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Warning: This post contains spoilers for Friday’s season 2 premiere of RuPaul’s Secret Celebrity Drag Race
RuPaul’s Secret Celebrity Drag Race kicked off its season 2 premiere episode on Friday by sending one of its nine starry queens sashaying away — a surprise, considering she’s an icon of the stage and screen.
The VH1 reality series switched up its format for its second outing, keeping the identities of its participants secret until they were voted off the show and instead challenging nine contestants to weeks of lip-sync competitions until one is crowned “America’s Next Celeb Drag Superstar” (and is awarded $100,000 for their favorite charity).
If the format sounds familiar, it’s because it’s similar to The Masked Singer, the setting of the show even moving from RuPaul’s iconic workroom to a stage in front of a studio audience. But as Ru says in the premiere’s opening: “This ain’t no guessing game.”
It’s probably better that they didn’t, as Ru and fellow judges Michelle Visage and Carson Kressley admitted throughout the evening that they had no idea who anyone was.
RELATED: RuPaul’s Secret Celebrity Drag Race Season 2: See the First 5 Minutes of the Starry Premiere
At least they had Ru’s “Queen Supreme Mentors” to help out, RuPaul’s Drag Race standout Jujubee, RuPaul’s Drag Race Canada judge Brooke Lynn Hytes and RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars season 4 champ Monét X Change there to guide the new queens in their performances and the week’s theme, “First Time in Drag.”
Here’s how everyone did, and who went home…
POPPY LOVE
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The first secret celebrity queen of the night was Poppy Love, who kicked off the show with an energetic performance of “You Ougtha Know” by Alanis Morissette.
Like many of the other queens, performing was nothing new for this star. “I live to be on stage. It’s my happy place,” the celeb behind the queen said before taking the stage, noting that he’s been performing since he was 4 years old (and has had a beard for the last 20 years that had to be shaved).
So what made him want to try drag? “Drag is stepping outside of your body and outside of your comfort zone. You have more freedom,” he said. “I’m a straight man, but now I’m doing this because I’m a huge advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. I’m really in touch with my masculine side and my feminine side. I’d love this opportunity to really go all in.”
Despite admitting that performing in drag in front of the biggest drag queen in the world was “a little intimidating,” Poppy Love proved to be a judge’s favorite. “You went full-throttle,” said Visage, Ru explaining that Poppy was “so captivating.”
CHAKRA 7
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A RuPaul’s Drag Race fan who says has been watching the series “forever” and “grew up listening to RuPaul’s songs,” Chakra 7 — or the star behind Chakra 7, that is — told audiences that she’s been performing “since I was a little girl” and was interested in the show to temporarily become someone else.
“I’ve been performing since I was a little girl, she said, before lip syncing to “I’m Every Woman” by Chaka Khan. “People have always known who I am. I can’t hide, so assuming a new identity is really exciting for me.”
“The amount of talent it takes to do what you do is mind-blowing so just to play in that space is super exciting,” she went on. “I don’t know what it is about drag that’s making me feel so free to just be creative and have fun, kind of like when I was a little kid.”
Charkra 7 received a lot of love from the judges. “It was fierce and fabulous. … it was fantastic!” said Kressley, and Ru told the queen, “You made that song come to life. It was so much fun.”
DONNA BELLISSIMA
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Nicki Minaj’s “Super Bass” proved the perfect song for Donna Bellissima, the “big, brassy bosomed” beauty who was the show’s third performer of the night.
The star behind this queen has been in show business for 20 years, he explained, and joined the show to try something new. “I remained in the closet, but I’m done with all that,” he said. “Watching Drag Race, I’ve been dying to just try it. … I’ve grappled with femininity as an issue a lot. Now I want to be able to get up there and celebrate all that.”
Donna’s confidence was sure strong, and after her comedic performance, the judges responded with raves.
“I had a really good time watching you have a good time up there. Sometimes people think it’s really serious, but it’s really fun,” said Visage. Kressley added, “That was so good!”
MILLI VON SUNSHINE
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“I don’t think I could have ever imagined myself competing in a drag competition,” Milli Von Sunshine said before performing Ava Max’s “Sweet But Psycho.”
The celebrity behind the queen has a background as an entertainer and a performer. “Drag is just this other art form and this other identity that you step into,” Milli said. “This is a new discovery for me — an exploration and adventure. I want to celebrate the art of drag and bring some happy, positive energy into this world.”
As positive as Milli is, the star said she wasn’t feeling as positive about the performance at first, admitting she was worried about getting all the steps down. “The stakes are high, but you have to take great risks to have great rewards,” she said.
Milli got great rewards. “You made it look incredibly effortless,” said Kressley, with Visage suggesting she change her name to “Milli Von Nailed the Choreography.”
JACKIE WOULD
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What Would Jackie do? More like, what wouldn’t she do!
