"I’m known to be opulent" — RuPaul's Drag Race star Joella reflects on her performance in the latest episode

Season 17 of RuPaul's Drag Race continued to captivate fans, with episode 3 airing on January 17, 2025, delivering a mix of competition and dramatic moments. The episode, titled Monopulence!, featured a Monopoly-themed design challenge, testing the queens’ sewing and creative skills.

Reflecting on her performance, Joella tearfully admitted,

“I’m really scared for the girls back home to see this because in L.A. I’m literally known for my looks. I’m known to be opulent,” as she struggled to reconcile her local fame with her journey on the show.

This episode of RuPaul's Drag Race highlighted growing tensions between contestants as they struggled with the design challenge. Lucky Starzzz found herself at the center, dealing with her insecurities and failing to impress on the runway.

Meanwhile, the queens’ interactions in Untucked provided additional context, as Joella’s comments became a topic of discussion among the contestants. The lip-sync to Paula Abdul’s The Way That You Love Me determined the outcome, resulting in Lucky’s elimination and Joella’s continuation in the competition.

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Joella’s approach to the competition of RuPaul's Drag Race

Joella’s participation in this week’s episode of RuPaul's Drag Race focused on interactions with her fellow contestants. Her approach to the challenges and conversations created moments that were highlighted in the episode. In Untucked, Joella shared her belief in her ability to progress in the competition, saying,

“I feel confident in the fact that I’m gonna be here next week.”

This statement, made during a conversation with Lucky Starzzz, became a subject of discussion among the queens, with some questioning her approach to offering support. On the runway, Joella presented a leotard, which she acknowledged was her go-to design due to her limited sewing skills.

Joella candidly reflected on her concerns about her performance. She expressed concern about how her performance might be perceived by those in her local drag community, mentioning that she felt she was not performing as well as she had hoped on the show.

Joella’s runway look and performance received feedback from the judges, who noted areas for improvement. The judges commented on her reliance on a leotard design, noting that it reflected limited sewing skills and lacked the creativity and execution expected in the challenge.

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Lucky Starzzz’s challenges in episode 3

Lucky Starzzz faced difficulties in this week’s design challenge on RuPaul's Drag Race, which required creating outfits inspired by Monopoly. Sewing was not one of her strengths, which she acknowledged during the episode, saying,

“I just couldn’t think straight.”

She expressed concern about her ability to meet the challenge requirements and deliver a cohesive look. On the runway, the judges provided feedback on her outfit, noting areas that could have been improved to align better with the challenge brief. Reflecting on her performance, Lucky stated,

“This isn’t what I wanted to show, but I gave it my best with what I had.”

Her presentation placed her in the bottom two, leading to the lip-sync. During Untucked, Lucky shared her thoughts on the competition, saying,

“I wanted to prove something to myself, but I feel like I let myself down.”

Her remarks reflected the challenges she experienced while balancing personal expectations with the demands of the competition. Joella expressed confidence about her continuation in the competition, stating during a conversation with Lucky that she believed she would still be in the competition the following week.

The episode concluded with a lip-sync to Paula Abdul’s The Way That You Love Me. Lucky’s performance did not meet the judges’ expectations, resulting in her elimination.

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Fans can watch the new episodes of RuPaul's Drag Race every Friday on MTV.