All Stars 9 premiere first look explains big prize money change

May 16
Written by Charlie Duncan

Plastique Tiara enters the Werk Room in All Stars 9

Plastique Tiara in the first look at All Stars 9 episode one (RuPaul’s Drag Race/ YouTube)

The first fifteen minutes of All Stars 9 have hit the internet, with a sneak peek of episode one revealing the return of Drag Race icons, legendary lewks and a glimpse at RuPaul’s Best Friend Race.

The time has come once more: the Werk Room doors have officially ru-opened for the ru-turn of eight iconic Drag Race queens ready for their ru-demptions and to ru-pologise for any past wrongs.

Right, that’s quite enough of that; the official RuPaul’s Drag Race YouTube channel has dropped the first 15 minutes of All Stars 9, giving fans another glimpse at the first ever season of the All Stars spinoff played entirely for charity.

You can watch the first fifteen minutes of All Stars 9, episode one, below:

RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 9 episode one first look

As it’s the premiere episode of the season, there’s not that much going on in the first lewk, but fans have still got some key takeaways from the 17-minute long clip.

Firstly, this season has got a whole ‘Drag queens save the world‘ theme going on, emphasised by RuPaul’s spoken intro and season one OG Shannel via the fact that the queens are playing for a $200,000 (£157,800) cash prize for charity this time round.

“Charity hit me, number one,” she tells the assembled cast of eight glamazons after she enters the Werk Room.

The cast is also the smallest ever for an All Stars instalment (aside from the all-winners All Stars 7), and we get some gagworthy entrance looks from the divas.

RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 9 confirmed cast members Vanessa Vanjie Matteo (left), Gottmik (centre) and Roxxxy Andrews (right) — All Stars 9 will see eight queens return for another chance at snatching a RuPaul’s Drag Race crown. (World of Wonder)

Gottmik (season 13), Roxxxy Andrews (season 5, All Stars 2), Vanessa Vanjie (season 10, 11), Angeria Paris VanMicheals (season 14), Nina West (season 11), Plastique Tiara (season 11) Jorgeous (season 14) and Shannel (season 1, All Stars 1) all offer up sensational drag, but extra snaps go to Gottmik’s hairline, Shannel’s Medusa re-do and Plastique Tiara’s gorgeous look.

Ever the meme queen, Vanjie’s jacket, which is constructed out of bobby-pins, also starts independently attacking her competitors. Sabotage.

The first look ends after Shannel enters, leaving fans desperate for more until Friday (17 May), when the episode drops.

The full list of charities the queens are set to play for is available here.

RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 1-8 are available to stream on Paramount+ in the US and WOW Presents Plus in the UK and internationally. All Stars 9 premieres tomorrow (17 May).

More: All Stars 9 RuPaul's Drag Race