RuPaul's Drag Race season 8

Last updated

RuPaul's Drag Race
Season 8
RuPauls-Drag-Race-S8.jpeg
Promotional poster for season eight
Hosted by RuPaul
Judges
No. of contestants12
Winner Bob the Drag Queen
Runners-up
Miss Congeniality Cynthia Lee Fontaine
Companion show RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked!
No. of episodes10
Release
Original network Logo TV
Original releaseMarch 7 (2016-03-07) –
May 16, 2016 (2016-05-16)
Season chronology
← Previous
Season 7
Next →
Season 9
List of episodes

The eighth season of RuPaul's Drag Race began airing on March 7, 2016. Returning judges include RuPaul and Michelle Visage, along with Ross Mathews and Carson Kressley, who shared judging responsibilities on an alternating basis. Twelve drag queens competed for the title of "America's Next Drag Superstar". The prizes for the winner are a one-year supply of Anastasia Beverly Hills cosmetics and a cash prize of $100,000. The full list of contestants was revealed during the NewNowNext Awards on February 1, 2016. [1] The song "U Wear It Well" from RuPaul's album Butch Queen was featured in promotion for the show. On March 31, 2016, it was announced LogoTV renewed the show for a ninth season. [2] It was the last season to solely be played on Logo, as the show moved to VH1 for its ninth season. [3]

Contents

The theme song played during the runway segment every episode was "The Realness", and the song played during the closing credits was "Die Tomorrow", both songs from the album Realness .

The winner of the eighth season of RuPaul's Drag Race was Bob the Drag Queen, with Kim Chi and Naomi Smalls being the runners-up, and Cynthia Lee Fontaine being crowned season 8's Miss Congeniality.

On August 20, 2020, Chi Chi DeVayne died after battling scleroderma and pneumonia. [4]

Contestants

The winner, Bob the Drag Queen. Bob The Drag Queen at Rupaul's Dragcon 2017 by dvsross.jpg
The winner, Bob the Drag Queen.

Ages, names, and cities stated are at time of filming.

Contestants of RuPaul's Drag Race season 8 and their backgrounds
ContestantAgeHometownOutcome
Bob the Drag Queen 29 New York City, New YorkWinner
Kim Chi 27 Chicago, IllinoisRunners-up
Naomi Smalls 21 Redlands, California
Chi Chi DeVayne [lower-alpha 1] 29 Shreveport, Louisiana 4th place
Derrick Barry 32 Las Vegas, Nevada5th place
Thorgy Thor 31New York City, New York6th place
Robbie Turner 33 Seattle, Washington7th place
Acid Betty 37New York City, New York8th place
Naysha Lopez 31Chicago, Illinois9th place [lower-alpha 2]
Cynthia Lee Fontaine 34 Austin, Texas 10th place [lower-alpha 3]
Dax ExclamationPoint 31 Savannah, Georgia 11th place
Laila McQueen 22 Gloucester, Massachusetts

Notes:

  1. ↑ Chi Chi Kat DeVayne is referred to as Chi Chi DeVayne on the show.
  2. ↑ Naysha Lopez originally placed twelfth before re-entering the competition.
  3. ↑ Cynthia Lee Fontaine was voted Miss Congeniality by the viewers.

Contestant progress

Legend:

  Bob the Drag Queen won RuPaul's Drag Race season 8.
  Kim Chi and Naomi Smalls were the runners-up.
  Cynthia Lee Fontaine was voted Miss Congeniality (Miss C) by the viewers.
  WIN indicates that the contestant won the challenge.
  SAFE indicates that the contestant was declared safe by the judges.
  BTM (Bottom) indicates that the contestant was up for elimination.
  ELIM (Eliminated) indicates that the contestant was eliminated.
  Guest indicates that the contestant returned as a guest.
Progress of contestants including placements in each episode
ContestantEpisode
1 [5] 2 [6] 3 [7] 4 [8] 5 [9] 6 [10] 7 [11] 8 [12] 9 [13] 10 [14]
Bob the Drag QueenSAFESAFEWINSAFEWINSAFEWINBTMSAFEWinner
Kim ChiWINSAFESAFESAFESAFESAFESAFEWINSAFERunner-up
Naomi SmallsSAFESAFESAFESAFEBTMWINSAFESAFESAFERunner-up
Chi Chi DeVayneSAFEWINSAFEBTMSAFESAFEBTMSAFEELIMGuest
Derrick BarrySAFESAFESAFESAFESAFEBTMWINELIMGuest
Thorgy ThorSAFESAFESAFESAFESAFESAFEELIMGuest
Robbie TurnerSAFESAFEBTMWINSAFEELIMGuest
Acid BettySAFESAFESAFESAFEELIMGuest
Naysha LopezELIMSAFEELIMGuest
Cynthia Lee FontaineSAFESAFEELIMMiss C
Dax ExclamationPointSAFEELIMGuest
Laila McQueenBTMELIMGuest

