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From unforgettable runway looks to iconic lip syncs, some queens dazzled fans but never took home the crown. Dive into the drag world’s most compelling near-misses as we celebrate powerhouse performers who were just as deserving of victory. Whether it’s fierce fashion, hilarious comedy, or emotional journeys, these standout queens proved why the win should’ve been theirs.
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00:00Jane, my queen, you are a star.
00:04Never take don't for an answer.
00:08Welcome to Ms. Mojo.
00:09And today we're counting down our picks for the most notable queens
00:12who justifiably could have won their season of Drag Race.
00:15I really feel as though you embodied Madonna, that energy, the most.
00:21Number 20, Lady Camden.
00:23For the first half of season 14, Lady Camden was practically invisible.
00:27I am giving you a Glamazon Prime, sexy little fairy that you just want to take home.
00:33The wings are definitely my favorite part.
00:35I covered rods that you used to construct a tent with beautiful flowing net.
00:40Touch all of this net, darling.
00:42While she did have a few moments in the spotlight,
00:44she was easy to overlook in a cast that included much bigger personalities.
00:48Then the Daytona Wind acting challenge came along
00:51and suddenly she transformed into a full-fledged frontrunner.
00:55Maxine!
00:58Mama Michaels!
01:00I regret the day I let myself get toked out of being with my one true lesbian love!
01:09Camden collected three maxi challenge wins
01:11and proved she could do just about everything.
01:14She could sew, dance, act, and even deliver comedy when the moment called for it.
01:18By the finale, she had ticked every box a Drag Race winner traditionally needs to tick,
01:22but she ultimately lost the final lip sync to Willow Pill.
01:25Give me, give me, give me a minute to midnight.
01:29Won't somebody help me chase the shadows away?
01:33While Willow was a worthy champion, Camden's late-season surge made the outcome feel agonizingly close.
01:39Number 19.
01:40Roxy Andrews.
01:41Baby, you can't read the doll.
01:43Talk about a redemption story a decade in the making.
01:46After becoming a polarizing figure on Season 5 and enduring an infamous All-Stars 2 run,
01:51Roxy Andrews returned to All-Stars 9 looking calmer, happier, and more self-assured than ever.
01:57The confidence was still there, but so was an undeniable warmth.
02:00I'm a Florida boy, so what's going on there is really personal for me.
02:05That's why I'm competing for a charity that's locally based in Orlando.
02:09It's just so motivating to see all the work that they do with community.
02:13Roxy reminded everyone why she is one of the greatest pageant queens in Drag Race herstory,
02:17as she delivered exquisite runways and incredible lip syncs throughout the competition.
02:32More importantly, her run felt like the emotional payoff to a decade-long journey,
02:37and Jeria Paris Van Michaels ultimately took the crown.
02:39But many fans felt like this was finally supposed to be Roxy's moment.
02:43I want to go home with a $200,000 check for the miracle of love.
02:46Y'all can have the money giving my crown, because baby, this is my third time here.
02:50I can't come back no more, so it's now or never.
02:52Number 18.
02:53Sephira Cristal.
02:55Some queens walk into the workroom and immediately radiate winter.
02:58Sephira Cristal was one of them.
03:00My hair is big, my drag is big, more is more, and bigger is better.
03:06She was poised with a razor-sharp wit,
03:08and had the kind of effortless confidence that made everyone around her feel at ease.
03:12Across the season, Sephira excelled in acting, comedy, performance, and design challenges,
03:17earning four maxi-challenge wins and landing in the bottom only once.
03:21Do you have your dancing shoes on?
03:23Hey, I got my dancing shoes.
03:24Those dancing shoes look a lot like your character shoes that you wore last week.
03:29My character shoes?
03:29The character shoes that you wore.
03:31I ain't got no character shoes.
03:32My name is James Brown.
03:34Last time I met you was 1969.
03:37She also naturally stepped into a mentor role,
03:39helping other queens while never losing sight of her own game.
