Up until this point in RuPaul’s Drag Race history, there has yet to be another drag queen sitting alongside RuPaul in the judging panel. The show, which is now airing its 12th season, has over one hundred former contestants in its roster, and many fans would like to see some of those queens returning as guest judges.
While it is easy to look at former Drag Race winners and Miss Congeniality title holders as great potential guest judges, that is not always particularly true. It takes a certain level of expertise, sense of humor, and personality to be a great judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race, and some queens certainly have that more than others.
Aquaria
Aquaria is, in many ways, one of the most symbolic winners in RuPaul’s Drag Race history. The queen not only grew up watching the show – being only a teenager when season 1 first aired –, but is also the drag daughter of Sharon Needles, the winner of season 4 of Drag Race.
As a superfan of the show and also the winner of season 10, Aquaria would be a very interesting guest judge on Drag Race, bringing a youthful and very fashion-forward energy to the judging panel. What’s more, Aquaria has proved that she can provide great feedback and notes during her time as the co-host of Fashion Photo RuView alongside Raja.
Katya
There is no doubt that Katya is one of the most successful and oft-remembered Miss Congeniality winners on Drag Race. Katya’s performance on All-Stars 2 and UNHhhh web series (with Trixie Mattel) only made her even more of a fan-favorite contestant, always proving herself to be quick on her feet and full of rotten jokes.
Furthermore, Katya certainly has the sense of humor and intelligence that could match the likes of RuPaul, Michelle Visage, Ross Mathews, and Carson Kressley in the judging panel. The queen would be able to joke around with the other judges, throw shade back, and even contribute some excellent puns during the runway segment.
Monet X Change
Season 10 Miss Congeniality and All Stars 4 crown winner Monet X Change has all the qualifications of an excellent RuPaul’s Drag Race alum, including an incredibly successful career after the show.
Not only would Monet X Change bring a great sense of humor to the Drag Race judging panel, but she would also be able to relate to the queens as someone who experienced everything in the franchise: lip-sync wins, lip-sync losses, challenge wins, elimination, and even All-Stars. On her talk show The X Change Rate, Monet has also proven to have a great rapport with RuPaul and able to hold a long conversation with Mother Ru.
Alyssa Edwards
Alyssa Edwards has already been brought back as a choreographer on Drag Race, so it’s not that big of a stretch to invite her back as a guest judge, right?
The queen has had a long-standing relationship with World of Wonder, the production company behind RuPaul’s Drag Race. Since her time on season 5, Alyssa has gone on to compete on All-Stars 2, star in the web series Alyssa’s Secret, and even star in the Netflix docu-series Dancing Queen.
Having Alyssa Edwards in the Drag Race judging panel would provide us with dozens of new iconic moments from the queen, and it would also be hilarious to watch her interacting with a new batch of queens.
Jinkx Monsoon
Jinkx Monsoon is one of the most cerebral queens to ever win Drag Race, which makes her the perfect choice for a guest judge. She has already been brought back to the werkroom to provide tips for the contestants to compete on Snatch Game, but having her in the judging panel would be a fantastic addition.
Over the years, Jinkx Monsoon has only maintained her reputation and expanded her fanbase, becoming one of the most popular and well-respected winners in the history of RuPaul’s Drag Race. There is no doubt that future contestants would embrace and respect Jinkx’s feedback, which would most likely be very thoughtful and constructive.
Alaska
Not only is Alaska the winner of All Stars 2, but she is also one of the biggest superfans of the franchise. On her Race Chaser podcast with Willam, Alaska typically displays a very positive attitude toward the new seasons, contestants, and spin-offs of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Moreover, Alaska has returned to the show a few times, including the All-Stars 3 and All Stars 4 finales.
Despite not being the winner of a regular Drag Race season, Alaska made it very far on season 5 and has experienced virtually every single challenge and format in the series. Furthermore, there is no doubt that Alaska’s personality would be a great addition to the judging panel.
Bianca Del Rio
Bianca Del Rio is arguably the most successful Drag Race alum in history, so who would be more qualified than her to give new contestants some notes?
It is easy to imagine Bianca Del Rio critiquing other queens on RuPaul’s Drag Race, bringing all her talents as an insult comic to the judging panel. Given how much fun Ru, Michelle, Ross, and Carson like to have, Bianca would certainly bring a welcome energy to that mix.
Besides being a hilarious comedian, it is important to remember that Bianca also worked as a costume designer for many years. That experience would give her all the credit to provide feedback to the queens on the runway.
Bob the Drag Queen
Season 8 winner Bob the Drag Queen has been incredibly successful after her time on the show, never being afraid to speak her mind while also conquering the world as a fierce drag queen.
With Bob the Drag Queen as a guest judge, we’d probably laugh out loud, listen to very honest feedback, and get a bunch of GIF-able moments that Drag Race has become known for. Given how successful her drag daughter Miz Cracker and drag sibling Monet X Change have been on the show, it’s also no secret that Bob has the chops to shape these queens into superstars.
Raven
Raven is undoubtedly one of the most consequential contestants in the history of Drag Race. Despite ending up as the runner-up on both season 2 and All-Stars 1, fans never questioned the fact that Raven could’ve easily won if she had been cast on different seasons.
Since season 9 of Drag Race, Raven has been the makeup artist for RuPaul herself. That includes Ru’s face on the recent standard Drag Race seasons, All-Stars spin-offs, U.K. edition, and even AJ and the Queen. Given her clear talent and ongoing relationship with Ru and World of Wonder, it’s a no-brainer that Raven should be featured as a guest judge at some point in time.
Raja
There are very few queens that match Raja’s importance to RuPaul’s Drag Race, who had one of the most solid performances in the history of the franchise. On Fashion Photo RuView, Raja has been providing great notes on the queens’ fashion for many years. Given that she has a great rapport with RuPaul, it would make sense for her to be featured as a guest judge.
What’s more, virtually every contestant on Drag Race has shown nothing but respect and reverence to Raja, which would make her such a perfect addition to the Michelle Visage, Ross Mathews, and Carson Kressley dynamic.