WARNING: Contestants are listed in order of elimination and there are unmarked spoilers on this page, potentially including spoilers for previous seasons.
Main (RuPaul, hosts and judges)
Drag Race France seasons:
Drag Race around the world:
All Stars & Vs. the World
All names, ages, and locations stated are at the time of filming. This page lists the contestants competing in Drag Race France season one. Some of these queens may also appear in other Drag Race shows, or may return in later seasons, but only tropes specific to France season one are listed on this page. Season 1 began on June 25, 2022.
La Kahena (10th)
Age: 29
From: Paris, Île-de-France
"Maman m'a toujours dit, on ne joue pas avec le feu. Mais Maman, je suis le feu." note
- Cultural Rebel: Kahena is originally from Tunis, Tunisia and from a Muslim family — which meant that her being gay and even more so a drag queen put her at odds with her family and cultural background, leading to a darkly difficult period in her life where she started to self-harm. She's at peace with herself now, she explains, but still exhibits a somewhat melancholy tone compared to her fellow queens. Paloma praises her bravery for taking part in the show.
- Her Own Worst Enemy: She exhibits a cautious, melancholy tone in the premiere, which is immediately picked up by the judges and is ultimately her undoing.
- Playing with Fire: Makes a Big Entrance in the Werk Room by igniting some sort of flammable powder, sending fire shooting up her arm.
- Religious and Mythological Theme Naming: In Arabic cultures, a “Kahena” is witch, priestess, prophetess or diviner.
- Sad Clown: Her chosen talent is an original comedy routine, but Kahena can't mask her downbeat tone, even when performing.
- Surreal Humour: For the Talent Show challenge in the premiere, she performs an original skit, which sort of details her journey into drag via a 'fire spirit' she also voices, acting as a narrator for her performance. In the end, the effect and her overall performance is just confusing, and after she ends her piece by simply running off stage, she just further confuses all of those watching.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: France’s very own côtelette de porc. After a tentative showing in the premiere, both in the Talent Show and follow-up runway, it's clear Kahena is very much in her own head, which leads to her undoing and early exit.
Lova Ladiva (9th)
Age: 32
From: Toulouse, Occitanie
"Ne soyez pas trop fragiles les filles, je viens juste d'arriver." note
- Bad "Bad Acting": After a rocky start in the premiere, it goes further downhill for Lova in episode 2, where she bombs the Queen Pour Cent (a spoof of the French comedy-drama Dix Pour Cent) acting challenge with an unamusing, slightly cringey performance that Kiddy actually admits to being embarrassed by. Finding herself in the bottom 2, Soa ultimately sends her packing in the lip-sync.
- Big Beautiful Woman: One of this season's curvier queens, along with La Big Bertha.
- Camp: She serves an old-school, camp aesthetic and has been doing drag for over 12 years, though this is somewhat of a hindrance amongst a group of avant-garde new-school queens.
- Epic Fail: For the Talent Show in the premiere, she arrives on stage and just.....tells the judges about herself and her medical struggles via a somewhat rambling monologue that in no way represents a 'talent', and is more akin to a lo-fi meet-and-greet.
La Briochée (8th)
Age: 31
From: Palaiseau, Île-de-France
"Je sens que cette première saison va être transcendante!" note
- Be Yourself: Her maxim; as a trans woman and a queen of a curvier build, she extols the virtues of body positivity when de-dragging for the first time in the Werk Room and is utterly uninhibited when doing so.
- Big Beautiful Woman: She's a curvaceous queen and exhibits an empowering, body-positive attitude when de-dragging for the first time in the Werk Room.
- Butterfly of Death and Rebirth: For the Liberté, égalité, Jean-Paul Gaultier runway, she sports her own take on Gaultier's butterfly ensemble he created for Dita von Teese, patterned in the colours of the Trans Pride flag.
- The Chanteuse: For the Talent Show in the premiere, she shows off her impressive singing skills with a soaring, empowering ballad in the style of the legendary Édith Piaf.
- Closet Geek: Her aesthetic is typically very sugar-plum-fairy Girly Girl, though she exhibits a hidden geeky side for the Dites-le avec les fleurs floral-themed runway in a look inspired by Super Mario Bros., complete with a Piranha-Plant hand-puppet.
- Edible Theme Naming: Brioche is a kind of slightly sweet, fluffy bread commonplace in French cuisine. “Briochée” is an adjective (literally “brioche-style”) but her name is likely meant to evoke that she’s “the caky one”.
- Impossibly Tacky Clothes: Her taste-level lets her down in the French Ball, and after serving two overly simplistic looks for the Ma France à Moi and French Clichés categories, she presents a very poorly constructed dress in raggedy pink rayon for the final self-sewn Cannes Film Festival runway. Landing in the bottom two, Soa sends her packing in the lip-sync.
Kam Hugh (7th)
Age: 23
From: Paris, Île-de-France
"Chic, chic, chic, oh! Chic."
- Bad Impressionists: She portrays veteran French singer Mireille Mathieu for the Snatch Game, and whilst her pudding-bowl hairdo is spot-on, her jokes are literally nonexistent and she finds herself in the bottom two, where Bertha sends her packing in the lip-sync.