03:42Nymphia Wynn's historic victory as the first East Asian winner was incredibly significant and well-deserved.
03:48Still, had Sephira been crowned instead, very few viewers would have been surprised.
03:52And I can take all of my experiences and share love with everyone on a different level than I haven't
04:01been able to.
04:01I'd be able to make changes in the world with this platform.
04:04I'd be able to just be more me.
04:07Number 17.
04:08Jane Don't
04:09If consistency won crowns automatically, Jane Don't would already have one sitting on her shelf.
04:14She accomplished an astonishing feat by placing in the top three for 10 consecutive weeks
04:19and collecting three maxi-challenge wins along the way.
04:22If I can win this lip-sync, I will be the first girl to three wins.
04:27So this is a do-or-die moment.
04:31I need this win.
04:32Jane looked almost untouchable heading into the latter half of the competition.
04:35Then came the Karen's Gone Wild improv challenge.
04:38Oh, no, no, no, this is not my fault.
04:40The idiots at TSA, they stopped me and they confiscated my bags
04:44because all 17 knives that I had in there to make ceviche for the girls' trip,
04:49they said it wasn't allowed on the plane.
04:50One stumble was all it took for her to be eliminated.
04:53An elimination that sent shockwaves through both viewers and her fellow contestants alike.
04:57Many fans argued her track record alone should have saved her.
05:01Mikey Meeks ultimately took the crown.
05:02But had Jane reached the finale,
05:04it's genuinely difficult to imagine anyone stopping her momentum.
05:07I did my best and I killed it and...
05:14I think I deserved to go to the end,
05:16but this has been really amazing and I love these girls so much.
05:19Number 16.
05:20Raja O'Hara.
05:21All-Star 6.
05:23It's still genuinely hard to believe that this queen made her entire runway package
05:27with just $600, no less.
05:30How am I doing on time?
05:3240 seconds left.
05:33Amazing.
05:38Come on, sis.
05:39Oh, she's really gonna go through with this.
05:41Raja O'Hara's All-Star 6 run remains one of the greatest redemption arcs in Drag Race herstory.
05:46Gone was the defensive queen viewers met on season 11.
05:50She'd been replaced by someone warm, funny, confident, and completely secure in herself.
05:55On season 11, being considered a villain or being misunderstood as a villain
06:00really has put a fire in me to go out and be my authentic self.
06:06I'm a down-ass bitch.
06:07I'm cooler than a fan.
06:08Now I am still spicy.
06:11Week after week, Raja showcased a different skill set and made every challenge look effortless.
06:16More importantly, she became the emotional center of the season,
06:20earning immense support from both fans and her competitors.
06:23To this day, many viewers still see Raja as the true protagonist of that season.
06:28And when I left here the first time, I felt a little bit defeated.
06:32But that was the change happening.
06:33I walked in these doors as a gem, but I wasn't as shiny as I feel like I am right
06:39now.
06:40Today, I feel absolutely exposed.
06:43I feel absolutely brilliant.
06:45Thankfully, Canada vs. the World eventually gave her the crown she deserved.
06:49Number 15.
06:50Brooklyn Heights.
06:51Sometimes, Drag Race boils down to a battle between polish and uniqueness.
06:56On season 11, uniqueness won.
06:58Brooklyn Heights.
06:59Tonight, you were on point.
07:03Contragulations, you are the winner of this week's challenge.
07:07You've won a $3,000 gift card from travelgay.com.
07:13Brooklyn Heights was arguably the most complete competitor of the season.
07:16She won three maxi challenges, delivered a series of stunning runways, and cemented herself in Drag Race Herstory with her
07:22jaw-dropping lip-sync against Evie Oddly.
07:24Baby, I'm sorry!
07:27Baby, I'm sorry!
07:29Oh my god!
07:30I'm sorry!
07:31Being so bad, got me feeling so good!
07:34As a professionally trained ballet dancer, her stage presence was undeniable.
07:38But she also excelled in acting and design challenges.
