When RuPaul announced that a jury of the eliminated queens would be choosing who made it into the top two on the finale of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 3, the world was gagged. No longer would the competition come down to track records or performance, but to the queens who sashayed away earlier this season.
In a shocking turn of events, the eliminated queens chose Trixie Mattel and Kennedy Davenport as the top two All Stars, effectively eliminating frontrunner Shangela and BeBe Zahara Benet. Kennedy and Trixie lip synced to Miley Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball,” and Trixie Mattel walked away with the All Stars 3 crown.
Fans were certain that the top would come down to Trixie and Shangela, but the queens voted a different way. In a video posted to the RuPaul’s Drag Race Twitter account, fans got a look behind the curtain of who each of the queens picked for the top two. The rules were laid out simply: the queens’ first pick got two points, their second got one.
In order to better understand how the shocking results came to pass, here is a breakdown of how each queen voted, the reasoning behind their choices, and the final scoreboard.
–BONUS: See which lipsticks the eliminated Queens pulled to determine the Top Two! #AllStars3 pic.twitter.com/T95DijxddL
— RuPaul’s Drag Race (@RuPaulsDragRace) March 16, 2018
Aja
First Choice: Kennedy Davenport; Second Choice: Trixie Mattel
What she said: “I’m picking the queens who will benefit the most, but have also worked their asses off this entire time.”
BenDeLaCreme
First Choice: Kennedy Davenport; Second Choice: Trixie Mattel
What she said: “After seeing what [Kennedy’s] done and hearing her speech, I feel good to have stepped down and cleared the way for her.”
Chi Chi DeVayne
First Choice: Kennedy Davenport; Second Choice: Trixie Mattel
What she said: “My first choice is automatic. My second choice … I’m a little on the fence with that one.”
Milk
First Choice: Trixie Mattel; Second Choice: Kennedy Davenport
What she said: “Having the conversation with the top four, it really just reinforced who I wanted to see continue.”
Morgan McMichaels
First Choice: BeBe Zahara Benet; Second Choice: Kennedy Davenport
What she said: “I’m looking at the lipsticks, and I’m seeing longtime friends and people who have worked their asses off in this business. I’m confident in my decision.”
Thorgy Thor
First Choice: Trixie Mattel; Second Choice: Shangela
What she said: “I’ve completely changed my mind. But I’m thinking if I don’t trust my gut, I’m going to regret it later.”
Final Scoreboard: Kennedy, 8; Trixie, 7; BeBe, 2; Shangela, 1
So at the end of it all, Shangela, who was playing the game strategically and attempting to form alliances, was only voted for by Thorgy, who caused all of the drama with the note she wrote about Shangela, saying “f–k that shady shady b—h.” BeBe was also only voted for once, by Morgan, who apparently voted that way due to BeBe’s work ethic outside of Drag Race.
On the other end, Kennedy received the most votes out of anyone, and it seems most of the queens were affected by her moving speech she gave to the jury. Kennedy herself even pointed out that she knew she was at an advantage, having participated in countless pageants over the years where giving speeches to judges is common.
Trixie was the most consistently voted as the queens’ second choice, with many insinuating that her success in the world outside of Drag Race meant that she didn’t necessarily “need” the title.
At the end of All Stars 3, it’s pretty safe to say — this was our first true season of “RuPaul’s Best Friend Race.”