RuPaul's Drag Race Holi-slay Spectacular was a holiday television special, which aired on VH1 on December 7, 2018.[1] The hour-long RuPaul's Drag Race special, announced on November 1, had former Drag Race contestants Eureka O'Hara, Jasmine Masters, Kim Chi, Latrice Royale, Mayhem Miller, Shangela, Sonique, and Trixie Mattel compete to become "Drag Race Christmas Queen".
| RuPaul's Drag Race Holi-slay Spectacular | |
|---|---|
| Hosted by | RuPaul |
| Judges | |
| No. of contestants | 8 |
| Winners | |
| Release | |
| Original network | VH1 |
| Original release | December 7, 2018 |
The contestants had to lip-sync to holiday music by RuPaul, including tracks from Slay Belles (2015) and Christmas Party (2018), to choreography by Todrick Hall.[2]
Jasmine Masters and Latrice Royale later competed in fourth season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, which was previewed during the programme's airing and premiered one-week after the Holi-slay Spectacular and placing 10th and 5th, respectively.
Mayhem Miller later competed in fifth season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, placing 7th.
Eureka O'Hara and Sonique later competed in sixth season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, placing 2nd-4th and 1st, respectively.
Contestants
editAges, names, and cities stated are at time of filming.
| Contestant | Age | Hometown | Original season(s) | Original placement(s) | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eureka[a] | 28 | Johnson City, Tennessee | Season 9 | 11th place[b] | Winners |
| Season 10 | Runner-up | ||||
| Jasmine Masters[c] | 42 | Los Angeles, California | Season 7 | 12th place | |
| Kim Chi | 30 | Chicago, Illinois | Season 8 | Runner-up | |
| Latrice Royale | 46 | Hollywood, Florida | Season 4 | 4th place[d] | |
| All Stars 1 | 7th place | ||||
| Mayhem Miller | 36 | Riverside, California | Season 10 | 10th place | |
| Shangela[e] | 36 | Los Angeles, California | Season 2 | 12th place | |
| Season 3 | 6th place | ||||
| All Stars 3 | 3rd place | ||||
| Sonique[f] | 35 | Atlanta, Georgia | Season 2 | 9th place | |
| Trixie Mattel | 29 | Los Angeles, California | Season 7 | 6th place | |
| All Stars 3 | Winner |
Notes:
- ^ Eureka O'Hara is referred to as Eureka on the show.
- ^ Eureka was removed from the competition due to injury.
- ^ Jasmine Diane Masters is referred to as Jasmine Masters on the show.
- ^ Latrice Royale was voted Miss Congeniality on her original season.
- ^ Shangela Laquifa Wadley was referred to as her full name on season 2 and as Shangela on subsequent seasons.
- ^ Now Kylie Sonique Love, she was referred to as Sonique prior to All Stars 6.
Challenges
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For the mini challenge, the queens were paired with a member of the pit crew to dance down the runway to "Christmas Cookies". Mayhem Miller won the mini challenge. The contestants then get ready for the main challenge to the beat of "My Favorite Holiday".
RuPaul performs "Hey Sis, It's Christmas" on the runway alongside the dancers. For the main challenge, the queens must lip sync to RuPaul's song "Get to You" in a 1980s-inspired costume, choreographed by Todrick Hall. The runway theme is "Non-denominational Christmas Eleganza Extravaganza".
All the queens lip-synced in pairs against one another: Mayhem Miller vs. Sonique, Jasmine Masters vs. Shangela, Eureka vs. Trixie Mattel and Kim Chi vs. Latrice Royale. RuPaul then declared all the contestants as the winners. At the end of the episode, Michelle Visage and RuPaul lip-synced for their lives to "Christmas Party"; the judging panel, consisting of the queens alongside Ross Mathews and Todrick Hall, declares a double save.
Lip syncs
edit| Contestants | Song | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Mayhem Miller | vs. | Sonique | "Merry Christmas, Mary!" (RuPaul) |
| Jasmine Masters | vs. | Shangela | "Jingle Dem Bells" (RuPaul ft. Big Freedia) |
| Eureka | vs. | Trixie Mattel | "Deck the Halls" (RuPaul ft. Todrick Hall) |
| Latrice Royale | vs. | Kim Chi | "Brand New Year" (RuPaul ft. Siedah Garrett) |
| Michelle Visage | vs. | RuPaul | "Christmas Party" (RuPaul ft. Michelle Visage) |
Reception
editThe program received mixed reviews as many expected a typical episode, when it was actually a promo tool for RuPaul's new Christmas album, Christmas Party. Variety said "the special quickly pulls a bait and switch, becoming both much sneakier and way less interesting than its festive first impression", calling out RuPaul's promo plug for the album.[3] The A.V. Club gave it a C+ and stated that, despite the flaws, the episode was not without its charm, but still criticised the promotional aspect for RuPaul's Christmas album.[4] Bustle praised the program, saying "it took a turn for the delightfully cheesy, as most holiday specials are wont to do. Its aim quickly became not to pit queens against one another, but of course, to spread Christmas cheer, all while donning their gay apparel in its most literal form", noting it was a welcomed departure from the show's origins.[5] TV Line also praised it and highlighted the looks of Eureka, Mayhem, Trixie and Shangela.[6] In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Sonique also praised her fellow contestant, Mayhem.[7] USA Today concluded by saying "So if you want to see some spectacular holiday looks from your favorite queens mixed with some fun and festive beats, you don't want to Christ-miss this! Just don't expect to be on the edge of your seat."[8]
Ratings
edit| No. | Title | Air date | Rating/share (18–49) |
Viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "RuPaul's Drag Race Holi-slay Spectacular" | December 7, 2018 | 0.18[9] | 0.44[9] |
References
edit- ^ a b Sippell, Margeaux; Yang, Rachel (November 1, 2018). "TV Roundup: VH1 Announces 'RuPaul's Drag Race Holi-Slay Spectacular' Special". Variety. Archived from the original on November 2, 2018. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
- ^ Bote, Joshua (November 1, 2018). "Kim Chi, Shangela, Trixie Mattel & More to Compete in 'RuPaul's Drag Race Holi-Slay Spectacular'". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 2, 2018. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
- ^ Framke, Caroline (December 7, 2018). "TV Review: 'RuPaul's Drag Race Holi-Slay Spectacular'". Variety. Archived from the original on December 9, 2018. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
- ^ Shoemaker, Allison (December 7, 2018). "The Rupaul's Drag Race Holi-Slay Spectacular is really". The A.V. Club. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
- ^ Blanton, Kayla (December 7, 2018). "'RuPaul's Holi-Slay Spectacular' Was Different Than Your Typical 'Drag Race,' But In The Best Way". Bustle. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
- ^ Swift, Andy (December 7, 2018). "Drag Race Holi-Slay Spectacular Recap: RuPaul's First Christmas Queen Is..." TV Line. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
- ^ Nolfi, Joey (December 7, 2018). "Sonique dishes on THAT RuPaul's Drag Race Holi-Slay Spectacular twist ending". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
- ^ Moniuszko, Sara M. (December 7, 2018). "Your (spoiler-free) guide to 'RuPaul's Drag Race Holi-Slay Spectacular'". USA Today. Archived from the original on May 31, 2022. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
- ^ a b Bunch, Rebecca. "Friday Cable Ratings 12/7/18: Drag Race Holi-Slay Special Does OK, Coop & Cami Ties Low". TheTVRatingsGuide. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
