RuPaul’s Drag Race US has been a hit since it first aired in 2009, with 16 series and nine All Stars seasons under its belt. Here are the rules the queens must follow
RuPaul’s Drag Race has been a staple of the small screen for 15 years, with hundreds of hopefuls battling it out to be named America’s next drag superstar.
The contestants face a series of mini and maxi challenges, with weekly eliminations. Ru is joined by a panel of judges, including Michelle Visage and Ts Madison, as the queens lipsync for their lives and strut their stuff on the runway.
The sixteenth season of the Emmy-winning reality show is now available to stream on Paramount+. First aired in January this year, it features 14 new drag queens showcasing their unique styles and talents.
Let’s take a look at the rules that the drag queens must adhere to as they vie for the ultimate crown.
Don’t tell anyone you’re on the show
As thrilling as it may be, contestants must keep their mouths shut about their involvement in the series. Not even their partners are allowed to know, as William Belli from season four’s Drag Race discovered the hard way.
William was disqualified for revealing his location to his husband and allowing him to visit at his hotel. He confessed 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 aren’t allowed their phones on set, and their contact with the outside world is extremely limited. During one season seven Untucked clip, a producer explained that contestants can’t leave their hotel rooms.
The door peepholes are covered and if they need anyth ing, 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 revealed. It makes sense, as producers like to splice footage together to avoid 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 dramatic 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 of the show packs quite the punch as it’s performed several times over in front of the live audience, recording different outcomes to keep the result a well-guarded secret. RuPaul let the cat out of the bag on X, formerly Twitter, explaining: “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
After the glitter settles post-finale, contestants are bound by contract not to grace other TV shows for a whole year. According to the rulebook from season eight, while live gigs aren’t off-limits, there’s a strict no-name-dropping policy regarding Drag Race.
Unwritten rules
Long-time fans of the show have taken to Reddit to share their own unwritten rules from the series. The original poster gave their advice to contestants, including: “Do NOT remove your wig, shoes, or clothes during a lip sync unless you have a ruveal…. Don’t do beyonce for snatch game. or really any of the pop girls”.
They further advised: “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 individual chimed in: “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.”
Another user suggested: “Don’t do an ‘influencer’ for Snatch Game” while 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.”