RuPaul’s Drag Race season 17 episode 14 recap: Tracee Ellis Ross turns head as guest judge while queens fight for a Vegas spotlight

Episode 14 of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 17, titled How’s Your Headliner?, aired April 4, 2025. The competition intensified as the five remaining queens aimed to secure a spot in RuPaul's Drag Race Live at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas.

Tracee Ellis Ross joined as a special guest judge, while the queens worked to shine in a series of challenges. The episode focused on the queens' ability to stand out in a Vegas-style performance, with Suzie Toot ultimately being eliminated.

---

Episode 4 overview of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 17

The challenge: Auditions for a Vegas spotlight

The queens were tasked with auditioning for a role in RuPaul’s Drag Race Live. The challenge consisted of three components: creating publicity photos, performing to the song Gift Shop, and participating in an interview with former contestant Latrice Royale. RuPaul warned that one queen would be eliminated by the end of the episode.

Each contestant prepared for the challenge differently. Sam Star aimed for a "shady, country, fabulous diva" persona with Southern charm and humor, while Onya Nurve planned a one-woman show inspired by iconic actresses like Whoopi Goldberg and Viola Davis. Suzie Toot’s theme was a sailor top-dancing routine, and Lexi Love chose to embrace her emotional side.

---

Photoshoot and interview challenges

On RuPaul’s Drag Race, the photoshoot with celebrity photographer, Albert Sanchez, took place in Las Vegas-style setups. Some queens struggled with posing, such as Lexi Love, who had difficulty following instructions. Latrice Royale made a humorous remark during the photoshoot session:

“Can we get those nuts away from my face? ’Cause I’m hungry."

In the interviews with Latrice, the queens were assessed for their “headlining potential.” Sam Star impressed Latrice with an impromptu performance of Jesus is a Biscuit, which earned praise. Onya was seen as “in her head too much,” and Lexi admitted to struggles with her emotional side.

Jewels Sparkles shared a story about getting revenge on a fellow contestant during a previous challenge on RuPaul’s Drag Race.

---

Runway presentation and judges’ critiques

The runway category was “Opulent Outerwear,” where the queens presented extravagant outfits. Jewels Sparkles wore a white feathered outfit, Lexi Love wore a purple puffer coat, and Onya presented a multi-patterned coat with large earrings. Sam Star wore an orange velvet cape, while Suzie Toot wore a 1920s-inspired red cocoon coat.

The judges critiqued the queens' performances, noting that Jewels lacked vulnerability in her promo video. Sam’s outfit was noted for making her appear older, and Tracee Ellis Ross said that she felt "disconnected" by Sam's promotional video. Suzie's sailor routine received a comment from Ross:

“It wasn’t Vegas. It wasn’t even Reno.”

---

The elimination

After deliberation, Jewels Sparkles was crowned the winner of the challenge, earning a cash prize of $5,000 and an invitation to join RuPaul’s Drag Race Live in Las Vegas. Lexi Love and Onya Nurve were deemed safe, leaving Sam Star and Suzie Toot in the bottom two.

The two performed a lip sync to Love Child by Diana Ross & the Supremes. Despite an emotional performance, RuPaul decided to save Sam Star and eliminate Suzie Toot, who placed fifth.

The RuPaul’s Drag Race episode ended with the remaining queens preparing for the final phase of the competition, where the stakes continued to rise.

---

Tune in to new episodes of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 17 every Friday at 8 PM ET on MTV.