Season 18 of RuPaul’s Drag Race is returning to MTV with 14 Queens ready to show their “Charisma, Uniqueness, Nerve, and Talent” in supersized 90-minute episodes.
What to expect:
The Dragtestants will compete for the title of America’s Next Drag Superstar, an official Anastasia Beverly Hills Cosmetics collaboration, and $200,000 courtesy of the RuPaul’s Drag Race Match Queen game.
In the premiere challenge, titled “Reclaim! Renew! Rejoice!,” the queens must transform leftover treasures from the Drag Race vaults into signature looks. paying homage to the legends who came before them.
And the drama won’t end on the main stage: RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked returns immediately after (at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT) to capture all the BTS drama.
Without further ado, it’s time to meet the Queens with their MTV cast bios!
Athena Dion:
Named after the Greek goddess, Athena Dion has built a dynasty spanning Miami and Mykonos, Greece, counting Morphine Love Dion and Plane Jane among her drag daughters. This season, Athena makes RPDR herstory alongside Juicy Love Dion, marking the first-ever mother/daughter duo to compete together.
Briar Blush:
Boston’s pin-up princess, Briar Blush is a walking contradiction: retro yet edgy, goth yet glamorous, sweet but with a sting. With her signature jet black hair and killer beat, she commands attention wherever she goes. Named after the thorns on a rose, Briar’s sharp wit and prickly personality prove she’s not here to be liked– she’s here to be remembered.
Ciara Myst
Indy’s shapeshifting superstar, Ciara Myst blends sci-fi, horror, fantasy, and magic into her drag. A prosthetic makeup artist with credits ranging from Dynasty to Marvel Studios productions, Ciara Myst crafts her own costumes and promises to bring creature transformations to life on the main stage. A little ooky spooky, a little ethereal, Ciara Myst is ready to haunt, mesmerize, and transform the competition one look at a time.
Darlene Mitchell
A country, camp queen, Darlene Mitchell blends soap opera glamour with Midwestern trailer trash panache. Known for her signature Peg Bundy-style hair, she originally hails from Greentown, Indiana, and once performed under the name Trash. After 10 years in drag– but a 5 year hiatus from the performance circuit– Darlene comes to the competition to see if RuPaul and the main stage can coax her back out of her bedroom once more.
DD Fuego
Fiery and feisty, DD Fuego is a full-on production, serving runway-ready looks with a wink and a nod. Born in Monterey, Mexico, she brings the heat without the cha-cha-cha Latina clichés. A former production designer for TV and off-Broadway theater, she created behind the scenes before stepping into the spotlight. High heat and maximum impact– DD Fuego leaves nothing on the stage but smoke.
Discord Addams
Who’s ready for a little chaos? Discord Addams is a high-fashion punk rock maximalist, serving looks packed with safety pins, studs, and unapologetic attitude. Known for playing guitar in a punk rock band, Discord brings a dark, raw energy to the stage. Her ultimate goal: to trade the mosh pit for the runway and become a bona fide drag rock star.
Jane Don’t
Inspired by old-school funny ladies like Bette Midler and Joan Rivers, Jane is a comedy queen serving up sharp jokes and even sharper shoulder pads. Counting as her drag sisters both Bosco (Drag Race Season 14 and All Stars 10) and Irene The Alien (Drag Race Season 15 and All Stars 10), Jane Don’t walks into the competition ready to make her own mark – and make the other queens sweat.
Juicy Love Dion
Small in size, colossal in talent, Juicy Love Dion turns every performance into a masterclass in dance. Self-described as “Miami’s Afro-Cuban dancing doll,” Juicy brings energy, precision, and flair to every stage she steps on. A proud member of the Dion Dynasty, she’s the drag daughter of Morphine Love Dion, and technically the drag granddaughter of fellow competitor Athena Dion– proving that in the Dion Dynasty, the juice flows through every generation.
Kenya Pleaser
This Southern showstopper is already serving you the answer to the question in her name: Can you please her? Only if you can handle all this auntie energy and attitude! A celebrated Lizzo impersonator, Kenya mixes heart, humor, and high energy performances that get the crowd on their feet. Kenya is here to show the world that Southern charm, curves, and confidence are a winning combination.
Mandy Mango
“A mango a day keeps the doctor away!” Mandy Mango is Philly’s favorite fruit, serving kooky, conceptual looks with playful flair. By day, she’s a nurse specializing in HIV and sexual health, caring for the LGBT community– by night, she’s giving the stage a healthy dose of fruity energy. With a cheeky bedside manner, Mandy Mango prescribes high doses of charisma, charm, and contagious energy with every performance.
Mia Starr
Mia Starr is a 90s/early 2000s hip-hop dancing diva bringing urban style, sharp choreography, and powerhouse personality to the main stage. A talented backup dancer with world tour credits for Rihanna and Britney and a Super Bowl performance with J Lo, she started drag 17 years ago, took a 14-year break to chase her dance career, and now she’s back – ready to shine front and center.
Myki Meeks
“Gorgeously stupid, and stupidly gorgeous,” Myki Meeks is Orlando’s dynamic theatrical powerhouse. A self-described “recovering theater kid,” Myki blends glamour with camp and lights up the room as a host. She is known back home for her quick wit and ease with a microphone. A talented actress and consummate performer, Myki brings a stage presence that will keep the competition on its toes.
Nini Coco
A high-energy, high-fashion diva from the Mile High City, Nini Coco is equal parts theatrical and fierce. A skilled costume designer, she blends conceptual looks with show-stopping performances. Having quit her day job as a mechanical engineer, she’s here to prove that trading blueprints for sequins is a risk worth taking – because in her world, it’s all or nothing.
Vita VonTesse Starr
A high-energy, high-fashion diva from the Mile High City, Nini Coco is equal parts theatrical and fierce. A skilled costume designer, she blends conceptual looks with show-stopping performances. Having quit her day job as a mechanical engineer, she’s here to prove that trading blueprints for sequins is a risk worth taking – because in her world, it’s all or nothing.
The Emmy-winning show returns with a new season on Friday, Jan. 2