07:41For much of the competition, she genuinely felt inevitable.
07:45Evie's unconventional perspective ultimately secured her victory.
07:48But Brooklyn represented excellence at every turn.
07:51If reliability alone determined the winner, she would have walked away with that crown.
07:55During the course of this competition, I have grown stronger.
07:58I have taken every failure and I have learned from it.
08:01And it has made me more and more fearless.
08:03Ah!
08:04Ah!
08:05I don't like it!
08:06Ah!
08:07I'm gonna die!
08:08Number 14, Chad Michaels.
08:10You know someone is good when the phrase consummate professional follows them around for years afterward.
08:16Chad Michaels was that queen.
08:18I'm a perfectionist.
08:19It's something I pride myself on.
08:20I'm feeling very confident.
08:22I love what I'm wearing.
08:23Very post-apocalyptic diva.
08:26And I'm feeling really, really good.
08:28Throughout season four, she landed in the bottom only once
08:31and consistently delivered polished, refined drag that still inspires many drag queens today.
08:36Her legendary Cher impersonation was already world-renowned before she entered the competition.
08:40But she showed tremendous versatility beyond just that.
08:44Allegedly!
08:45Allegedly!
08:45She looks good!
08:46I mean...
08:46Cher, I love the hair change.
08:49I can't go five minutes without switching a wig.
08:51I love them.
08:51I love them!
08:52Sharon Needles changed Drag Race with her alternative aesthetic.
08:55And despite her infamy today, her victory was deserved.
08:58Still, Chad embodied what many viewers envisioned as the perfect ambassador for the franchise at the time.
09:03This has meant a lot to me.
09:05And just to be here with this incredible group of friends and with you, Rue, I'm galvanized, I'm focused, and
09:11I'm ready to take home the crown tonight.
09:13In a way, her eventual All-Stars 1 victory felt more like the franchise correcting a previous mistake.
09:19Number 13.
09:20Jujubee.
09:20How many times can one queen almost win Drag Race?
09:23Apparently, infinity.
09:25Jujubee may not have dominated All-Stars 5 statistically, but she practically carried the season emotionally.
09:31Great.
09:31You're here, so we have to change the name to RuPaul's Drag Race, Some Stars.
09:37Mayhem filler.
09:39I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
09:41I mean, mayhem miller.
09:43Her confessionals were hilarious, as were her performances across the board, and her ability to connect with everyone around her
09:49remained unmatched.
09:50Even during slower episodes, she gave viewers a reason to tune in.
09:54It's no wonder she's considered one of the greatest narrators in Drag Race herstory.
09:58If India is lying, she would have been a better actor, which means she would have been better at Snatch
10:06Game.
10:09Is it Alexis?
10:10Shea Coulee delivered a fantastic run and absolutely deserved her crown.
10:14But Jujubee winning would have been a fitting celebration of one of the franchise's most beloved figures.
10:19Plus, maybe it would have finally stopped her from returning every few years.
10:22Maybe.
10:23And I think it's kind of beautiful to be that person for somebody right now, who might be in a
10:28remote area in the world, who only has the internet, who can see somebody like me.
10:32A proud, gay, feminine, Asian man, who is cinched for the gods.
10:37Number 12.
10:38Bosco.
10:39The version of Bosco who showed up for All Stars 10 was barely recognizable from the one viewers saw on
10:45season 14.
10:45And that's meant as the highest compliment.
10:48But my main goal this season is to kick my own ass.
10:51Like, if I was competing against myself in season 14, I want to bury that hooker.
10:55Her runway package was breathtaking.
10:58Her lip sync performances were electric, and she carried herself like someone who had completely settled into her artistry.
11:03More importantly, she felt fearless.
11:06Every week, she seemed willing to take risks while still maintaining impeccable polish.
11:10We used to be best friends.
11:12When we were kids, we were playing cops and robbers.
11:16Yes?
11:16And she shot my f***ing eye out.
11:19This one.