Inspired by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis mixed with a little bit of Jane Fonda and sprinkle of some Amy Schumer, Jackie Would mixes “a little bit of class and a lot of sass,” the celebrity said before taking the stage to perform Lizzo’s “Juice.”
Though the number didn’t go as well — Visage and Kressley both called the star out for letting his nerves get the best of him — the experience still left our mysterious celebrity smiling.
“I’m super passionate at what I do. Professionally, I’m an expert in my field. I am not an expert in this space,” he said. “There’s something sort of sexy about the idea of not being yourself and sort of stepping into this other realm.”
ELECTRA OWL
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“I’m an entertainer, I’ve done it for many many years but to perform in drag? That’s completely daunting,” said Electra, the sixth queen of the night.
Daunting as it may be, Electra still seemed thrilled to give it a try.
“This is transforming times 10. That’s what I like to do. I like to put myself in the lion’s den,” said the secret performer. “I’m really looking forward to the process because I love, once you get on stage, you’re somebody new. It’s your journey on how you find this other person; this other being-ness inside of you.”
“I want to bring joy and excitement and energy to an audience,” she added. I love to call this the metamorphosis. Electra Owl is ready to awaken.”
The judges, after Electra’s performance of Pink’s “Raise Your Glass,” were happy to meet the star. “That was a hoot, I loved it,” said Kressley, and Visage applauded the queen for the comfort she showed on stage.
THIRSTY VON TRAP
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A child actor, our next mystery star grew up doing television but decided to jump into drag to try something he’s never explored before.
“I’m a huge fan of the art of drag, and there’s a sense of confidence that I don’t necessarily know that I possess. It’s an exercise in self-confidence and that’s why I’m here,” he said. “Drag, it gives you the permission to be whatever version of yourself that you want to be. It’s aspirational to me.”
Meet Thirsty Von Trap, who the star describes as “hot, delusional, and unbothered.”
That was all on display during Thirsty’s performance of The Pussycat Dolls’ hit “Don’t Cha.”
“I love the full commitment to the character,” Visage said. “Super fun, super enjoyable, very fulfilling for me,” added Kressley.
FABULOUSITY
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“I’ve had a very interesting career. I never thought I’d be in a drag competition but I’m at an age now where I want to do whatever the hell I want!” said the star behind Fabulousity, the second-to-last performer of the night. “You know what? It’s exciting and new and I can’t wait to see how fabulous I’m going to look!”
“I want to be playful and a little funny,” she said. “Fabulosity, she’s a missing piece of all of the grand diva’s of the world. That’s what makes her fabulous.”
She added, “I just can’t wait to see if I’m going to be successful at it. This is going to shock the hell out of everybody. She’s fabulous. She’s Fabulosity.”
Sadly, Fabulousity’s take on Mary J. Blige’s “Just Fine” was less than fabulous, and the star received some mixed reviews from the judges, who encouraged her to trust herself more.
“Some of the moves and some of the dance may have been a little tentative, but realize and remember that you have the best support team in the entire drag world working with you,” Kressley encouraged.
CHIC-LI-FAY
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Season 2’s last celebrity performer went by the name of Chic-Li-Fay, who ended the show on a high note with her take on Ciara’s “Goodies.”
Having a background in entertainment, it’s no doubt surprise that he did well. “I feel best when I’m on stage performing in front of an arena or a theater full of people,” he said. “I came from music, I was on a television show.”
But like the others before him, the star joined the show to challenge himself. “If the opportunity terrifies me a little bit, then I have to do it,” he exaplined.
“I’m a big fan of Drag Race. But I think there’s only so much you can understand as a viewer,” he continued. “The biggest obstacle coming into this competition is being able to perform wearing all the things she’s wearing. I have to make sure I can perform in heels and a corset and also not completely lose my mind. But I’m excited about this performance. All the pieces are there; put up or shut up.”
Chic-Li-Fay definitely put up, doing so well that even Kressley wondered just how much of an amateur he was. “You can’t be a professional drag queen or else you wouldn’t be here, but you should be because that was so professional,” said Kressley. “The presentation, the wardrobing, the hair, the attitude, the showmanship. Working the stage, working the camera, working the judges — it was all really, really fantastic.”
THE RESULTS
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By the end of the premiere, Poppy Love was named the first week’s winner, while Fabulosity and Jackie Would wound up in the bottom two.
Lip-syncing for their life to the 1986 hit “Venus” by Bananarama, both queens did their best to stay in the game. But Fabulousity was told to sashay away, giving Jackie Would another chance at the crown.
So who was behind Fabulousity’s fabulosity? Emmy winner Loretta DeVine.
The actress — one of Broadway’s original Dreamgirls with more than 170 TV and film credits to her name including Waiting to Exhale, The Preacher’s Wife, A Different World, Grey’s Anatomy and Netflix’s Family Reunion — Ruvealed herself by episode’s end. And despite her exit, she remained as positive and fabulous as ever for the experience.
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RuPaul’s Secret Celebrity Drag Race airs Fridays at 8 p.m. ET on VH1.
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