The world of RuPaul's Drag Race is dramatic, fabulous, and sometimes just downright brutal.
The hit reality talent show fronted by drag icon and supermodel of the world RuPaul and best pal Michelle Visage has only grown in popularity over the last few years, gaining mainstream success and spawning multiple spin-off shows from its All Stars series to the recent UK run on BBC Three.
The format is often the same - a selection of skilled drag queens battle it out through various challenges and runway themes to win prizes and eventually the title of being the "next drag superstar".
Throughout each run there are laughs, tears, tantrums, and some killer looks and lip syncs.
Yet, with so many large personalities going up against each other - including on the judging panel - there's bound to be fireworks.
Naturally, the show has faced a large number of scandals throughout its long life, so here's a selection of some of the biggest in RuPaul's Drag Race herstory.
Sherry Pie
The most recent controversy in Drag Race is still continuing as a contestant on the current 12th run of the US show has been disqualified due to accusations of catfishing.
Sherry Pie, whose real name is Joey Gugliemelli, has been accused of impersonating a casting director to solicit explicit audition tapes from five men.
He took to Facebook to apologise for his actions, writing: "I know that the pain and hurt that I have caused will never go away and I know that what I did was wrong and truly cruel."
Despite appearing in much of the season, Sherry Pie won't appear in the yet to be filmed finale.
However, some have called for further efforts to edit out Sherry Pie from the rest of the pre-recorded season.
Yet, the show would then face accusations of obscuring history.
Banning a 'period dress'
Season 3 queen Manila Luzon competed in All Stars 4 and turned out some serious looks.
However, one choice of dress that was picked did not go down well with producers.
Taking to Instagram, Manila revealed that he wanted to wear a dress inspired by menstruation.
He wrote on Instagram: "Ru said my ORIGINAL Curves & Swerves Runway look was in “bad taste” and production told me to wear my back up.
"I was really looking forward to wearing this gown that I think celebrates a perfectly normal human experience! Many of my fans are young women who may feel pressured by society to be embarrassed by periods.
"It’s empowering to teach young women about their bodies, encourage them to celebrate them AND to question people who tell them not to!"
While Manila thanks RuPaul for giving him a platform, it saw RuPaul come in for some criticism for adding to the stigma around a natural bodily process for women.
Willam kicked off the show
Television star Willam had a career before Drag Race and has made film appearances since (including A Star Is Born), but his exit from the show in season 4 was a big scandal.
Willam was disqualified from the show due to breaking some unspecified rules, but we later found out the truth.
He later confessed in a reunion show that it was due to his receiving conjugal visits from his husband - which went against the rules.
Willam joked: "Visiting makes it sound like we were visiting — there wasn’t no talking. But they were very long visits — he’s 6’6″."
He has since gone on record on Twitter to criticise working conditions on the show.
Fix accusations
The show has also come under fire for accusations of editing for a specific narrative, ultimately being suggested to be rigged.
In a lengthy interview with Vulture, season 4 and All Stars 2 contestant Phi Phi O'Hara slammed the show and RuPaul for how heavily edited and manipulated the portrayals of the queens are.
Phi Phi said: "It’s like watching a completely different show. Because it’s nothing like what happened on set.
So it’s been an honest letdown because never once have I ever said I never said what I said. Wow that’s long.
"I've always said what I said, but people truly don’t understand how context comes into play, and they’ll cut off something and add it to another thing and then make this whole different story.
"It’s really upsetting because I put so much faith in this show [that] it was going to keep it’s word on this redemption for Phi Phi, and they’ve just made me look like another backstabbing manipulative monster."
Additionally, there have been multiple accusations of 'rightful' winners being robbed of the crowns, with All Stars 3 winner Trixie Mattel being accused of taking Shangela's crown and conspiracy theories saying that Raja, Sharon Needles, and Jinkx Monsoon were destined to win their respective seasons.
