The fifth season of ''

RuPaul's Drag Race ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' is an American reality competition television series, the first in the Drag Race (franchise), ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by World of Wonder (company), World of Wonder for Logo TV (season 1–8), WOW Presents Plus, ...

'' began airing on January 28, 2013, with a 90-minute premiere episode, and ended on May 6 of the same year. The winner of season five headlined Logo's Drag Race Tour featuring Absolut Vodka, won a one-of-a-kind trip, a lifetime supply of Colorevolution Cosmetics, and a cash prize of $100,000.

Santino Rice Santino Quinto Rice (born August 20, 1974) is an American fashion designer and television personality. He is best known for his appearances on the reality television programs ''Project Runway'', ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' and '' On the Road with Aus ...

and

Michelle Visage Michelle Visage (born Michelle Lynn Shupack, September 20, 1968) is an American television personality, singer, broadcaster, producer, and actress. She gained recognition as a member of the dance-pop group Seduction (group), Seduction, who char ...

returned as judges at the panel. The theme song playing during the runway every episode is "I Bring the Beat", while the song playing during the credits is "The Beginning". Both songs are from RuPaul's album '' Glamazon''. This is the first-ever series in the show's history to feature a double elimination or a double sashay between two contestants, Honey Mahogany and Vivienne Pinay. It is also the first series to feature a queen, Coco Montrese, lip-sync for their life four times and send 3 people home. This is also the first series where RuPaul allowed fans to vote for a winner. The winner of the fifth season of ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' was

Jinkx Monsoon Hera Lilith Hoffer (born September 18, 1987), best known by the stage name Jinkx Monsoon, is an American drag queen, actress, singer and comedienne, originally from the Pacific Northwest, and perhaps best-known for winning the RuPaul's Drag Race ...

, with

Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...

and Roxxxy Andrews being the runners-up, and Ivy Winters being crowned season 5's Miss Congeniality by fans.

Contestants

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

Future ''Drag Race'' appearances

* In 2016 Alaska, Alyssa Edwards, Coco Montrese, Detox, and Roxxxy Andrews competed on ''RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars'' season 2, with Alaska winning the season. * In 2021 Serena ChaCha competed on ''All Stars'' season 6. * In 2022 Jinkx Monsoon competed on ''All Stars'' season 7, the first all winners season of the franchise, with her winning the season. * In 2023 Monica Beverly Hillz competed on ''All Stars'' season 8. * In 2024 Roxxxy Andrews competed on ''All Stars'' season 9; later in 2024 Alyssa Edwards competed on ''

RuPaul's Drag Race Global All Stars ''RuPaul's Drag Race Global All Stars'' is a television series, which premiered on August 16, 2024 and ended on October 25, 2024. On July 15, 2024, the cast was announced, consisting of 12 contestants from various ''Drag Race'' adaptations and ...

'', with her winning the season.

Contestant progress

Lip syncs

Legend:

Guest judges

Listed in chronological order: *

Camille Grammer Camille Meyer ( Donatacci, formerly Grammer, born September 12, 1968) is an American actress, dancer, model, and television personality. She is known for appearing on several seasons of the reality television show, '' The Real Housewives of Beve ...

, television personality *

Mike Ruiz Mike Ruiz is a Canadian photographer, director, television personality, former model, spokesperson, creative director, and actor. Early life Ruiz, who is of French Canadian and Spanish Filipino ancestry, was born in Montreal in 1964, but raised ...

, photographer *

Kristen Johnston Kristen Angela Johnston (born September 20, 1967) is an American actress. Best known for her work on television sitcoms, she twice won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Sally Solomon in ...

, actress *

Juliette Lewis Juliette Lake Lewis (born June 21, 1973) is an American actress, singer and musician. She is known for her portrayals of offbeat characters, often in films with dark plots, themes and settings. Lewis gained prominence in American cinema during t ...

, actress and singer *

Coco Austin Nicole Natalie Marrow ( Austin; born March 17, 1979), NOTE: Archived version specifies: "the couple dated a few months and then was married in January 2002." commonly known as Coco Austin, Coco, Coco Marie Austin, Coco Marie, and Coco-T, is an A ...

, model *

Paulina Porizkova Paulina Porizkova (; born 9 April 1965) is a fashion model and author. Born in Czechoslovakia, she moved to Sweden in 1973 and began modelling in France at the age of 15. In 1984, Porizkova became the first Central European woman to appear on th ...