- Bitch Alert: Having arrived first in the Werk Room, in confessional she cheekily critiques literally every single queen who comes after her — mostly in terms of their fashion sense.
- Burlesque: For the Talent Show in the premiere, she performs a comedy burlesque routine, emerging from a banana peel-shaped dress, but she's let down by her flat follow up vocals and places low for the week, narrowly avoiding the lip-sync.
- Crippling Overspecialisation: Following a flat Talent Show performance in the premiere and an even flatter Snatch Game performance in episode 4, it becomes crystal clear that whilst Kam is a beautiful queen with an enviable wardrobe, she has none of the other varied skills required to do well in the competition, and is essentially limited to purely being The Fashionista.
- Edible Theme Clothing: For the French Clichés category in the French Ball she serves a cute lingerie look, though in the place of frou-frou ruffles, she hems her decolletage and panties with croissants.
- Named After Someone Famous: Her drag name is a play on French philosopher, Albert Camus.
- Of Corsets Sexy: For the Liberté, égalité, Jean-Paul Gaultier runway, she sports a beautiful Gaultier gown in pale turquoise, with her already-petite waist cinched for the gods.
- Textile Work Is Feminine: Kam exhibits a great taste-level, and nails the French Ball challenge with three expertly constructed looks, served with an increasing confidence as she struts about the runway.
Elips (6th)
Age: 26
From: Bordeaux, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
"Grand-mère, c'est moi. Anastasie..." note
- Edible Theme Clothing: For the French Clichés category in the French Ball, being a Bordeaux girl, she presents a wine-themed look that incorporates a wide-brimmed hat, upon which she balances a dozen glasses of red wine.
- Everyone Hates Mimes: For the Queen Pour Cent comedy acting challenge, she portrays a classic French mime who's in the running for the role of a back-from-the-dead Édith Piaf — though as per the trope, she bombs her audition.
- Improvised Clothes: For the Liberté, égalité, Jean-Paul Gaultier runway, she presents a self-sewn look constructed entirely from Gaultier neck-ties, which absolutely gags the man himself when he guest judges the premiere, with Elips receiving high praise for her sartorial efforts.
- The Quiet One: She's amongst the least chatty of the queens, and generally just beavers away quietly, focussing on the task at hand in the Werk Room. However, her slightly unsure, timid tone is evident during her performances, which ultimately lands her in the bottom two for the Popstars challenge.
- You Can Leave Your Hat On: For the Talent Show challenge in the premiere, she performs a moody striptease to a melancholy ballad, beginning her piece in an engulfing camo-patterned ensemble that she gradually removes to reveal a bright red leotard and accompanying wig.
La Big Bertha (5th)
Age: 36
From: Paris, Île-de-France
"Les dindes sont de sortie, alors, bon appétit!" note
- Beary Friendly: For the Liberté, égalité, Jean-Paul Gaultier runway, she smartly goes with a classic Gaultier conical bra and bustier, but she's dressed head to toe in faux-fur to present a fun take on Gaultier's childhood teddy bear, Nana.
- Big Beautiful Woman: She's one of this season's curvier queens, with a drag name that references her voluptuous build. Bertha towers above many of the other girls, and is One Head Taller than the petite Kam Hugh and Lolita Banana.
- Big Fun: She's loud and proud, comparing herself to a traditionally gobby charcutière (butcher) bellowing across a marketplace.
- Drama Queen: Bertha provides much of the confessional commentary and is at once enthused, loud and bumptious, but also frets, bleats, and is moved to tears far more often than the other girls if things aren't going as she plans.
- Hairy Girl: She sports full facial and body hair in drag.
- Making a Splash: For the Ma France à Moi category of the French Ball, she presents a Moschino-inspired Marie-Antoinette-themed look, that doubles up as a Shout-Out to the legendary queen’s former home, the Palace of Versailles and its incredible fountains, when she suddenly starts spouting water from hidden hoses, drenching herself and much of the runway in the process.
- You Can Leave Your Hat On: For the Talent Show challenge in the premiere, she performs a comedy striptease routine, barreling along with gusto after receiving a mock telephone call from her "producer", Max, who mockingly tells her she's "just a man". She concludes her act by whipping off a pair of French knickers, leading to a hilarious and daring Full-Frontal Assault.
Lolita Banana (4th)
Age: 32
From: Paris, Île-de-France
"Mesdames et messieurs, it's showtime!" note
- Heroic BSoD: She has a full on emotional meltdown in episode 4, revealing that her exuberant banter is just a front to hide how scared and alone she feels amongst the other girls — who immediately all crowd round and reassure her that her imposter syndrome is all in her head, and she's a well-liked and talented competitor.
- Mating Dance: She performs an incredibly acrobatic Tango with her Pit Crew partner for the Talent Show challenge in the premiere, flipping all over the place in a spray-on, tasseled jumpsuit.
- Pint-Sized Powerhouse: She's a very petite 5'4'', is gobby and fiesty, and is immediately christened the "Mexican dachshund" by Bertha.
