Who went home in RuPaul's Drag Race Season 17 premiere? Details explored

RuPaul's Drag Race season 17 premiered on Friday, January 4, 2025, and saw a batch of 14 new drag queens competing for the title of "America's Next Drag Superstar." The show is hosted by RuPaul Charles and follows drag queens as they compete for cash and lifetime supplies of cosmetics, apart from the coveted title.

In the split premiere format, no queen was eliminated during the first episode of RuPaul's Drag Race season 1. Instead, the queens performed in a talent show and strutted down a mask-themed runway, setting the stage for the upcoming lip-sync showdown.

According to The Collider, the episode also saw special appearances from RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars winners as well as some fan favorites. These included Angeria Paris VanMichaels, Kylie Sonique Love, Trinity the Tuck, Jaymes Mansfield, Kerri Colby, Morgan McMichaels, and Mayhem Miller.

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Premiere episode and elimination overview on RuPaul's Drag Race Season 17

Following RuPaul's Drag Race season 17's new format, no queen was eliminated during the first episode. After the talent show and the runway challenge, the queens were ranked by the group that wasn’t competing in this episode.

The two queens at the bottom of the rankings, one from Episode 1 and one from Episode 2, will face off in a lip-sync battle in the upcoming episode. This keeps the suspense high as viewers eagerly await the first elimination of the season.

The queens competed in a Squid Games-inspired mini-challenge, called “Squirrel Games." In the challenge, the only queens who avoided being pied by Lil' Poundcake were the 14 new queens of Season 17. Then, the queens were split into two groups, each group competing in one of the premiere episodes.

The first group, which competed in Episode 1, included Joella, Acacia Forgot, Jewels Sparkles, Lucky Starzzz, Suzie Toot, Arrietty, and Lydia B. Collins. The second group, with the seven remaining queens, will compete in Episode 2 of RuPaul's Drag Race.

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Episode overview and the rate-a-queen twist

In RuPaul's Drag Race episode 1, the queens participated in a talent show where they showcased their unique skills. Suzie Toot emerged as the winner with a tap-dancing performance, surprising viewers and her fellow queens.

The queens who performed in this episode were rated by the queens in Episode 2. The lowest-ranked queen from each episode will face off in the next lip-sync for the chance to stay in the competition.

This season also has the Rate-A-Queen twist, where queens rate one another’s performances, a concept first introduced in Season 16. However, in Season 17, the groups rate each other, adding a new layer of strategy and drama to the competition. The queens rated each other based on their performances, with the rankings playing a crucial role in determining the bottom queens.

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The remaining contestants

After Episode 1, all 14 queens are still in the race on RuPaul's Drag Race. The contestants in Season 17 include Acacia Forgot, Arrietty, Crystal Envy, Hormona Lisa, Jewels Sparkles, Joella, Kori King, Lana Ja'Rae, Lexi Love, Lucky Starzzz, Lydia B. Collins, Onya Nurve, Sam Star, and Suzie Toot.

With the first round of competition now behind them, these queens are poised for the challenges ahead as they vie for the crown.

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As of now, all queens are still in the competition, and fans will have to wait until next week’s episode to see which queen will be the first to sashay away.

New episodes of RuPaul's Drag Race Season 17 will be released every Friday at 8 pm EST. The season is set to release 16 new episodes, each airing on Fridays.