11:20I lost this one to glaucoma.
11:22Oh, I see.
11:23This is a glass eye.
11:24I am blind.
11:26Unfortunately, many fans felt the season was heavily tilted toward Ginger Minj from the start,
11:31which made Bosco's path to victory feel significantly steeper.
11:34Even so, her growth was impossible to ignore.
11:37If there was ever a season that proved Bosco had become a complete drag superstar, this was it.
11:43Talents are for ugly girls, thank God I'm beautiful.
11:48Girls that dance are so protest, think that I'm more picturesque.
11:53Homely girls need their athletics, I've got my genetics.
11:57Genetics?
11:58Shut up.
11:58Number 11.
12:00Monet X Change.
12:01Trinity and I were the only double crowning ever, and we shared in this iconic moment in queer history.
12:08Oh my God, this is crazy.
12:11But this All-Star season, I'm not going to share anything.
12:14When she tied for the crown on All-Stars 4, some fans questioned whether Monet X Change deserved it.
12:20With her run on All-Stars 7, Monet proved so without a doubt.
12:24Facing an entire cast of winners, Monet came with tremendous confidence
12:28and demonstrated just how much she had evolved since the last time.
12:41She excelled at comedy, acting, lip-sync performances, and even surprised viewers with her sewing skills.
12:47By the finale, she actually had more legendary legend stars than Jinx Monsoon.
12:51How does it feel to have the most stars out of everyone here?
12:56Ultimately, what it does mean to me is that I am better than every single last one.
13:00Period.
13:02I was like, not Rue putting me on the spot literally right now.
13:06Also, Monet quite clearly won the lip-sync for the crown,
13:09despite some rather creative editing choices that tried to make it seem otherwise.
13:13Jinx absolutely earned her crown overall, but Monet had a very legitimate case for winning too.
13:18It all comes down to this moment, and I'm ready to leave it all on the stage, girl.
13:23Walk away with a brand new crown and $200,000.
13:28Girl!
13:29Number 10.
13:30From the moment she arrived, Gigi already caught the eye of the judges and many fans.
13:36When I'm entering a room in drag, I really am trying to have that Cinderella story moment where everyone is
13:42just kind of like,
13:42Who's that bitch?
13:44She was a fashion queen, but she managed to subvert expectations by also being great in other areas.
13:50Gigi surprised everyone with her phenomenal performances in the Rusical and the Snatch Game, both of which she won with
13:55relative ease.
13:56Are you losing it, Maria?
13:58Oh, oh, oh, I smell smoke.
14:00There's smoke coming out of her backside.
14:03Get a fire extinguisher.
14:05Reboot, Maria, reboot.
14:07She ultimately earned four Maxi Challenge wins, a feat achieved by only a handful of queens in the franchise.
14:14Her momentum did slow down midway through the competition, and some fans argued she benefited from favorable judging during weaker
14:20weeks.
14:20Gigi, good.
14:25You're safe.
14:26You may join the other girls.
14:32You will not see me in the bottom again.
14:34Still, she rebounded by winning the final challenge before the finale.
14:37Jada Essence Hall was an incredible champion, but Gigi was also a very plausible alternative winner.
14:43A lot of people can mistake confidence for cockiness, and I like to believe that I was raised in a
14:51way to stay humble, but still be proud of everything that I put out into the world.
14:58Number nine, Alaska.
14:59Your sweet 16, perfection.
15:02I see these girls all over my part of Los Angeles, and I love how you committed to the character.
15:08This installment of Drag Race had no shortage of huge personalities, and for that, we are eternally grateful.
15:15Even when competing against the likes of Alyssa Edwards, Coco Montrese, and Detox, Alaska managed to make a huge impression.
15:23Whether you're getting red the house down.
15:25Your makeup is terrible.
15:28Or just ready to go down.
15:30The exciting new fragrance.
15:32Red.
15:32For filth.
15:33She excelled in the competition, scoring as many maxi-challenge wins as her rivals in the top three, and demonstrating
15:41diverse skills in the process.
