Season 1: Charmed

Click here to read full Season 1 episodes (71 pages)

The first season of RuPaul's Fantasy Drag Race was the experiment that started it all.  Considered a "lost" season, the elusive plot of Season 1 remains a mystery to most viewers, despite the season producing a few All Stars and multiple winners. Wrought with questionable judging, unfair challenges, and producer meddling, Season 1 holds a special place in RuPaul's Fantasy Drag Race herstory.  These trailblazing queens walked (and tripped) so future queens could run.

Iconic Moments

📈 Darryl Morris: From First Out to Fan Favorite

Darryl made RPFDR history by being the very first queen eliminated from the competition, sashaying away after the "Elemental Extravaganza" runway in Episode 1. However, his journey didn't end there! He was given a second chance in Episode 4 when RuPaul decided to bring back an eliminated queen, leaving the decision to the remaining contestants. Chris, Piper, and The Source all voted for Darryl's return. Darryl eventually sashayed away again in Episode 7 after the makeover challenge, but his resilience, kindness, and talent earned him the title of Miss Congeniality at the reunion.

"Witch It Up": The Birth of a Girl Group Anthem 👯

The "Witchy-Pop Stars" challenge in Episode 5 gave birth to one of the most iconic girl group songs in RPFDR history: "Witch It Up". This high-energy anthem, performed by Chris, Cole, and The Source, became an instant fan favorite, with its catchy lyrics about embracing your inner witch and letting your magic shine. While the other team ultimately won the challenge with their song "Sorceress Supreme," "Witch It Up" remains a beloved classic.

👹 Cole Turner's Meltdown: A Villain is Born

Cole Turner's elimination in Episode 6 was one of the most dramatic and unforgettable moments of the season. After losing his magic duel to Chris Halliwell and failing to impress in the lip sync against Darryl Morris, Cole's exit was explosive. He verbally attacked the judges and Darryl, accusing them of being unfair.  His mirror message was full of bitterness and threats, telling the remaining queens to "watch out."  At the reunion, he continued his tirade, singling out Phoebe Halliwell and claiming she didn't deserve to be in the top four.  Cole's outburst solidified his status as the villain of the season, leaving a lasting impression on fans.

Leo vs. Piper: An Epic Lip Sync Battle for the Ages 👩‍❤️‍👨

In Episode 8, the "Magical Talent Extravaganza" saw Leo Wyatt and Piper Halliwell, a married couple, facing off in the bottom two. This high-stakes lip sync to RuPaul's "Supermodel" was full of drama and magical surprises: Phoebe used her transformation powers to turn into a glittering dragon. Leo conjured a portal, disappeared, and reappeared with a staff and silver cloak, unleashing magical attacks on Phoebe. The judges were blown away by their performances and declared a double shantay, allowing both Leo and Piper to advance to the finale.

🎢 Phoebe Halliwell: The Queen of the Rollercoaster Track Record

Phoebe Halliwell's journey on Season 1 was a wild ride, marked by both stunning victories and near-eliminations. She secured four challenge wins, showcasing her talent and versatility. She also landed in the bottom three times, including a Snatch Game performance where she struggled to embody Cole Turner and suffered a wardrobe malfunction on the runway. Phoebe's unpredictable track record and resilience made her a fan favorite and cemented her place as one of the most memorable queens of the season.

The queens of Season 1

Track Records

Challenge & Runway Points

11th/10th Place: Paige Halliwell

PPE: 1.00  CPE: -3.00   RPE: 0.00  TPPE: -1.50
LOW - ELIM

Wins: None
Bottoms:  Runway design
Queens eliminated: None
Eliminated by: Prue Halliwell & The Source

Lipsyncs:

Paige Matthews holds the record for lowest CPE store of the franchise due to her abysmal performance with her partner Prue in the "Oh My Goddess!" runway creation challenge. Paige was eliminated in the first ever double elimination with The Seer, leaving behind few memories from the two episodes in which she competed.


Exit Line & Mirror Message:

"I gave it my all, but it wasn't enough. I'll always remember my time on RuPaul's Fantasy Drag Race. Bye, queens!"


I may not have made it to the top, but at least I finally got to step out of my sisters' shadow and show the world what I'm made of. Thank you for the opportunity, Ru. Love and light to all my fellow queens.

