Culture

Heidi N Closet reveals scrapped challenge from Drag Race season 12: ‘No one won’

By Sam Damshenas

15th September 2022

The producers of RuPaul’s Drag Race cut a challenge from season 12 because the queens were “so bad,” according to Heidi N Closet.

Released in the first lockdown, season 12 memorably featured iconic contestants such as Heidi, Gigi Goode, Crystal Methyd, Jackie Cox, Widow Von’Du and winner Jaida Essence Hall, who recently returned for the first-ever all-winners’ season.

The season has since gone down in herstory as one of the most celebrated Drag Race instalments, with the cast even comparing it to a season of All Stars because of the sheer amount of charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent on display.

However, viewers were left confused when one of the franchise’s staple challenges, Reading is Fundamental – which sees the queens throw shade towards each other – was omitted from the season (until the finale).

In a recent tweet, Heidi revealed that the queens did participate in a “traditional reading challenge” when the cast dwindled down to the top six, but it was “so bad we were told they couldn’t use it and got [scrapped]”. 

After a fan questioned if that was “really the reason” or “because a certain someone won” – meaning Sherry Pie, who originally made the final four but was disqualified – Heidi explained, “No they were actually the worst and instead of reading they gave everyone compliments.”

The Miss Congeniality also confirmed that no one won the challenge, which took place during the makeover episode.

Heidi said she assumed the winner of Reading is Fundamental “would’ve picked which makeover girl we got but since there was no winner they made Jaida pick since she had just won the last challenge.”

The soft, sssupple, blessed and highly favoured fan-favourite added: “Not everyone was complimenting only one person complimented and there was some good reads I guess not as many as they wanted.”

Despite its continued popularity, Heidi has dubbed season 12 as the “cursed season” due to the controversy surrounding Sherry Pie, the coronavirus pandemic, Jan’s elimination on All Stars 6 and Jaida not making the final four on the winners’ season.

You can read Heidi’s tweets in full below.