15:43She made all of us laugh during her hilarious perfume commercial, and had legendary designer Bob Mackie raving about her
15:50looks in the sugar ball.
15:51The cougar lady, perfect in every way.
15:54And the cotton candy is, to me, the best representation of candy.
15:58I knew exactly what you were when you walked out.
16:01Jinx Monsoon was a captivating and lovable presence on season five, but Alaska was arguably just as deserving of the
16:09win.
16:09Alaska, it's been a real joy to watch you blossom, and you walk in no one's shadow.
16:15You are a force to be reckoned with.
16:17Number 8.
16:18Latrice Royale.
16:19Can you give us an example of a time when you made peace with someone you didn't see eye to
16:23eye with?
16:24About five minutes ago, I looked across at Miss O'Hara and realized that she was ugly.
16:31And I'm at peace with that.
16:33This queen competed on Drag Race and All Stars a total of three times.
16:37But we don't think we'll ever get tired of watching her on our screens.
16:41Latrice is extremely likable, has personality in spades, and is one of the most captivating lip-sync performers to ever
16:49grace the main stage.
16:50You make me feel, you make me feel, you make me feel like a natural woman.
17:03It's no wonder she was voted season four's Miss Congeniality.
17:06Her performance in that installment was definitely solid.
17:09She is large, in charge, chunky yet funky, the bold and beautiful I am, Latrice Royale.
17:16Of course, she also made waves on All Stars 4, where she finished fifth after fighting her way back into
17:22the race.
17:27This eternal fan-favorite embodies charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent with aplomb.
17:33Even without a crown, she is responsible for countless unforgettable drag race moments.
17:48This runway queen had an incredibly consistent showing on the first-ever season of Drag Race.
17:54With no appearances in the bottom two, she sailed into the finale as a serious contender.
18:00Her shoot for the Cover Girl Put the Bass in Your Walk video was strong, and her verse was definitely
18:05engaging.
18:17However, it all came down to the final lip-sync against B.B. Zahara-Binet.
18:31The pair's interactions during the number were thoroughly entertaining,
18:35but B.B.'s unconventional fluorography stood out.
18:38Still, as the most popular contestant of the season, Nina could have easily emerged victorious.
18:46Violet Tchotchke undoubtedly changed the game for fashion on Drag Race.
18:50With this and her stellar track record in mind, it made total sense to crown her.
18:55However, her competitor, Ginger Minj, arguably brought more personality to the table,
19:00shining extremely bright throughout her run.
19:10Sure, she had her stints in the bottom two, but she gave us hilarious and unforgettable lip-syncs,
19:16like her chaotic duet with Sasha Bell.
19:18Then you put your arms around me and we tumble to the ground and let me say,
19:23I think we're alone now.
19:25Ginger and Sasha are giving themselves a mastectomy.
19:28Plus, she used her razor-sharp sense of humor to win important challenges like Snatch Game.
19:33Where in England are you from, Adele?
19:35My house.
19:36If her excellent run on All-Stars Season 6 proved anything,
19:40it's that Ginger is an entertainer through and through.
19:44My last boyfriend lived a hundred miles away.
19:47Talk about a tremendous sex drive.
19:50Her decade-long journey on Drag Race eventually ended in a win on All-Stars 10.
19:55It's been ten years of coming to this competition and I'm f***ing ready to race.
20:01Number 5.
20:02Ben de la Creme.
20:10During her comeback run, this comedy queen's track record spoke for itself.
20:15In the first part of the competition, she delivered numerous killer performances.
20:19Well, I said, a cocktail weenie.
20:22Because it's to scale.
20:24From her impersonation of Paul Lynde in the Snatch Game
20:27to her turn in the Divas Lip Sync Live Challenge as a rapping Julie Andrews,
20:32De La repeatedly had us cracking up.
20:42And it's safe to say the judges felt the same,
20:45given that she was consistently in the top.