11th/10th Place: The Seer

PPE: 1.50  CPE: -1.50  RPE: 0.00  TPPE: -0.75
SAFE - ELIM

Wins: None
Bottoms:  Runway design
Queens eliminated: None
Eliminated by: Prue Halliwell & The Source

Lipsyncs:

The Seer was paired with The Source in the "Oh My Goddess!" runway challenge, both failing to impress and partaking in the first ever four-way lipsync in RPFDR herstory.  She was eliminated alongside Paige Matthews, becoming the second out queens.  Later this would be revised to first out, as the first out queen would later return.


Exit Line & Mirror Message:

"Well, at least I still have my powers to fall back on. Bye, girls!"


I may not have made it to the top, but at least I finally got to step out of my sisters' shadow and show the world what I'm made of. Thank you for the opportunity, Ru. Love and light to all my fellow queens.

9th Place: Billie Jenkins

PPE: 2.00  CPE: -1.00  RPE: -0.75  TPPE: -0.88
SAFE - SAFE - ELIM

Wins: None
Bottoms:  Snatch Game
Queens eliminated: None
Eliminated by: Phoebe Halliwell

Lipsyncs:

Billie Jenkins was the Snatch Game eliminee of the season, failing to portray the demon Belthazor in the Book of Shadows Snatch Game.  This is unfortunately the only memorable thing about Billie's performance on Season 1.


Exit Line & Mirror Message:

"Well, it looks like my demon powers couldn't save me this time. But at least I gave it my all. Bye, girls!"


Thank you for the amazing experience. I'll never forget it. Love, Billie.

8th Place: Prue Halliwell

PPE: 1.50  CPE: -0.25  RPE: 0.60  TPPE: 0.18
BTM 2 - BTM 4 - HIGH - ELIM

Wins:  None
Bottoms: Runway  design (x2), team performance
Queens eliminated: Darryl Morris, Paige Matthews, The Seer
Eliminated by: Piper Halliwell
Lipsyncs: 

Prue fell into the bottom for the third and final time with her sister Piper after their magic show failed to stand out as much as the other contestants'.  Despite lipsyncing three times, she is considered to be quite a memorable early out.


Exit Line & Mirror Message:

"I may be leaving the competition, but I'll always have my sister and the memories I made here. Good luck to all of you, and thank you for this amazing experience."


I never thought I'd make it this far. I've had to fight and push through so many doubts and insecurities to get here. But I'm proud of what I've achieved and I won't let this elimination bring me down. Thank you for this amazing opportunity, Ru. I'll keep shining and fighting for what I believe in.

7th Place: The Source

PPE: 2.00  CPE: -1.20  RPE: -0.60  TPPE: -0.90
SAFE - BTM 4 - LOW - HIGH - ELIM

Wins:  None
Bottoms:  Runways design,  original song music video
Queens eliminated:  Paige Matthews, The Seer
Eliminated by: Chris Halliwell

Lipsyncs: 

The Source was eliminated in the first ever girl-group challenge when teamed with Cole and Chris.  Their song "Witch It Up" failed to impress, leaving The Source to lipsync against the season's eventual winner.


Exit Line & Mirror Message:

"It's been a pleasure serving under RuPaul's reign. I'll always cherish the magic that was brought into my life during my time here." 


To all my sisters, thank you for the unforgettable experience. I'll never forget the magic we created together. Keep shining bright, and always remember to tap into your own inner power. Love, The Source.

6th Place: Cole Turner

PPE: 3.00  CPE: 1.67  RPE: 0.86  TPPE: 1.26
SAFE - SAFE - WIN -  HIGH - SAFE -ELIM

Wins:  Snatch Game
Bottoms: Magic Duel
Queens eliminated: None
Eliminated by: Darryl Morris

Lipsyncs: 

Cole fell into the bottom after being defeated by Chris in the magic duel challenge.  Cole was considered a strong competitor after his Snatch Game win, and his elimination by the returning first-out queen Darryl was not received well.  Cole is remembered for throwing an intense temper-tantrum upon elimination.


Exit Line & Mirror Message:

"Are you kidding me, Ru? I've been slaying this competition from day one. Darryl has only just been brought back into the competition. This is bullshit!"


To all the other queens, I just want to say that you all better watch out.  I was robbed of my chance to win, and I won't let any of you forget it.