, model and actress *

Chaz Bono Chaz Salvatore Bono (born Chastity Sun Bono; March 4, 1969) is an American writer, musician and actor. His parents are entertainers Sonny Bono and Cher, and he became widely known in appearances as a child on their television show, ''The Sonn ...

, writer and activist *

Travis Wall Travis Michael Wall (born September 16, 1987) is an American dancer, instructor, and choreographer specializing in contemporary and jazz dance styles. He rose to international attention in 2006 as a competitor on the second season of the Fox ...

, dancer *

Julie Brown Julie Ann Brown (born August 31, 1958) is an American actress, comedian, musician, writer, and director. Early life Brown was born in Van Nuys, California, the daughter of Celia Jane (née McCann) and Leonard Francis Brown. Her father worked ...

, actress-comedian *

Downtown Julie Brown Julie Dorne Brown, better known as Downtown Julie Brown, is a British-born actress, dancer, television personality, SiriusXM DJ and former MTV VJ. Brown is best known as the host of the television music show '' Club MTV'', which ran from 1987 ...

, actress and MTV VJ *

La Toya Jackson La Toya Yvonne Jackson (born May 29, 1956) is an American singer and television personality. The fifth child and middle daughter of the Jackson family, Jackson first gained recognition on the family's variety television series, ''The Jacksons (TV ...

, singer * The Pointer Sisters (Anita and Ruth), girl group *

Leslie Jordan Leslie Allen Jordan (April 29, 1955 – October 24, 2022) was an American actor, comedian, writer, and singer. His television roles include Beverley Leslie on ''Will & Grace'' (2001–2006 and 2017–2020), several characters in the ''American ...

, actor *Jeffrey Moran,

Absolut Vodka Absolut Vodka is a brand of vodka, produced near Åhus, in southern Sweden. Absolut is a part of the French group Pernod Ricard. Pernod Ricard bought Absolut for €5.63 billion in 2008 (equivalent to € in ) from the Swedish state. Absolut ...

marketing/branding executive *

Aubrey O’Day Aubrey Morgan O'Day (born February 11, 1984) is an American singer and reality television personality who has been a member of the girl group Danity Kane. Following discord among Danity Kane and with her mentor at the time, P. Diddy, O'Day was f ...

, singer *

Joan Van Ark Joan Martha Van Ark (born June 16, 1943) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Valene Ewing on the primetime soap opera ''Knots Landing.'' A life member of The Actors Studio, she made her Broadway debut in 1966 in '' Barefo ...

, actress *

María Conchita Alonso María Concepción Alonso Bustillo (born June 29, 1955), better known as María Conchita Alonso, is a Cuban-born Venezuelan-American actress, singer, and beauty pageant titleholder who represented Venezuela at Miss World 1975 and placed in the t ...

, singer/songwriter and actress *

Jamie-Lynn Sigler Jamie-Lynn Sigler (born May 15, 1981) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Meadow Soprano on the HBO series ''The Sopranos'' from 1999 to 2007. Early life Sigler was born in Jericho, New York, on May 15, 1981, the daughter ...

, actress and singer * Clinton Kelly, fashion stylist * George Kotsiopoulos, editor and fashion consultant *

Marg Helgenberger Mary Margaret Helgenberger (born November 16, 1958) is an American actress. She began her career in the early 1980s and first came to attention for playing the role of Siobhan Ryan on the daytime soap opera ''Ryan's Hope'' from 1982 to 1986. Sh ...

, actress *

Bob Mackie Robert Gordon Mackie (born March 24, 1940) is an American fashion designer and costumier, best known for his dressing of numerous entertainment personalities for television, movies, concerts, and live stage shows. He was the costume designer f ...

, fashion designer

Special guests

Guests who appeared in episodes, but did not judge on the main stage: ;Episode 4 *

Nick Lazzarini Nick Lazzarini (born August 4, 1984) is an American dancer. He is best known as the first season winner on the Fox reality show ''So You Think You Can Dance''. He is a trained dancer in jazz, lyrical, hip hop, ballet and modern dance styles. Ea ...

, dancer and winner of ''

So You Think You Can Dance ''So You Think You Can Dance'' is a franchise of reality television shows in which contestants compete in dance. The first series of the franchise, created by '' Idols'' producers Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe, premiered in July 2005 and has ...

