Three’s a crowd, and four’s a-plenty. RuPaul’s Drag Race season 17 has named its top quartet of queens after a gaggy elimination in the semi-final – but who deserves to walk away with the crown? We’ve broken down the each of the queens’ challenge wins, track records, social media numbers and story arcs – and we can’t wait to see how this turns out…
Well, it’s happened. Miss Suzie Toot, the first frontrunner of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 17, and a queen who many viewers were sure they’d see in the finale, has been eliminated, leaving us with the latest top four of the franchise.
After 14 episodes and a still to come reunion in the form of a Lip-Sync Lalaparuza with the eliminated girls, Nymphia Wind is nearly ready to hand over her crown – but to which diva?
Jewels Sparkles, Lexi Love, Onya Nurve and Sam Star all have at least two wins apiece, and have represented a multitude of drag styles and storylines on the season. It really is anyone’s game in the splashiest showdown for the crown yet.
Here’s the breakdown…
Let your voice be heard! 🤩 Who do YOU want to see snatch the Season 17 crown? 👑 #DragRace pic.twitter.com/ye6VPR4uc1
— RuPaul’s Drag Race (@RuPaulsDragRace) April 5, 2025
Jewels Sparkles
Track record-wise, Jewels has had a rollercoaster ride this season. After lip-syncing for the win (and losing) against Suzie Toot in episode one, Jewels was safe for the next four weeks, then placed high twice, then won a challenge. She was then in the bottom two, then low, safe, bottom two again, and then another win!
That’s 2 wins, 2 high (and one LSFTW), 5 safe, 1 low and 2 bottom two.
And if we’re talking storyline, then Jewels has been the season’s confessional queen, giving us charm and relatability off the bat, and always keeping it funny. Of the top four, she is the queen that most fans perhaps least expected to make it – but god, we’re glad she did.
Do you want @jewelssparkles_ to snatch the crown? 👑 Use #TeamJewelsSparkles to let your voice be heard! 💎 #DragRace pic.twitter.com/3VkKkhBjRd
— RuPaul’s Drag Race (@RuPaulsDragRace) April 7, 2025
Ms Sparkles’s social media numbers are like Shakira’s hips, in that they do not lie. Her official #TeamJewelsSparkles hashtag from the Drag Race account boasts nearly 20k likes (at time of reporting), which is the second highest of the top four.
And on her own Instagram, Ms Big Foot Jewels has a cool 190k followers. That’s a lot of diamonds!
Lexi Love
Let me hear you say Lexi LOVE! Lexi’s track record faltered slightly in the middle of the season, but she’s started and ended strong. She won her premiere episode, and then grabbed another win (with Onya) a good ten episodes later! Lexi is, however the only queen of our top four never to have to lip-sync for her life.
That track record boils down to 2 wins (same as Jewels), 4 high placements, 5 safe, 2 low.
Lexi’s narrative arc has undeniably been as the queen that just can’t get out of her head – despite glorious things happening when she does so. Lexi’s inner saboteur convinced her that Suzie was out to get her, but as the season progressed, the audience learnt that she has been through some shit, to put it lightly. She’s a fighter.
Do you want @mslexilovesyou to snatch the crown? 👑 Use #TeamLexiLove to let your voice be heard! ✨ #DragRace pic.twitter.com/J6YULNDXnn
— RuPaul’s Drag Race (@RuPaulsDragRace) April 7, 2025
Lexi’s #TeamLexiLove post has 8.8k likes (ATOR), which is the third highest of our top four – but she just edges out Jewels over on Instagram, with 191k followers.
Lexi’s social media numbers bely the fact that she’s a very strong contender for the crown – though as Suzie Toot pointed out, she’s got a strong Facebook following.
Onya Nurve
Onya Nurve put her foot on everyone’s necks in episode one, and didn’t really let them breathe all season long. Onya is one of only eight Drag Race queens to have four challenge wins during her time on the show, and only lip-synced once in the season’s double shantay.
That’s 4 challenge wins, 4 highs, 3 safe placements, 1 low and 1 lip-sync. Not bad!
As reflected by that shining track record, Onya has been the unstoppable queen this season, becoming the outright choice for the crown for many fans. She’s rarely faltered, and when she has it’s still be entertaining as hell – and she has the best report card of our whole top four.
Do you want @OnyaNurve to snatch the crown? 👑 Use #TeamOnyaNurve to let your voice be heard! 💋 #DragRace pic.twitter.com/cXa0GeccHA
— RuPaul’s Drag Race (@RuPaulsDragRace) April 7, 2025
When it comes to social media numbers, Onya is getting on everyone’s nurves as the clear frontrunner in that arena, too. The official #TeamOnyaNurve post has reached nearly 30k likes; over ten thousand more than second-placer Jewels.
But, on Instagram, she has 135k – putting her in third behind Lexi and Jewels.
Sam Star
Sam’s track record is a shining star, with three wins – the second highest out of the top four. But, like Jewels, she’s lip-synced for her life twice, so it balances out in a very interesting way.
Overall, Samuel has 3 wins, 4 high spots, 3 safe, 1 low and 2 lip-syncs, both in the last three episodes of the season.
Sam’s storyline this season has been very similar to her drag mother, Trinity The Tuck’s. On both of the queen’s seasons, they’ve were type cast as pageant queens intent on being perfect – but the RuPaul magic happened when Sam let her guard down and got weird with it.
Do you want @samstarqueen to snatch the crown? 👑 Use #TeamSamStar to let your voice be heard! 💄 #DragRace pic.twitter.com/OIJDiZfm46
— RuPaul’s Drag Race (@RuPaulsDragRace) April 7, 2025
Sam’s #TeamSamStar post has fetched the lowest amount of likes among the top four with 5.1k – and 111k Instagram followers is not something to be sniffed at though, despite the number also being the lowest of the top four.
New episodes of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 17 air on Fridays on MTV in the US and WOWPresents Plus internationally.
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