Thanks to RuPaul's Drag Race, drag queens have become a mainstream part of culture and the show is pumping out more seasons than ever. This is helped in no small part by the continued popularity of All Stars. The bonus seasons featuring fan-favorite queens from past seasons, all vying for a spot in the illustrious 'Hall of Fame.' Past winners include Chad Michaels, Alaska, Trixie Mattel, and, somewhat controversially, a double win in season four for Trinity and Monét X Change.
There's much speculation as to which queens will feature for every season of All Stars and the upcoming fifth season is no different. However, the queens popping up on rumored cast lists might not necessarily be the queens we'd all like to see the most. Below is a list of 10 queens who may or may not be rumored to be appearing but who we would love to see make a come back for RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 5.
DERRICK BARRY
Who doesn't love a good redemption arc? Derrick Barry, while not the most vicious of villains, definitely became something of an antagonist by the end of Season 8. The Britney Spears impersonator struggled to break out of her mold and find her own personality, resulting in some saltiness towards the other queens. It would be fair to say that Derrick has done a lot already to win back fans, having popped up on the Season 10 premiere and on a few other occasions in the last few seasons. However, All Stars is a great place for once villainous queens to come and prove their worth. We'd love to see Derrick Barry have a redemption arc on All Stars 5, as long as it's not a case of 'oops I did it again.'
JIGGLY CALIENTE
Jiggly Caliente has been a fan favorite since her appearance on Season 4. Since the show, she's been touring and working on her music career. She released her debut album T.H.O.T Princess last year.
She's a down to earth queen who made up in charisma what she lacked in design talent. It would be fantastic to have Jiggly back to showcase how she has developed over the last few years, assuming she's taken a sewing lesson or two, and to see her promote her music on the show.
LAGANJA ESTRANJA
The first of our controversial entries to the list, Laganja is not everybody's favorite but there's no denying she's a talented queen and makes for great TV. She caused waves with the other queens on her season, Season 6, with her over the top antics and forced personality. There's no doubt in the intervening years Laganja has continued to develop as a queen and as a person and it would be refreshing to see her return to the show a more mature, seasoned queen who is ready to slay the competition. Or if not, it would be fun to see her stir up the other queens.
SCARLET ENVY
Scarlet Envy is the first queen on our list who is actually already rumored to be appearing. Scarlet was a contestant on the most recent main season of Drag Race and only came in tenth out of fifteen. However, in that short time we got to see a queen who was obliviously confident yet also charming and well-meaning. True, queens who come back straight after their season don't have as much time to develop and hone their craft, but this is a queen whose time was cut short.
ASIA O'HARA
If there ever was a queen who deserved a better ending to their time on Drag Race it was Asia O'Hara. A contestant on Season 10, Asia made it to the grand lip-sync off finale where a stunt involving live butterflies horribly backfired and cost her the crown. Throughout her season she showed that she had looks to kill on the runway, a stellar personality, and great comedic acting chops. She truly was an all-rounder and well-loved amongst the fandom. All Stars 5 would be a great chance for Asia to return and prove that she is capable of so much more, to really showcase her talent and remove the lingering disappointment from her lip sync performance in the Season 10 finale.
ONGINA
Perhaps one of the most beloved, iconic and remembered queens from the entire run of RuPaul's Drag Race, Ongina is a veteran, having appeared on the show's very first season. She is a fashionista with a personality to kill and it's a wonder she's not already appeared on a season of All Stars.
She won over hearts and minds on Season 1, and it's time for this queen to make her comeback. One of the most enjoyable aspects of the All Stars format is that we get to see queens from older seasons who might have drifted from the world's collective consciousness and see the talent which really launched the show on the path to becoming the behemoth it is today.
COURTNEY ACT
The thunder from down under, this Australian queen is thriving in her post Drag Race career. She's competed in Australian Dancing with the Stars where she placed second, she won the UK's Celebrity Big Brother and has been performing her cabaret around the world. She's known for her singing and skimpy outfits. While it may seem as though Courtney has very little to prove after coming joint runner up in Season 6, since leaving the show Courtney has been on something of a tour of reality competitions and it would be amazing to see her return to Drag Race as an All Star.
WILLAM
The next controversial entry on the list is Willam. Infamously kicked off the show for breaking the rules, Willam has been outspoken about her time on the show ever since she left. Not a queen to keep her mouth shut, Willam keeps no secrets. Since she appeared on Season 4, Willam has been performing around the world, making her own Youtube series The Beat Down, has had a music career with the 'Triple A Girls' and is the co-host of Drag Race recap podcast Race Chaser with Alaska. It's unlikely that she would reappear on the show, due to the issues between her and production company World of Wonder, however, that animosity and level of cynicism towards the show could make her one of the most interesting queens, with an intriguing point of view to bring back into the competition. If both sides could put their differences aside in the name of great TV, we'd be here to see it.
TAMMIE BROWN
Another controversial queen, Tammie Brown, has something a checkered history with the show as well. She appeared on the very first main season of the show, along with Ongina, and also appeared in All Stars 1. However, since Manilla Luzon and Latrice Royale, who both competed alongside Tammie in All Stars 1, competed again in All Stars 4 there's no reason Tammie shouldn't come back one more time. Even if it's just to dance awkwardly on the main stage. These days the queens on Drag Race are becoming more and more homogenized and Tammie represents the antithesis of that. She's unique and talented and would offer something truly unique should she return to the competition.
PEARL
Finally, our most controversial entry on the list... that will never happen. Pearl is known for a couple of things, her fashion, beauty and elegant drag, as well as being an excellent illustrator and DJ, and finally for standing up to RuPaul in the werk (sic) room. She is potentially most know for her famous comeback 'is there something on my face?' Despite the coolness between her and Ru, Pearl was an endearing character who made it to the top three on Season 7. She'd be a great character to have on the show, however, her comments regarding her experience on the show since leaving the competition mean she's probably not a first choice to return. A look at her Instagram shows how much her drag has grown since her season and it would be a great move, publicity-wise, for the show to bring Pearl back, if they were able to smooth over those cracks while she's there. A queen can dream still.