Back in 2018, RuPaul gave RuPaul's Drag Race fans a holiday gift with a special holiday episode. RuPaul's Drag Race Holi-slay Spectacular invited eight former contestants to "compete" in a holiday edition of the iconic series. As fans watched, they truly thought a single winner would emerge. Instead, in the spirit of the holidays, they were all winners, baby! With special performances and RuPaul holiday tracks used as lip syncs, the episode was a perfect way to kick off the holiday season as it brought pure joy to the screen.
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When it comes to holiday specials, viewers expect some cheese. The goal is to entertain, bring a smile to your face, and sprinkle a bit of joy and happiness. That's exactly what RuPaul's Drag Race Holi-slay Spectacular. Even six years removed from the original airing, the special holds up! Yes, there are some things that have changed over the years, like Ru's makeup and the careers of some of the queens, but overall, it's exactly why Drag Race fans love this show.
It's 'Drag Race' With a Christmas Twist Close ✕ Remove Ads
RuPaul's Drag Race Holi-slay Spectacular is set up like any typical Drag Race episode. It's just littered with Christmas decorations and puns galore. The episode starts with holiday-themed entrance looks, a mini challenge with the hunky Pit Crew dressed as reindeer, then a maxi challenge and runway with a Christmas twist. By having the premise replicate a normal episode of Drag Race, the structure was already established. There was a familiarity that fans knew and loved. Now, it just happened to be Christmasfied!
The episode infused the usual camp that has made the show continue to take off, but what this special did was invite some former contestants back as a sort of trial run, allowing the fandom to be reintroduced to them. Trixie Mattel had already snatched the crown on RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 3, but her ability to play in this world allowed many fans to continue to fall in love with her. For individuals like Jasmine Masters and Kylie Sonique Love, it had been some time since they last appeared on the show, and this special boosted their appeal, garnering them an invite to compete on future seasons. For Kylie Sonique Love, this was the moment that changed her career. Not only did she get invited to compete on RuPau's Drag Race All Stars 6, she was victorious. The rest of the cast included Shangela, Eureka, Latrice Royale, Mayhem Miller, and Kim Chi. With the exception of Kim Chi, everyone had or would return for an All Stars season.
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Posts 'RuPaul's Drag Race Holi-slay Spectacular' Brings the Stunts and Tricks Close
RuPaul's Drag Race Holi-slay Spectacular was truly filled with holiday high-stepping, sickening surprises, and season's reading. Those surprises included the entire episode having musical sung-through moments, cringe-worthy holiday puns, Christmas-twisted callbacks to iconic Drag Race moments, and, of course, an epic lip sync. Since the big "twist" was every queen being crowned the Christmas Queen, the end of the episode featured RuPaul and Michelle Visage lip-syncing for their life. Get ready to laugh because the body doubles were getting a full paycheck for those tricks and stunts! Oh, and if you're looking for a moral in this story, Michelle Visage only offered positive critiques. It's a Christmas miracle!
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The special leans into the silliness of television and the usage of product placement. Between product drops like Daft Boy, Post Mates, and Anastasia Beverly Hills, it allowed fans to giggle all the way. Yes, RuPaul's Drag Race Holi-slay Spectacular coincided with Ru's Christmas album, "Christmas Party," so all the songs came straight from that. It was a way to listen to Ru's new tunes along with your favorite queens. If you've already seen RuPaul's Drag Race Holi-slay Spectacular, that's ok! Watch it again! You'll see things you didn't realize before. You'll see the arcs of the queens who have since made it big. If you haven't seen it before, now's the time to start a new holiday tradition! RuPaul's Drag Race Holi-slay Spectacular may have had a gimmick ending, but it is a special that still stands the test of time. RuPaul's Drag Race Holi-slay Specacular is available to stream on Paramount+
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RuPaul's Drag Race
RuPaul searches for America's next drag superstar.
Release Date February 2, 2009 Cast RuPaul Main Genre Reality TV Seasons 15 Awards Nominations Primetime Emmy Awards, Critics Choice Awards Awards Won Critics' Choice Real TV Awards: Best Competition Series Producer Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato, Tom Campbell, RuPaul, Steven Corfe, Mandy Salangsang, Chris McKim Production Company World of Wonder Number of Episodes 200 Expand
Watch on Paramount+