Keep your engines running, squirrel friends!
Paramount+ and World of Wonder announced on Tuesday the drag queens competing in Season 9 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars.” Among the eight returning contestants are Latina queens Jorgeous, Roxxxy Andrews and Vanessa Vanjie Mateo.
The cast ruveal comes days after the Season 16 finale of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” Latinidad was on full display in the latest iteration of the reality competition, which had five Latinas vying for the crown. The season also featured pop star Becky G and “Lopez vs. Lopez” series creator and actor Mayan Lopez as guest judges.
For the first time in drag herstory, “All Stars” contestants will be competing for a chance to donate the $200,000 grand prize to the charity of the winner’s choosing, provided by the Palette Fund.
Here’s a quick primer on the Latina queens that will be featured in Season 9 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars,” which premieres May 17 on Paramount+.
Jorgeous
The diminutive Mexican American queen from San Antonio quickly became a Season 14 fan favorite thanks to her style and dancing skills. Though she struggled in the challenges, Jorgeous earned the distinction of being her season’s “lip-sync assassin,” winning four out of five stay-or-sashay-away face-offs. Her standout performance remains her lip sync to Ava Max’s “My Head & My Heart.” She will be competing on behalf of the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI), a grassroots organization that focuses on mental health.
Roxxxy Andrews
This Puerto Rican-Cuban queen from Orlando, Fla., brings plenty of experience to the competition. She was the Season 5 “RuPaul’s Drag Race” runner-up and finished fourth in the second season of “All Stars.” Will the third time finally be the charm? Andrews will be competing for Miracle of Love, an organization that provides HIV/AIDS prevention programming and assistance in central Florida.
Vanessa Vanjie Mateo
“Miss Vanjie. Miss Vaanjie. Miss … Vaaanjie!”
The Puerto Rican queen didn’t last long during her Season 10 “Drag Race” stint: She was the first person eliminated. Despite her brief appearance, Miss Vanjie quickly became an internet sensation and was brought back for Season 11 to redeem herself. In Season 9 of “All Stars,” she will be competing on behalf of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, a 150-year-old organization that fights against animal cruelty and homelessness.