Lip syncs

Legend:

  The contestant was eliminated after their first time in the bottom.
  The contestant was eliminated after their second time in the bottom.
  The contestant was eliminated after the lip sync to qualify for the finale.
EpisodeContestantsSongEliminated
1 [5] Laila McQueenvs.Naysha Lopez"Applause"
(Lady Gaga)		Naysha Lopez
2 [6] Dax ExclamationPointvs.Laila McQueen"I Will Survive"
(Gloria Gaynor)		Dax ExclamationPoint
Laila McQueen
3 [7] Cynthia Lee Fontainevs.Robbie Turner"Mesmerized (Freemasons Radio Edit)"
(Faith Evans)		Cynthia Lee Fontaine
4 [8] Chi Chi DeVaynevs.Naysha Lopez"Call Me"
(Blondie)		Naysha Lopez
5 [9] Acid Bettyvs.Naomi Smalls"Causing a Commotion"
(Madonna)		Acid Betty
6 [10] Derrick Barryvs.Robbie Turner"I Love It"
(Icona Pop ft. Charli XCX)		Robbie Turner
7 [11] Chi Chi DeVaynevs.Thorgy Thor"And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going"
(Jennifer Holliday)		Thorgy Thor
8 [12] Bob the Drag Queenvs.Derrick Barry"You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)"
(Sylvester)		Derrick Barry
9 [13] Bob the Drag Queen vs. Chi Chi DeVayne vs. Kim Chi vs. Naomi Smalls"The Realness"
(RuPaul)		Chi Chi DeVayne

Guest judges

Listed in chronological order: [15]

Special guests

Guests who appeared in episodes, but did not judge on the main stage.

Episode 1:

Episode 2:

Episode 4:

Episode 5:

Episode 6:

Episode 7:

Episode 9:

Episode 10:

Episodes

Avery, Dan (January 31, 2016). "The Cast Of RuPaul's Drag Race Season 8 Will Be Announced At New Now Next Honors". New Now Next. United States: Viacom International Inc. Archived from the original on January 16, 2016. Retrieved January 31, 2016.
  • ↑ "RuPaul's Drag Race Renewed for Season 9 and CastWorld of Wonder". April 12, 2016. Archived from the original on April 3, 2016. Retrieved March 31, 2016.
  • ↑ "Fridays Just Got Fiercer: "RuPaul's Drag Race Season 9" Premieres On VH1 March 24th". World of Wonder (production company). March 1, 2017. Archived from the original on February 17, 2019. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
  • ↑ "'Drag Race's Chi Chi DeVayne Has Reportedly Died". OUT.com. Out Magazine. August 20, 2020. Archived from the original on January 13, 2021. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  • 1 2 "Keeping It 100!". RuPaul's Drag Race. Season 8. Episode 1. March 7, 2016. Logo TV.
  • 1 2 "Bitch Perfect". RuPaul's Drag Race. Season 8. Episode 2. March 14, 2016. Logo TV.
  • 1 2 "RuCo's Empire". RuPaul's Drag Race. Season 8. Episode 3. March 21, 2016. Logo TV.
  • 1 2 "New Wave Queens". RuPaul's Drag Race. Season 8. Episode 4. March 28, 2016. Logo TV.
  • 1 2 "Supermodel Snatch Game". RuPaul's Drag Race. Season 8. Episode 5. April 4, 2016. Logo TV.
  • 1 2 "Wizards of Drag". RuPaul's Drag Race. Season 8. Episode 6. April 11, 2016. Logo TV.
  • 1 2 "Shady Politics". RuPaul's Drag Race. Season 8. Episode 7. April 18, 2016. Logo TV.
  • 1 2 "RuPaul Book Ball". RuPaul's Drag Race. Season 8. Episode 8. April 25, 2016. Logo TV.
  • 1 2 "The Realness". RuPaul's Drag Race. Season 8. Episode 9. May 2, 2016. Logo TV.
  • ↑ "Grand Finale". RuPaul's Drag Race. Season 8. Episode 10. May 16, 2016. Logo TV.
  • ↑ "Amy Sedaris, Marc Jacobs, Debbie Harry Tapped As Judges For "RuPaul's Drag Race" Season 8". Archived from the original on February 21, 2016. Retrieved February 18, 2016.
  • ↑ "RuPaul Crowns First Ever UK Drag Ambassador: The Vivienne". www.out.com. May 29, 2015. Archived from the original on May 8, 2022. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
  • ↑ "THE 50 MOST INFLUENTIAL REALITY TV SEASONS OF ALL TIME". Time. August 4, 2022. Archived from the original on August 6, 2022. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
    • No.
    overall    		No. in
    season    		TitleOriginal air date
    941"Keeping It 100!"March 7, 2016 (2016-03-07)

    Twelve new queens enter the workroom. For the first mini-challenge, the queens do a photoshoot with past winners. Robbie Turner wins the mini-challenge. For the main challenge, the queens create an outfit based on a design challenge from a past season.

