It’s been over ten years since the first-ever season of RuPaul’s Drag Race, which unassumingly kickstarted the worldwide phenomenon that has given us eleven seasons (season 12 on the way!), various spin-offs, and even international editions. While there is no doubt that RuPaul – as the host and main judge of Drag Race – was always in the driver’s seat, it was the contestants’ stories and talents that made fans connect to this series on a deeper level.
But where are those fabulous queens from season 1, you may ask? Well, you’ve come to the right place! Read below to find out what the OG RuPaul’s Drag Race contestants have been up to since their time on the show.
TAMMIE BROWN
Tammie Brown was the clear outlier in the first season of Drag Race. For one, her personality was able to shine through even when out of drag, which was a first for the series. Secondly, Tammie’s character was never broken, even if that meant going home. Since season 1, Tammie Brown has released three studio albums and one EP, which gave us several catchy singles and fun music videos.
The queen was featured in 2013 I Am Divine documentary by Jeffrey Schwarz and returned to the Drag Race franchise for an episode of Drag U and to compete on the first-ever RuPaul’s Drag Race All-Stars. As of late, Tammie served as the opening act for Trixie Mattel’s “Now With Moving Parts Tour” and has been promoting her brand-new album, Schubert’.
ONGINA
There’s no denying that Ongina was the original fan-favorite Drag Race contestant. This queen was funny, full of personality, and brought a very personal and relatable story to a TV show that catered to LGBTQ audiences. After being on season 1, Ongina was rumored to be cast on virtually every single All-Stars edition of the franchise. According to rumors, her time may finally have come on All-Stars 5 – but nothing is confirmed until an official announcement is made.
Aside from all those All-Stars rumors, Ongina has been a constant fixture on RuPaul’s DragCon events and continues to tour around the world. Recently, the queen announced a brand-new web series, Ongina Does, that will air on her YouTube Channel. In 2020, she is poised to make an appearance on the RuPaul-led Netflix original show AJ and the Queen.
AKASHIA
After taking a brief hiatus, Akashia has certainly been a very hard-working queen. In 2018, Akashia was featured on the RuPaul’s Drag Race season 10 finale alongside her sisters from season 1. Essentially, that appearance prompted Akashia’s return to full-time drag.
The queen has been performing nonstop and is known for occasionally mixing up cosplay with her drag. One quick scroll on Akashia’s Instagram would show you some of her great looks inspired by characters like Poison Ivy and Storm. Moreover, this queen has occasionally been spotted attending DragCon events.
VICTORIA “PORKCHOP” PARKER
Victoria “Porkchop” Parker may have been the first-ever eliminated queen from RuPaul’s Drag Race, but she was certainly never forgotten by the franchise and by RuPaul himself. The series constantly calls back to Porkchop, making her presence felt one way or another.
In 2018, Victoria “Porkchop” Parker was crowned Miss DragCon and made an appearance on the E! series Botched. Besides touring across the country and around the world, this queen has truly become a staple in the Los Angeles drag scene over the years. In 2020, Porkchop is expected to appear on Netflix’s AJ and the Queen alongside many of her Drag Race sisters.
NINA FLOWERS
Nina Flowers brought a lot of artistry and originality to the RuPaul’s Drag Race format, ultimately landing as the season 1 runner-up and Miss Congeniality. This Puerto Rico-born, Colorado-based queen competed on the first-ever Drag Race All Stars but has mostly focused on a career as a DJ after being on the show.
Nowadays, DJ Nina Flowers is regularly booked to perform at clubs from all around the world – doing so in and out of drag. If you can’t catch the queen DJ-ing in your city, you can listen to all of her dance-friendly singles on virtually any music streaming platform, including recent songs such as “The Flash” and “La Del Cuerpo.”
REBECCA GLASSCOCK
Rebecca Glasscock had a pretty hard time on season 1 of Drag Race, and it certainly feels like the man behind the drag decided to close that chapter in his life. Rebecca now goes by her out-of-drag name, which is Javier José Rivera Nieves.
Unfortunately, Javier isn’t actively working as a drag queen any longer. Instead, he is currently working for Delta Airlines. With that said, fans were still able to see Rebecca in action again in 2018, when all the season 1 queens reunited to celebrate ten years of RuPaul’s Drag Race on the season 10 finale.
JADE SOTOMAYOR
Since appearing on season 1 of Drag Race, Jade Sotomayor has been a booked-and-busy queen. All in all, Jade makes club appearances both in and out of drag, humorously nicknaming her out-of-drag persona Trade Sotomayor (get it!?).
When it comes to Jade’s connections in the RuPaul’s Drag Race world, it seems like season 5 contestant Monica Beverly Hillz is one of the queen’s best friends. However, Jade is occasionally spotted hanging out with all sorts of contestants from the show, including recent Instagram pictures with Mercedes Iman Diamond and Ariel Versace.
BEBE ZAHARA BENET
The original RuPaul’s Drag Race winner BeBe Zahara Benet has been seen time and time again on the show, such as during the iconic season 8 photoshoot including all the past winners, as well as during the season 10 celebration of the franchise’s first decade on the air.
Besides those short cameos, BeBe was cast to compete on Drag Race All Stars 3, marking the very first time that a winner came back as a contestant. Ever since that comeback, BeBe Zahara Benet has been busy at work. In 2018, the queen launched a funding campaign for her upcoming documentary Being BeBe. Then, she was one of the featured queens on the TLC makeover series Drag Me Down The Isle that aired in 2019.
SHANNEL
Shannel’s journey on RuPaul’s Drag Race was certainly a difficult one, but the queen did return to compete on All Stars 1 and went all the way to the top. Nowadays, Shannel resides in Las Vegas and is known for hosting very popular drag brunches.
Moreover, the queen is one of the original cast members for RuPaul’s Drag Race Live, and has a Las Vegas residency at the iconic Flamingo Hotel & Casino featuring Drag Race contestants. One thing is for sure: it is going to be a busy 2020 for Shannel!