20:48Of course, the frontrunner famously and shockingly ended her All-Star stint herself.
20:56But had she stayed,
20:58there's no question she would have had an excellent chance of winning the whole thing.
21:03Number 4.
21:04Katya.
21:13Alaska undoubtedly killed it in her return to the Drag Race franchise.
21:17However, All-Stars 2 also provided a chance for Katya to prove herself.
21:21She was shut out of the Season 7 Top 4 after being bested by Kennedy Davenport.
21:26But fortunately, she succeeded in becoming a finalist during her second run.
21:34She had many hilarious showings, like her ad for Crisis Control.
21:38When I'm not struggling with my weight or worried about wrinkles,
21:42I am bombarded by a cacophony of demonic voices in my head telling me,
21:47And some of her moments that landed her in the bottom,
21:50like her Princess Diana role in the Herstory of the World Challenge,
21:54still weren't half bad.
21:55So of course we would have loved to see this beloved star get the crown she deserves.
22:00Number 3.
22:01Shea Coulee.
22:02Sasha Velour gave us one of the most iconic lip sync moments in Drag Race,
22:06Herstory.
22:07After that moment from the Season 9 finale,
22:10Shea simply didn't stand a chance of outshining her.
22:14But we were still disappointed to see her go,
22:16considering how well she performed in the season.
22:18Don't think y'all could do this without me, Black Chyna, up in here.
22:23The Chicago Queen had numerous memorable moments,
22:27including her role as Black Chyna in the Rusical,
22:29and her iconic looks in the gayest ball ever.
22:32Serving construction worker couture, Shea Coulee.
22:36You better construction work.
22:39She also played well with others,
22:41scoring two maxi-challenge wins for her collaborations with Sasha.
22:45Shea Coulee and Sasha Velour are teats and ass.
22:50Shea finally got her crown on All Stars 5,
22:53but she was just as deserving in her original appearance.
22:57Number 2.
22:58Manila Luzon.
23:07In her three appearances on Drag Race and All Stars,
23:10this queen has never failed to entertain us.
23:13We got to know her as a Heather in the show's third installment,
23:16where she made it all the way to the finale.
23:18For my evening down made of money,
23:20the judges are really liking my look.
23:22I think my hair is just so big that they have to love it.
23:25I mean, come on, who doesn't love a drag who's gigantic hair?
23:28Despite performing very similarly to Raja in the competition,
23:31she was made a runner-up.
23:32And things only got more controversial on All Stars 4,
23:36where she was eliminated despite having one of the best track records in the competition.
23:41Manila.
23:45Naomi Smalls made the choice to keep Latrice over Manila,
23:48perhaps because the former contestant had previously saved her.
23:52Needless to say,
23:53it was downright painful seeing such an inimitable queen go home early.
23:58I'm like, I'm gagged.
23:59The goopers.
24:00That Manila is gone.
24:01Number 1.
24:03Raven.
24:03Few Drag Race contestants have come so close to the crown twice.
24:07We first met Raven in Season 2 as a queen with fierce fashion sense and a great sense of humor.
24:14The gown is by Vivian Wallace.
24:16I lost a few beads, but hopefully they'll end up on the runway and a couple of the girls will
24:20fall on them.
24:21Although she started the race with a couple of stints in the bottom two,
24:24she built momentum throughout the competition.
24:26So as the music ends, I grab her and take her to the back.
24:34Her track record leading up to the finale was stellar,
24:37yet Tyra Sanchez seemingly edged her out in the final lip sync to RuPaul's Jealous of My Boogie.
24:48Granted, her performance on All Stars wasn't as impressive,
24:52but it was still hard to watch her become a runner-up once more.
24:55I'm standing in the same place I was standing last time I was here.
24:58I'm shaking, my mouth is dry, and I start to feel so nervous.
25:03I have to turn it out.
25:06Fortunately, she enjoys icon status even without a win to her name.
25:10Which queen do you think deserved to win her season?
25:13Let us know in the comments.
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