RuPaul’s Drag Race season 10 winner crowned
(VH1)
The winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 10 has been announced as Aquaria.
Four finalists lip-synced for their lives during the grand finale on Thursday, but Aquaria overcame them all to be crowned champion.
Kameron Michaels, Aquaria, Asia O’Hara and Eureka all battled to become season 10 champion but it was Aquaria who stole the show.
(VH1)
The last episode of the season saw the four queens lip-sync battle until the very end. In the first round Asia O’Hara faced off with Kameron Michaels, and in the second, Eureka versus Aquaria. The final round was a surprise three-way contest between Eureka, Aquaria and Kameron Michaels.
This is going to be a tough decision, these queens are FIERCE! Who do you think slayed that lip-sync?! #DragRace pic.twitter.com/mrb6hA2tPz
— RuPaul's Drag Race (@RuPaulsDragRace) June 29, 2018
There were plenty of guest surprises in the finale with video messages from Oprah Winfrey, Dame Judi Dench and Finty Williams.
All four finalists had twists and turns in their journey to the season 10 finale.
After pulling out of season nine with a knee injury, Eureka made her comeback this season but at the start she was stifled by PTSD linked to the mishap.
(Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for VH1 Trailblazer Honors)
While Kameron Michaels was underrated by the other girls for much of the competition and her label as “the quiet one” left the judges asking for more.
Asia O’Hara had an emotional connection to the series and almost faltered by being “too motherly” when sewing for the other girls instead of putting herself first. O’Hara explained to the other contestants how she lost both of her parents at a young age and that drag was now her family.
At only twenty-two years old Aquaria was often overlooked as “dumb” and “naive”, but she sailed through the competition without ever reaching the bottom two. Throughout the series she was criticised for “not having a personality”, especially from New York rival Miz Cracker.
Aquaria
The season was also controversial with the themes of race and discrimination being paramount throughout.
During her time on the show, The Vixen opened discussions about being black within the drag world and within its fan base.
RuPaul echoed these thoughts, sharing his own experience.
“I have been discriminated against by white people for being black, by black people for being gay, by gay people for being too femme,” he said.
“Did I let that stop me from getting to this chair? No, I had to separate what I feel or what my impression of the situation is to put my focus on the goal. You can’t just make excuses for bad behaviour or for inconsiderate behaviour.”
On the Reunion episode of the show The Vixen walked off set after an argument with Eureka, when tensions from the show were being discussed.
RuPaul responded to the outburst and said: “There was nothing anyone could do to stop her.”
The full line-up of queens who started the show was Asia O’Hara, Aquaria, Blair St. Clair, Dusty Ray Bottoms, Kalorie Kardashian-Williams, Kameron Michaels, Mayhem Miller, Miz Cracker, Monet X-Change, Monique Heart, The Vixen, Vanessa Mateo, Yuhua Hamasaki and Eureka.