5th Place: Darryl Morris

PPE: 1.80  CPE: 0.40  RPE: -0.17  TPPE: 0.12
ELIM - X - X - HIGH - HIGH -BTM 2 - ELIM

✰ MISS CONGENIALITY ✰

Wins: None
Bottoms:  Runway design, makeover
Queens eliminated: Cole Turner
Eliminated by: Pure Halliwell, Phoebe Halliwell

Lipsyncs:


Darryl was first eliminated in the first every episode of RPFDR.  Prue sent him packing after they both failed to impress during the "Elemental Extravaganza" runway challenge.  He returned to the competition in episode 4 when the cast was asked to vote which eliminated queen should return.  He received 3 votes, from Chris, Piper, and The Source.  Darryl was ultimately eliminated in the makeover challenge when he failed to prepare a decent look for Paige.


Exit Lines & Mirror Messages:

1st Elimination: 

"Well, at least I can go back to my day job as a stylist. Bye, girls!"


Well, I gave it my all but I guess it wasn't enough. Oh well, at least I had a fabulous time and made some amazing friends. Time to sashay away and leave my mark on the world. Love you, girls!


2nd Elimination: 

"I may not have magical powers, but I gave it my all and had a blast. I'll always be grateful for this experience."


I may not have had magic on my side, but I gave it my all and made some incredible friends along the way. This has been an amazing journey and I'll never forget it. Thank you for everything, Ru.


4th/3rd Place: Leo Wyatt

PPE: 3.11  CPE: 1.44  RPE: 2.00  TPPE: 1.47
SAFE - SAFE - SAFE - HIGH - HIGH - LOW - WIN - BTM 2 - SAFE - TOP 4

Wins:  Makeover
Bottoms:  Talent Show
Queens eliminated: None
Eliminated by: Chris Halliwell

Lipsyncs: 

Leo is the first ever "weak" finalist in RPFDR herstory, carrying his single win all the way to the finale. He got lucky a number of times with Season 1's questionable judging, but his kind spirit was more than a welcome addition to the cast.  His only bottom placement was the first double shantay of the series before his finale elimination by his son, Chris.


Exit Line & Mirror Message:

"Thank you for this incredible journey, Ru. I've learned so much about myself and about magic during this competition. I've met some of the most amazing queens and I'll never forget this experience. I'll always be grateful for the opportunity to be here. To Chris, Phoebe, and Piper, you guys are all such talented and beautiful queens. I can't wait to see where your magic takes you. And to all the fans, thank you for your support and for believing in me. I'll never forget this moment and I'll always be a queen at heart."

4th/3rd Place: Phoebe Halliwell

 PPE: 3.44  CPE: 3.11  RPE: 2.00  TPPE: 2.56
HIGH - WIN - BTM 2 - WIN - WIN - HIGH - BTM 2 - WIN - TOP 4

Wins:  Runway design,  team  performance,  original song music video,  Rumix
Bottoms: Snatch game,  makeover
Queens eliminated: Billie Jenkins, Darryl Morris
Eliminated by: Piper Halliwell

Lipsyncs: 

Phoebe is the first true roller-coaster track record in RPFDR herstory. Even with four wins, she found herself only in third place when it came to track record.  Many wonder that with modern scoring if Phoebe would have risen to the top.


Exit Line & Mirror Message:

"Well, I guess I'll just have to go back to being a basic white witch. But hey, at least I'll always have my four wins to brag about to all my mediocre witch friends."

2nd Place: Piper Halliwell

PPE: 3.56  CPE: 3.44  RPE: 3.00  TPPE: 3.22
WIN - WIN - HIGH - BTM 2 - HIGH - HIGH - SAFE - SAFE - SAFE - TOP 4

Wins:  Runway design (x2)
Bottoms:  Team performance
Queens eliminated: Prue Halliwell, Phoebe Halliwell
Eliminated by: Chris Halliwell
Lipsyncs: 

Piper is the original example of CPE not entirely matching PPE when drag statisticians study RPFDR scoring.  She appeared to be the weaker finalists, but many question whether she should have been the actual winner of the season.  She is remembered for her stellar performances, and many say she was truly the heart of the season.

1st Place: Chris Halliwell

PPE: 3.67  CPE: 2.78  RPE: 3.30  TPPE: 3.04
HIGH - SAFE - SAFE - WIN - BTM 2 - WIN - HIGH - WIN - SAFE - WIN

Wins:  Team performance,  Magic duel, Talent show
Bottoms:  Original song music video
Queens eliminated: The Source, Leo Wyatt
Eliminated by: None

Lipsyncs: 

Chris's victory is the original reminder that winning at the right time is sometimes more important than your overall score.  Chris had the highest PPE despite his CPE being lower than both Piper's and Phoebe's. His run hit all the right storyline points, making him a truly deserving original winner of the series.