"A DREAM COME TRUE" — RuPaul's Drag Race fans react to Onya and Jewels receiving a "double shantay"

RuPaul's Drag Race season 17 released episode 13 on March 28, 2025. It saw the five remaining drag queens—Jewels Sparkles, Lexi Love, Onya Nurve, Sam Star, and Suzie Toot—take on the stage to wow the panelists. However, Jewels and Onya's presentations did not impress, leading to a lip sync battle. While Jewels and Onya awaited the verdict, RuPaul surprised them by declaring a "double shantay."

"Tonight, the love vibrations are too strong. Shantay, you both stay," RuPaul said.

Onya and Jewels celebrated the decision, while the panelists Michelle Visage, Law Roach, and special guest June Diane Raphael applauded their reactions.

The episode saw the five queens welcome a parent into the Werk Room to turn them into the newest member of their drag family. Onya welcomed her father, Andre, while Jewels invited her father, Douglas. Although each attempted to put their best foot forward, they failed to outshine their competitors, leading to a lip syn battle, where the duo performed to 1 Thing by Amerie.

While both feared elimination, RuPaul decided not to eliminate either, extending their stay in the competition by another week. RuPaul's Drag Race fans on X expressed their excitement over the decision of retaining both queens. However, there were a few who felt it was unnecessary to save both contestants.

A RuPaul's Drag Race fan commented on the double save (Image via X/@willfulchaos)

"Onya and Jewels double shantay…… THIS IS A DREAM COME TRUE," a fan wrote.

"The way that Onya and Jewels embraced each other, after the double shantay??? Oh, my heart," another fan commented.

"Jewels ate her UP. Glad it’s a double shantay because I would not have handled any of these two going home," a netizen tweeted.

Many RuPaul's Drag Race fans applauded RuPaul's decision, saying both deserved to stay.

"The double shantay was so needed like Onya nurve hive were still here," a user reacted.

"If there was any episode for a double shantay it was this one," a person commented.

"OH THANK GOD WE GOT A DOUBLE SHANTAY CUZ JEWELS ATE MY GIRL UP NGL," another fan wrote.

"Jewels and Onya double shantay, no one going home on a family challenge LIFE IS SUDDENLY WORTH LIVING," one user posted.

However, some RuPaul's Drag Race fans disapproved of the decision.

"Ru literally gives random double shantays like a piece of candy but she didnt give it to marcia and anetra when they deserved it the most," a person reacted.

"Wrong winner … didn’t need to be a double shantay … this episode was a chop," another netizen commented.

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RuPaul's Drag Race star Onya Nurve's father shaves his beard for the maxi challenge

During the Spill the T mini challenge in the latest RuPaul's Drag Race episode, the contestants shared that they believed Jewels Sparkles was most at risk of getting eliminated. Meanwhile, Onya and Jewels said that they wanted to see each other exit the competition. However, by the end of the challenge, Onya had the most correct answers and was crowned the winner.

For the maxi challenge, titled Drag Family Resemblance, the RuPaul's Drag Race cast members had to become drag mothers to their own parents, giving them a makeover and turning them into members of the drag family. Jewels' father, who had previously gotten a drag makeover done by Jewels, wanted long nails and a reveal on stage so he could execute their "60s snow bunny" plan.

When Onya's father was asked if he would shave his beard for the challenge, he answered in the affirmative, saying he was prepared to feel "fabulous" for the first time.

While Jewels dressed her father as Salchincha Sparkles, wearing a lavender and baby fur coat, Onya dressed hers as Nunya Bidness, and made him wear a corset dress. Although the RuPaul's Drag Race panelists applauded Salchincha as the performer of the night, they felt the outfit was "a little pedestrian." Similarly, Onya and Nunya's runway looks were criticized.

As the two entered the lip sync battle round, Jewels confessed that she needed to give her best because of Onya's track record with the most wins in the series. However, neither was eliminated since RuPaul saved both with a double "shantay."

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RuPaul's Drag Race season 17 drops new episodes every Friday at 8 pm ET exclusively on MTV.