Pearl's claims about RuPaul's behaviour
Season 7 fashion queen Pearl was a slow-to-start front-runner, with early episodes suggesting he wouldn't last long before eventually becoming a finalist.
Pearl's most memorable moment saw him in a stand-off with RuPaul himself, with Pearl eventually asking "Is there something on my face?" when Ru stared him down.
However, Pearl later gave an enlightening interview with Hey Queen, which saw him make some startling accusations about RuPaul's behaviour which he said broke his spirit.
Pearl said: "I turned to RuPaul and said, 'Oh my god, thank you so much. It’s such a honour to be here, such a pleasure to meet you, you have no idea.' Just giving her everything I ever wanted to say to her.
"She turned to me and she said: 'Nothing you say matters unless that camera is rolling'."
"In that moment, it was so heartbreaking because I idolised her. I worshipped her. I felt like it was just so disrespectful."
Judge Michelle Visage later defended RuPaul (via Attitude ), however, saying the show wants the "magic" of taping all interactions and wants it all on camera.
Racism claims
The show hasn't been without criticism for its approach to race, with accusations of cultural appropriation and racism.
Season 3 saw future winner Raja wearing a look inspired by traditional Native American dress, while other queens have found success by playing into racial stereotypes.
Raja hit back at accusations against him by writing on Facebook: "I need to say something. Those who accuse me of "cultural appropriation" are those who have never left their front lawns, mostly in their small American towns."
The issue came to a head in season 10 when African-American queen The Vixen, who was called out for multiple fallouts on the show with other queens on the reunion episode.
"Everybody’s telling me how I should react but nobody’s telling her how to act," said The Vixen about the feud with Eureka before walking off set.
After pushed for why he allowed it to happen by Asia O'Hara, RuPaul said "Look at me, damn it, I come from the same place she does."
After the whole affair happened, The Vixen came in for some racial abuse, but told Them: "Race topics always make people uncomfortable, even if someone believes they are a good person sometimes when they’re actually faced with issues they’re more likely to push back."
Toxic fandoms
Another issue that has linked to many of the controversies surrounding the show is the relationship between the fans and the queens.
The most notable example occurred during the ninth run when fan-favourite Valentina was eliminated from the show after refusing to remove her mask from her costume for a lip sync and also clashing with other co-stars in the series, resulting in members from her vocal fan base from dealing abuse out online.
"You never called them, I Facetimed you in tears," said Alexis Michelle to Valentina in the reunion episode, "because people telling me I should go kill myself because I'm so ugly and so fat and I should have volunteered to eliminate myself over your elimination."
Valentina claimed she was too unaware of social media in general to have asked her e fans to stop the bullying, but the other queens proceeded to vocally protest her win of the Miss Congeniality award by instead dubbing her "fan-favourite".
RuPaul's comments about transgender queens
One of the most notable controversies occurred when RuPaul himself made some comments about transgender drag queens.
Some transgender queens who have appeared on the show that included season 9 finalist Peppermint.
In an interview with The Guardian in 2018, RuPaul said: "You can identify as a woman and say you’re transitioning, but it changes once you start changing your body.
"It takes on a different thing; it changes the whole concept of what we’re doing. We've had some girls who’ve had some injections in the face and maybe a little bit in the butt here and there, but they haven’t transitioned."
When there was a backlash due to the remarks, RuPaul initially appeared to double down on his comments, tweeting: "You can take performance enhancing drugs and still be an athlete just not in the Olympics."
Eventually, RuPaul showed contrition, tweeting: "Each morning I pray to set aside everything I THINK I know, so I may have an open mind and a new experience.
"I understand and regret the hurt I have caused. The trans community are heroes of our shared LGBTQ movement. You are my teachers."
RuPaul's Drag Race is available now on Netflix in the UK. The UK run is available on BBC iPlayer.
What do you think is the biggest upset in RuPaul's Drag Race history? Let us know in the comments below .
