10 Best Guest Judges on ‘Rupaul’s Drag Race,’ Ranked

Since 2019, RuPaul’s Drag Race has entertained viewers as drag queens compete to impress iconic drag queen and host RuPaul and become the next drag superstar, and each week, the contestants in the bottom two compete in a lip-sync battle for their lives. The series also spawned multiple spin-offs, including international versions and an All Stars competition, and has helped boost the careers of some of its contestants.

Over its 16 seasons and 200 episodes (so far), Drag Race has featured a number of celebrity guest judges, often with ties to the queens’ challenge for the week. The show’s guest judges have included celebrities from all fields, from pop stars and Hollywood royalty to even politicians, and a few have left their mark on the show in their own right thanks to their humor, excitement, thoughtful critiques and in some cases, a combination of all of the above.

10 Halsey

Season 10, Episode 2, “PharmaRusical”

Pop singer Halsey appeared as a guest judge in Season 10 for the “PharmaRusical” episode, along with celebrity chef Padma Lakshmi. The contestants were split into two groups and performed a musical based on pharmaceutical commercials, full of pans relating to the drag world. The episode also featured a guest appearance from Andy Cohen for the mini challenge, a drag hoedown. In the end, Kalorie Karbdashian-Williams was eliminated, while The Vixen was crowned the winner.

Halsey was just one of a number of pop stars to appear on Drag Race as a guest judge, and although the musical number itself wasn’t among the show’s best, the episode overall still stands out for its guest judges, Halsey and Lakshmi. Halsey’s sense of humor came through on the runway, with plenty of quips perfect for the show which proved they were a great choice of guest judge.

9 Tony Hale

Season 11, Episode 8, “Snatch Game at Sea”

In Season 11 episode “Snatch Game at Sea,” after some drama between contestants, their mini challenge featured them pitching self-help books and posing for the covers, while the season’s Snatch Game saw them show off their best celebrity impersonations. The season’s frontrunners, Yvie Oddly and Brooke Lynn Hytes, ended up in the bottom two in a lip sync for their lives. The episode’s guest judges were Veep actors Clea Duvall and Tony Hale.

Hale’s personality and enthusiasm made him fun to watch, and he was clearly having a good time during the Snatch Game and especially during what has since become regarded as the best lip sync in the show’s history, as he was doing some lip-syncing of his own. “Snatch Game” was a memorable episode overall, from the best Snatch Game impersonations to an amazing lip sync with impressive moves, and Hale’s reactions only made it better.

8 Debbie Reynolds

Season 2, Episode 8, “Golden Gals”

In Season 2 episode “Golden Gals,” Hollywood legends Debbie Reynolds and Cloris Leachman were the guest judges as the contestants used their skills to transform older men into their drag mothers. The challenge was RuPaul’s way of acknowledging an older generation of gay men who came before and who paved the way for not just drag performance but Drag Race as a series. In the end, Ms. Pandora Boxx was eliminated.

Leachman and Reynolds were iconic in their own right and made an impression as judges early in the show’s run. Both looked to be enjoying themselves during the contestants’ runway show and performance and had good comments while the judges spoke privately. Reynolds’ warm, charming personality in particular came through, and her decades of experience in Hollywood made her a great choice of judge. Like other judges, their time onscreen was limited, and it would’ve been great to see and hear more of them.

7 Amy and David Sedaris

Season 8, Episode 8, “RuPaul Book Ball”

For Season 8’s “RuPaul Book Ball,” the final five queens’ challenge was to create three looks that showcased their drag evolution, as well as an autobiographical voiceover narration to accompany them. They also performed a musical inspired by Comedy Central show Strangers with Candy, specifically the character of Jerri Blank, who was played by guest judge Amy Sedaris. Her brother, writer David Sedaris, also served as a guest judge in the episode.

Like many other guest judges—especially the best of them—the Sedaris siblings were longtime fans of the show before their turn guest judging. Because they were also already known for their sense of humor, they were a perfect fit, and they delivered. But their time as judges also brought some sincere moments, especially from David in particular, as he appeared truly touched by Kim Chi’s look, which was a tribute to her Korean mother.

6 Christina Aguilera

Season 10, Episode 1, “10s Across the Board”

In the Season 10 premiere, guest judge Christina Aguilera surprised the contestants by appearing as previous contestant Farrah Moan, who was known for impersonating the pop star. Farrah Moan was also brought back to meet Aguilera on the behind-the-scenes series Untucked, which also featured Aguilera and the contestants discussing her music. As for the episode’s challenges, the mini-challenge saw the contestants walk the runway surrounded by former contestants, and contestants had to create looks from trash.