    • Acid Betty: Make Dat Money from Season 3 Episode 13
    • Bob the Drag Queen: Gone with the Window from Season 2 Episode 1
    • Chi Chi DeVayne: The Glitter Ball from Season 6 Episode 11
    • Cynthia Lee Fontaine: The Sugar Ball from Season 5 Episode 11
    • Dax ExclamationPoint: The Hello Kitty Ball from Season 7 Episode 11
    • Derrick Barry: The Queen Who Mopped Xmas from Season 3 Episode 2
    • Kim Chi: The Hair Ball from Season 3 Episode 11
    • Laila McQueen: RuPocalypse Now! from Season 4 Episode 1
    • Naomi Smalls: Float Your Boat from Season 4 Episode 6
    • Naysha Lopez: Drag on a Dime from Season 1 Episode 1
    • Robbie Turner: The Bitch Ball from Season 4 Episode 11
    • Thorgy Thor: Face, Face, Face of Cakes from Season 3 Episode 7

    On the runway, Acid Betty, Derrick Barry and Kim Chi receive positive critiques, with Kim Chi winning the challenge. Laila McQueen, Naomi Smalls, Naysha Lopez and Robbie Turner receive negative critiques, with Naomi Smalls and Robbie Turner being safe. Laila McQueen and Naysha Lopez lip-sync to "Applause" by Lady Gaga. Laila McQueen wins the lip-sync and Naysha Lopez is the first queen to sashay away.

    • Guest Judge: Nicole Richie
    • Alternating Judge(s): Carson Kressley and Ross Mathews
    • Mini-Challenge: Photoshoot with past winners
    • Mini-Challenge Winner: Robbie Turner
    • Main Challenge: Create an outfit based on a design challenge from a past season
    • Challenge Winner: Kim Chi
    • Challenge Prize: A $3,000 cash tip from selfieonastick.com
    • Bottom Two: Laila McQueen and Naysha Lopez
    • Lip-Sync Song: "Applause" by Lady Gaga
    • Eliminated: Naysha Lopez
    • Farewell Message: "Dear Ladies + Monsters. It was a pleasure meeting you all! Play the cards you are dealt + Turn DA PARTY! P.S. I ❤️ U Layla[ sic ] xoxo! The Beauty! Naysha Lopez ❤️"
    952"Bitch Perfect"March 14, 2016 (2016-03-14)

    For this week's mini-challenge, the queens have a Latin dance-off to "Cha Cha Bitch". Chi Chi DeVayne and Cynthia Lee Fontaine win the mini-challenge. For the main challenge, the queens team up and perform in a collegiate a capella sing-off called "Bitch Perfect".

    • Team Lady Bitches: Bob The Drag Queen, Cynthia Lee Fontaine, Derrick Barry, Kim Chi, Laila McQueen and Robbie Turner
    • Team Shady Bitches: Acid Betty, Chi Chi DeVayne, Dax ExclamationPoint, Naomi Smalls and Thorgy Thor

    On the runway, category is Movie Premiere Realness. Acid Betty, Chi Chi DeVayne and Thorgy Thor receive positive critiques, with Chi Chi DeVayne winning the challenge. Dax ExclamationPoint, Kim Chi and Laila McQueen receive negative critiques, with Kim Chi being safe. Dax ExclamationPoint and Laila McQueen lip-sync to "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor. After the lip-sync, RuPaul decides to eliminate both Dax ExclamationPoint and Laila McQueen from the competition. At the end of the episode, RuPaul calls a queen to join the competition.

    • Guest Judges: Ester Dean, Lucian Piane, and Jamal Sims
    • Mini-Challenge: Latin dance-off to "Cha Cha Bitch"
    • Mini-Challenge Winners: Chi Chi DeVayne and Cynthia Lee Fontaine
    • Main Challenge: In team's perform in a collegiate a cappella sing-off called "Bitch Perfect"
    • Runway Theme: Movie Premiere Realness
    • Challenge Winner: Chi Chi DeVayne
    • Challenge Prize: A 4 night getaway to a bed and breakfast in New England
    • Bottom Two: Dax ExclamationPoint and Laila McQueen
    • Lip-Sync Song: "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor
    • Eliminated: Dax ExclamationPoint and Laila McQueen
    • Dax ExclamationPoint's Farewell Message: "Ladies, You're all Fantastic! I wish I could be here with you! Set the world on fire + Make Everyone EAT IT -DAX! ☠"
    • Laila McQueen's Farewell Message: "You're All the Biggest Pack of freaks and I am so "Happy" to call you "family". But Actually I ❤️ you All & can't wait for the future with you! xoxo Laila! PS. 1 less Madonna"
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