'' season 1 ;Episode 5 *Ian Drew, Entertainment Director of

Us Weekly ''Us Weekly'' is an American weekly celebrity and entertainment magazine based in New York City. ''Us Weekly'' was founded in 1977 by The New York Times Company, which sold it in 1980. It was acquired by Wenner Media in 1986, and sold to Ameri ...

;Episode 6 *

Lucian Piane Lucian Piane (born October 4, 1980), also known by the Internet nickname RevoLucian, is an American composer and music producer. He has composed music for several films, television shows, theater productions and singers, and received a RIAA Pla ...

, composer and record producer ;Episode 7 * Deven Green, comedian and musician * Nadya Ginsberg, comedian, actress, and writer *

Bruce Vilanch Bruce Gerald Vilanch (born November 23, 1947) is an American comedy writer, songwriter, and actor. He is a two-time Emmy Award-winner. Vilanch is best known to the public for his four-year stint on ''Hollywood Squares'', as a celebrity participa ...

, writer and actor ;Episode 9 *

Wilmer Valderrama Wilmer Eduardo Valderrama ( ; born January 30, 1980) is an American actor. He is known for his role as Fez in the sitcom '' That '70s Show'' (1998–2006), his current role as Special Agent Nick Torres in '' NCIS'' (2016–present), and Agu ...

, actor ;Episode 11 *Davina Foxx, drag queen expert *Not anymore, Chris ;Episode 12 *

Gloria Allred Gloria Rachel Allred ( Bloom; born July 3, 1941) is an American attorney known for taking high-profile and often controversial cases, particularly those involving feminist causes. She has been inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame. Ea ...

, lawyer * Mathu Andersen, make-up artist and photographer * Candis Cayne, actress and performance artist ;Episode 13 *

Latrice Royale Timothy K. Wilcots (born February 12, 1972), better known by the stage name Latrice Royale, is an American drag performer, recording artist, and reality television personality. She is best known for her appearances on the fourth season of ''RuP ...

, contestant on

season 4 Season 4 may refer to: * "Season 4" (''30 Rock'' episode), an episode of ''30 Rock'' See also * * Season One (disambiguation) * Season 2 (disambiguation) Season 2 may refer to: * ''Season 2'' (Infinite album), 2014 * ''2econd Season'', an album ...

and ''All Stars'' season 1 *

Willam Willam Belli (, born June 30, 1982), mononymously known as Willam, is an American drag queen, actor, singer-songwriter, reality television personality, author, and YouTuber. Willam came to prominence as a contestant on the fourth season of ''Ru ...

, contestant on season 4 *

Sharon Needles Sharon Needles (born November 28, 1981) is the stage name of Aaron Robert Coady, an American drag performer and recording artist. Needles rose to international attention on the RuPaul's Drag Race (season 4), fourth season of the Logo (TV channel) ...

, winner of season 4 ;Episode 14 *

Paula Abdul Paula Julie Abdul (born June 19, 1962) is an American singer, dancer, choreographer, actress, and television personality. She began her career as a cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers at the age of 18 and later became the head choreographe ...

, singer, dancer, and actress (via video message) *

, "Miss Congeniality" of

and contestant on ''All Stars'' season 1

Episodes

Reception

The overnight ratings for the fifth-season premiere of ''Rupaul's Drag Race'' reinforced the show's position as Logo's juggernaut. "Monday night's 9PM season five premiere of ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' worked the ratings runway, averaging a .8 rating in the P18-49 demo. This number represents a 33% increase over Logo's previous top-rated season premiere (fourth-season premiere of ''RuPaul's Drag Race'') and clocks in as the highest-rated season premiere in Logo history. Additionally, the 90-minute premiere tallied 565,000 total viewers tuning in to meet the new cast of 14 drag queen hopefuls who will fight it out to be crowned "America's Next Drag Superstar". The fifth-season premiere night of ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' and companion series ''RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked'' delivered over 1.3 million viewers. Furthermore, ''RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked'' was the most-watched premiere ever averaging 291,000 total viewers and a .5 rating P18-49. On social media platforms for premiere night, ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' and ''Untucked'' showed a 136% increase in social activity versus the fourth-season premiere – this includes tweets, Facebook posts and Get Glue check-ins.

References

External links

* (U.S.)
Official website
(Canada)
Official Facebook page
{{Authority control 2013 American television seasons 5 2013 LGBTQ-related television