Aguilera made a memorable entrance, and her time on the show was just as entertaining. She was fun to watch on Untucked in particular, as she teased information about the relationships which inspired some of her songs, as well as her struggles within the music industry. But she was also sincere as she told the contestants how inspired she was by them, and she provided good, thoughtful critiques as a judge.

5 Aubrey Plaza

All Stars Season 2, Episode 7, “Family That Drags Together”

Drag Race brought back some of its most iconic queens for All Stars, and in the Season 2 episode “Family That Drags Together,” RuPaul surprised them by bringing in their mothers and sisters for a challenge. The queens were tasked with giving their family members a drag makeover and name before hitting the runway together. The episode also featured a tense moment from Alaska, and ultimately, Alyssa Edwards was eliminated. Actor Aubrey Plaza served as guest judge.

Plaza’s turn as a guest judge was summed up best in her own words: “This is the greatest day of my life,” she said. “I’m killing myself tomorrow.” Like other memorable guest judges, she was excited to be there and didn’t hide it, which only enhanced the episode. So did her unique brand of sharp humor, with funny critiques of the performances. The only downside was the episode didn’t feature more of her.

4 Miley Cyrus

Season 11, Episode 1, “Whatcha Unpackin?”

Season 11 featured pop star Miley Cyrus going undercover in male drag as a crew member in the Werk Room, only to be discovered by Silky Nutmeg Ganache. The queens’ challenges for the week began with creating new signature looks from material belonging to former Drag Race competitors. The bottom two contestants, Soju and Kahanna Montrese, competed in a lip sync for their lives to Cyrus’ song “The Best of Both Worlds.”

Cyrus provided more than just a surprise entrance. She seemed to be enjoying herself from the start in the Werk Room, and the queens were excited to see her. But she also took her role as a judge seriously. She drew on her experience in the spotlight starting in childhood and offered the queens some advice on dealing with nerves, and her appearance on Untucked featured more sincere conversations and heartfelt support.

3 Joel McHale

Season 11, Episode 4, “Trump: The Rusical”

Season 11’s Rusical got political, first with the mini challenge in which the contestants had to read the news in their best impression of MSNBC host Rachel Maddow. The Grease-inspired Rusical was set in the “Trump School For Girls” and the women in Trump’s personal and political lives, with Ginger Minj taking on the role of Trump and the queens excited by the challenge. The Rusical was among the best in the show’s history.

Joel McHale was a fan-favorite guest judge because of his sense of humor and banter with Michelle. He was hilariously over-the-top with his reactions, and when she pointed out the show wasn’t a football game, he quipped back that was a competition. On top of being hilarious to watch while he was clearly having a great time, he also gave constructive feedback to the contestants, a perfect example of what a great judge should be.

2 Leslie Jones

Season 12, Episode 4, “The Ball Ball”

For Season 12’s “The Ball Ball,” Drag Race brought in comedian Leslie Jones. The episode’s first challenge featured the queens twerking while dressed as bees to raise awareness for the declining bee population, followed by a sports-inspired pageant with “ball-themed” looks. Jones made no effort to hide her excitement. As a fan of the show, she was shown filming on her phone and mouthing the show’s most famous lines.

Perhaps no one has had as much fun as a guest judge on Drag Race as Jones. Her excitement at being on the show was infectious, and it made her that much more fun to watch. She’s a fan-favorite guest judge—and was clearly a huge fan of the show herself—often cited as among the best and most entertaining the show has had. But she also offered contestants great words of wisdom just before their runway show.

1 Lady Gaga

Season 9, Episode 1, “Oh. My. Gaga!”

Mother Monster herself, Lady Gaga, surprised Drag Race contestants with an appearance in the Season 9 premiere. Her arrival drew excitement as well as high emotions, as contestants expressed how much she meant to them both as performers and as individuals. Contestants were tasked with showcasing a look inspired by their home city, as well as one inspired by Gaga herself. Untucked also featured Gaga meeting with the contestants and providing constructive criticism.

Lady Gaga was a perfect choice of guest judge for Drag Race, in part because her bold looks made for the perfect challenge. She was entertaining from the start, whether she was having heartfelt interactions with the contestants who loved her to exchanging quips with RuPaul. But she was also more than just an entertaining presence. She impressed as she provided thoughtful criticism to the contestants to help with their performances.

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NEXT: The 12 Best Seasons of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race,’ Ranked