Drag Race All Stars 8 just crowned two winners, and fans are elated: ‘Devoured all season long’
Jimbo and Kandy Muse went head to head for the All Stars 8 crown. (YouTube/RuPaul’sDragRace)
After weeks of twists, turns, big drama and even bigger boobs, RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 8 has crowned two winners. Fans are thrilled – for more reasons than one.
Warning: major spoilers ahead for the grand finale of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 8.
All Stars 8 was a unique entry into the Drag Race history books. A mix of finalists, queens who were eliminated in the first weeks of their original seasons, and an international, Canadian clown made for the most random All Stars cast ever seen.
The season has seen some absolute highs: the runway looks, particularly from Jimbo and Kahanna Montrese, were killer.
We finally got to see more of the kooky Jessica Wild, a staggering 13 years after her time on season two, while LaLa Ri and Kandy Muse gave us some fiery lip-syncs to remember.
It’s a pretty unanimous feeling though that All Stars 8 had more than its share of low moments. Heidi N Closet, who practically had a golden ticket for the final, left the show after struggling mentally.
Fan favourites Mrs Kasha Davis and Darienne Lake were kicked out wildly early. The acting challenges in particular left a lot to be desired.
So here we are, 12 weeks later, at the final. The top two – Canada’s Drag Race and UK vs The World comic Jimbo and season 13’s divisive diva Kandy Muse – first had to battle it out by each giving a show-stopping performance to an original song, with a little help from the eliminated queens.
Jimbo’s was a typically bonkers, out-of-the-box number called “I Remember Being Born”, which she slayed while dressed in a variation of the outfit she wore while entering the werkroom on the very first episode of Canada’s Drag Race.
Kandy then delivered in the only way she knows how – with attitude – to her number, “Pay Me With Money”. She served pure pop star energy, and if the overall winner was chosen on this performance alone, Kandy would’ve been in with a big chance.
Then, all 12 queens (minus Heidi N Closet, boo) returned to the main stage to stomp the runway one last time, under the category “Finale Fabulousity”.
Once again, Kahanna Montrese stole the show, donning a sunflower robe and matching crown, concealing a dazzling sheer gown adorned from head to toe with rhinestones.
Naysha Lopez, in a baby pink pageant dress and sky-blue structured coat, was a close second, while Jaymes Mansfield, in a gorgeous, satsuma vegas showgirl fantasy, was an unexpected third place.
Then, the real fun began, with RuPaul revealing the winner of the prestigious ‘Fame Games’ – this season’s new twist.
At the beginning of the season, Mama Ru announced that each week, the eliminated queens would have the opportunity to showcase their unused runway looks, with fans then voting for the queen who brought their very best.
Controversially, LaLa Ri managed to triple her ‘Fame Game’ votes last week after winning the episode’s variety show extravaganza. Thanks to this questionable change in the rules, it was perhaps no surprise when Ru announced that yes, LaLa Ri had been voted “Queen of the Fame Games” and bagged herself a $60,000 prize. The fandom, it seems, are divided.
Then came the moment that fans had been waiting a very, very long time for – to finally crown an All Stars 8 champion.
First, the final two had to lip-sync to Sylvester’s “Do You Wanna Funk?” with Kandy Muse giving us an outfit reveal, some fiery choreography, and the season’s best bangs. In classic style, Jimbo served Z-cup boobs with matching, massive buttocks, plus a gag-worthy confetti cannon explosion at the end of the song.
Moments later, Ru announced what many fans had assumed since before the season even began to air – Jimbo, you’re a winner baby. With four wins to her name, fans seem in unanimous agreement that she very much deserved the victory.
Well, that’s it. Another All Stars season is done an dusted. It’s been a long and winding journey, but worry not Drag Race super fans – All Stars 9 is apparently right around the corner.
