contact with the outside world is extremely limited. In one season seven Untucked clip, a producer explains that contestants can’t leave their hotels rooms.
The door peepholes are covered and if they need anything, they were told to write it on a note and slip it under their doors.
Wear the same outfit for confessionals
Our queens must wear the same clothes for every single confessional. Season 11 runner-up Brook Lynn Hytes lifted the lid on this one. It makes sense, as producers like to splice footage together without causing any continuity issues.
They have to film the runway scenes twice – and multiple endings for each season
Brook Lynn Hytes previously told Cosmopolitan in 2019 that their high-stakes runway walks are actually filmed twice. The star explained: “You do it to the music first and that’s great. Then you do it again and it’s silent, apart from the judges making funny comments about your outfit.”
Hytes added: “The reason they do that is so that they can get all the judges’ commentary in. So if the music’s playing it’s harder to hear, and it also gives the judges the chance to come up with the commentary.”
The finale, filmed in front of a live studio audience, is also filmed multiple times with different endings. This is because showrunners want prevent anyone spoiling the finale before the show airs. RuPaul previously confirmed this on X, formerly Twitter, posting: “Damn right we film 3 endings! Can’t allow shady stunt queens to spoil the surprise for everyone.”
They can’t do other media for one year after the finale
According to season eight contracts, the contestants had to agree they won’t pop up on any other show for a whole 12 months once the finale has aired. This doesn’t include live performances, however they aren’t allowed to mention Drag Race’s name.
Unwritten rules
Fans have also taken to social media to discuss the ‘unwritten rules’ of the series. They took to Reddit to compile their own list of unofficial Drag Race rules. The original poster suggested: “Do NOT remove your wig, shoes, or clothes during a lip sync unless you have a ruveal…. Don’t do beyoncé for snatch game. or rlly any of the pop girls”.
They added: “Do not try to explain yourself to the judges after they give you bad critiques (you can respond, but you shouldn’t make excuses). LEARN HOW TO SEW!” Another person added: “Watch “Mommy Dearest” and “Paris Is Burning” before auditioning. The runways… don’t bother playing it safe – stand out, no matter what.” They continued: “Own your f***-ups. If you embarrass yourself and get turned into a meme, at the very least you’re gonna get A LOT of t-shirt sales out of it. Don’t cry about being safe.”
One user added: “Don’t do an “influencer” for Snatch Game” as another concluded: “Referencing Ru’s loves will get you so far but not enough of the girls study up on their pop culture or queer history.”