- Spicy Latina: Lolita is originally from Mexico, and for the Queen Pour Cent comedy acting challenge, she plays a comically shrill latina beauty auditioning to play a back-from-the-dead Édith Piaf. She follows the homeland theme up on the runway via a beautiful Frida Kahlo-inspired look and gown that she twirls to send rose petals cascading all over the mainstage. She places high, and just loses out on the win to Paloma.
- Strike Episode: For the French Clichés category in the French Ball, she goes with a dragged-up, inspired nod to France's "gilets jaunes" (yellow vest) protest movement, which originally started in reaction to a planned rise in the tax on diesel and petrol but has now morphed into a wider anti-government movement.
- Whole Costume Reference: For the Liberté, égalité, Jean-Paul Gaultier runway, she sports a smart take on the iconic Gaultier conical bra and bustier Madonna famously wore for her Blonde Ambition tour, that also features a tribute to Mexican singer Atalia when she whips off her cones to reveal a pair of gold taps.
La Grande Dame (runner-up)
Age: 23
From: Nice, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
"Heeeeey guys."
- Accent Upon The Wrong Syllable: For the Queen Pour Cent acting challenge, she plays a languid, po-faced talent agent and puts on a hilariously exaggerated BCBG (stereotypically upper-class) accent, enunciating every syllable — ''Je suuiiis desolééée, Kim - bar - LAAAAY" — to comic effect, though her overall pacing is a problem, and she ends up placing low for the week.
- Exactly What It Says on the Tin: Her drag name literally means "The Tall Lady" alluding to her towering height (1.97 m - 6'5'').
- Hidden Depths: Her taste-level is unparalleled in the competition, and yet for the Snatch Game, she proves her ability to serve more than just incredible looks via a brilliantly vapid portrayal of former Miss France, Alexandra Rosenfeld, and goes on to win the week.
- Sexophone: For the Talent Show in the premiere, she performs an original song in sultry, breathless tones before balancing a glass of champagne on her head and blowing the judges away with her expert saxophone skills.
- Statuesque Stunner: She's a towering 6'5" even before the heels and has the elegant, composed bearing of a supermodel. She's so tall in fact, that she can easily grab the top framework of the archway leading onto the mainstage.
- Too Many Belts: For the Liberté, égalité, Jean-Paul Gaultier runway, she sports an all-white dress entirely made out of belts, which doubles as a smart Whole Costume Reference to Leeloo from The Fifth Element, a film for which Gaultier designed the costumes.
- Vocal Dissonance: She's a stunning beauty, though her deeper-than-deep bass voice is seemingly at odds with her appearance.
Soa de Muse (runner-up)
Age: 30
From: Saint-Denis, Île-de-France
"Hold on, hold on, hold on — let me tell you something...COUNIA MANMANW!!!”
- The Chanteuse: For the Talent Show in the premiere, she shows off her impressive singing skills with an expertly acted, sultry original song that's very much in the Large Ham spirit of 70s-era Shirley Bassey. Her impressive showing, combined with a smart afro-hair take on a classic Gaultier bustier in the follow-up runway, snatches her the first win of the competition.
- Characterization Marches On: For the Snatch Game, she impersonates Felindra 'Tête-de-Tigre', a background character from the TV game Fort Boyard. The original Felindra never said a word during her long run in the TV show and was only handling the tigers. Soa de Muse provides her with the personality of a good-natured, slighlty hammy Caribbean woman.
- Leg Focus: Guest judge and fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier makes special mention of her toned, endlessly long legs, which she shows off to perfection during the Liberté, égalité, Jean-Paul Gaultier runway.
- Punny Name: Her drag-name is a play on "soir d'amuse" — "a night of fun".
Paloma (winner)
Age: 30
From: Clermont-Ferrand, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
"En français s'il vous plaît." note
- Call-Back: Her entrance quote above is that which the Québécoise queen Kiara used when she arrived in the Werk Room in the first season of Canada's Drag Race.
- Granola Girl: For the Talent Show in the premiere, she performs an original comedy skit in which she plays a flaky hippie chick who encourages the judges and other girls to donate to her charity that "supports orphans without parents".
- Large Ham:
- The Queen Pour Cent acting challenge — in which she portrays a brilliantly haggy, champagne-obsessed, chain-smoking talent agent — allows Paloma to show off her great comedy-acting chops, and she deservedly wins the week. The other girls are delighted for her, and chant her name as soon as she's named the winner.
- Her breathlessly sultry, and most importantly hilariously well-observed portrayal of celebrated French actress Fanny Ardant is a Snatch Game masterclass, and she only narrowly misses out on the win against La Grande Dame when her follow-up runway look lets her down.
- Madonna Archetype: For the Liberté, égalité, Jean-Paul Gaultier runway, she goes with a 2007 "Madonnas" Gaultier look, featuring stained-glass window motifs on her draping sleeves.
- Whole Costume Reference: Her bramble-vine Dites-le avec les fleurs runway is a tribute to one of Manga's most famous crossdressers, Oscar de Jarjayes from The Rose of Versailles.
