RuPaul’s Drag Race: Every Double Elimination Explained

RuPaul’s Drag Race fans watched two queens sashay away this week, but this isn’t the first time RuPaul has sent two queens home in the same episode.

This past week on RuPaul’s Drag Race, fans watched as DeJa Skye and Jorgeous were both sent home, but this isn’t the first time in history that two Drag Race queens were eliminated in one episode. Though rare, over the seasons, RuPaul has pulled off a double elimination after lackluster lip syncs. Reminding the queens that no one is ever truly safe in the competition.

A “lip sync for your life” is the ultimate opportunity for a queen who’s struggling to prove that she belongs in the competition. Contestants pull out whatever stops, tricks, and reveals they have in the hopes of hearing RuPaul tell them, “shantay, you stay.” In some cases, a lip sync can demonstrate the opposite, by showing that a queen doesn’t have the competitive fire that it takes. Then, they must “sashay away.” Now, it’s time to take a look at the infamous double eliminations.

Related: RuPaul’s Drag Race: Why Season 14 Has Fans Divided

The first-ever double elimination occurred during season 5. On the fourth episode, the Drag Race queens competed for the crown by performing in a ballet based on RuPaul’s life. Vivienne and Honey found themselves in the bottom after their low-energy performances. Their lip sync song was the iconic, “Oops! I did it Again” but they gave nothing, and RuPaul (to everyone’s shock) decided to send them both home. He cited that they didn’t “show the fire” it takes to stay. This first double “sashay away” set the precendent that this could happen again, and it did.

Three seasons later, RuPaul pulled out the double elimination for the second time. On the second episode of the eighth season, Laila McQueen and Dax ExclamationPoint wound up in the bottom after they failed to stand out during the “Bitch Perfect” challenge. This Drag Race lip sync battle ranked low in drag race herstory. Like the first double elimination in season 5, the lip sync song was another iconic bop, “I Will Survive.” Unfortunately, neither of them survived.

The double eliminations have even made an appearance across the pond. On Drag Race UK season 3, Choriza May and River Medway ended up at the bottom. They both gave their all during their lip sync to “Shout” by Lulu, but from the beginning, the queens struggled. Choriza’s wig was all over the place and River also had wardrobe issues, and trouble committing to the popular song. This, as well as their very unfunny character performances in the Snatch Game, prompted Ru to send both of the queens home.

This latest double elimination in RuPaul’s Drag Race season 14 was a first in drag race herstory. This was the first bottom three lip sync for your life, where only one of the queens would survive. In the past, double eliminations have been surprises, but in this instance, the queens were aware that two of them would sashay away. Daya Betty, Deja Skye, and Jorgeous performed Olivia Rodrigo’s “Good 4 U” after their disappointing jokes during the Ross Matthews roast.

In the end, Daya out-lip synced DeJa and Jorgeous and caused yet another RuPaul’s Drag Race double elimination. Who knows when the next one will be? With Ru constantly updating the format to keep viewers and the queens on their toes, it could happen sooner rather than later.

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