‘RuPaul’s Drag Race UK’ Season 5 finale recap: Queen of the Northeast

It’s the Battle of the Northeast on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK’s Season 5 finale! Ginger Johnson, Michael Marouli and Tomara Thomas have battled their way to the end, and they have guaranteed that a northeasterner is taking home the crown. But which one will it be? Who will end this season with the crown sitting atop their wig? And will we get to see Vicki Vivacious drag DeDeLicious for a fight she wasn’t involved in from Episode 1 one last time? Let’s find out!

The maxi-challenge for our three finalists is a familiar one: a Rumix music video for Ru’s song “Spotlight.” I was actually surprised that this has never been Rumixed before, but this is a reminder that Ru’s library is vast. As always, this challenge will be accompanied by sit-down conversations with each of the queens, hosted by Ru and Michelle Visage, and a final eleganza runway that, surprisingly, this time has a specific theme: Dripping in Jewels. And of course, the eliminated queens are back once more, first for a group scene in the music video, and then to walk the final runway in their eleganza as well.

Let’s start with those sit-down chats. They each start out in pretty standard fashion, getting to banter with Ru and Michelle a bit. Ginger and Michael are each asked which of their wins is their favourite; Ginger says Snatch Game, while Michael says the makeover. (Tomara is not asked, since she only has one badge, and it was a shared win with the other two finalists.) Still, these are a little snoozy at first, with the queens being well-practiced on what kind of material to bring into the conversations.

But then something genuinely surprising happens at the end of each chat: Ru and Michelle welcome one of the queens’ loved ones to the stage! Ginger is joined by her partner Ben, Michael by her partner Philip, and Tomara by her mother Sharon. Each queen has an amazing reaction to this, but nothing is better than Michael, in tears, yelling “How did you do this, you bastard?”

This is an incredible innovation in the finale format, and I really hope it comes to the United States for this upcoming season. I’ve never loved the brief conversations with finalists’ families at the live finales, because it feels like Ru is shouting at them from up above. We never really get engaging stuff from them. (Although I will never forget the discomfort of Yvie Oddly’s parents sitting together at her finale. Drama!) This adapts that kind of interaction into a far superior form, and also gives the boost of reuniting these queens with loved ones after weeks away.

Ben’s reaction to Ginger’s three badges is so cute, as her partner screams with delight upon learning she’s won Snatch Game. “I thought you’ll either go home first or last,” Ben says, to Ru’s delight. Interestingly, at one point Ben says to Ginger, “I love you. Never do this again.” You can see the gears shifting in Ru’s mind as he asks why Ben says that. Is it a sign that Ru will rush to crown Ginger, or that he wants to give her a reason to do it all again by making her the runner-up?

Michael’s partner is adorable, and I’m delighted by how Tomara and her mom giggle together, but their interactions are more standard. Really, though, it’s just such a joy to see these reunions—and it really seems to give the queens a boost when they need it. Choreography lessons and mirror moments later, and it’s time to watch the “Spotlight” video.

The theme is a heist of sorts, and it’s cute! It’s no “Lucky” or “Catwalk,” but I probably prefer it to “Blame It On The Edit” and “This Is Our Country.” Ginger’s verse is very her, as she leans into the comedy. Love the Derrick Barry “pig in a wig” reference! Michael’s flow is really good, and she looks fierce, but the verse isn’t quite as memorable. Tomara looks hot as hell, full video vixen, but her verse is very “give me the crown”-coded. She says “tiara,” sure, but we’ve heard this basic verse before.

The eliminated queens join in for a final group number on the main stage, and it’s cute! The returners hold their own, and Tomara gets the chance to pull off one final stunt as the finale. I’m always glad when we get a chance to feature the eliminated queens somehow, especially when it’s not just them showing up in Mini-Untucked.

They also walk the runway for the Dripping in Jewels category, and everyone looks pretty great! Alexis Saint-Pete looks sexy as hell, while Vicki serves a “Marilyn Monroe fantasy” that’s not quite Marilyn, but nonetheless looks great. Kate Butch’s floral hat look is more impressive at first blush than when you look at the details (I don’t love the dress), but she really has figured out her mug. And speaking of impressive makeup jobs, holy hell, DeDe’s beat in her final look! I know she felt she needed to do her signature breastplate once again, but I almost wish she had done a simpler final garment to let her face really shine.

Then, of course, we have our final three. Ginger comes out in a matador-inspired look that shimmers brightly, really taking it to the next level. She actually mourns this being her final time walking the runway, which underscores the question from Ben’s interview earlier. Is her Drag Race journey really complete, or will she have reason to walk the runway again? Michael’s ice queen look is nothing short of breathtaking, and is a good example of tha capital-D Drag she’s been doing all season long. Tomara looks fabulous and glamorous, but of course she still shows leg to make it truly Tomara.

Ultimately, after critiques, speeches and deliberations, Tomara is cut as the third-place finalist, leaving us with a top two. Alan Carr notes in deliberations that Tomara’s drag isn’t the most “dynamic,” which is the only real critique given to any of the final three. Apparently that’s enough, alongside her single RuPeter Badge, to knock her out of contention. I know I’ve gotten a bit annoyed in these recaps with Tomara being allowed to coast, but there’s no question she’s an incredibly entertaining, enjoyable queen to watch. I would be floored if we never see her back on Drag Race.

But now, our final two. Ginger and Michael, each with three RuPeter Badges, must face off in a final lip sync—to Erasure’s “A Little Respect.” This is a super fun song, but their eleganza looks plus the relatively mid-tempo nature of the track means there’s not much either can play around with. They both give committed performances, but Michael does get a bit Pointer Sister in her approach.

In the end, it’s Ginger who takes the crown, polishing off her dominant season with the grand prize. I’ll admit, I’m disappointed for Michael, who got some real momentum building at the end of the competition. But Ginger simply aced each and every portion of this season, leaving no real argument as to who should win. I hope Michael gets her crown someday, but this one was indisputably Ginger’s.

But in truth, all the queens from this season’s cast have plenty to be proud of. I really thought this franchise had run its course, and with rumours of a queen being edited out of the whole season abound before it began, I thought it would spell the death of Drag Race UK. What a delight to instead see the franchise stronger than ever, with a season that nearly matches UK Season 2 in entertainment value. I’m not sure it’s been as culturally impactful as that one—remember just how big Bimini, Tayce, Lawrence Chaney and A’Whora were after that finale?—but I’d bet on these queens to have a lasting impact over time. Drag Race UK is back, and I can’t wait to travel back here soon for another installment of UK vs. The World.

Untucking our final thoughts

✨ Still no Cara Melle among the returning queens, sadly. She must’ve still been sick—it’s always a bummer to not have the full cast together for the finale.

✨ There’s a nice touch in the X Factor-style intros for this finale, with each of the queens talking about how good the others are in their respective packages. It’s a nice touch, and much preferred to the queens hyping themselves up (which can and has felt boastful to the point of being hokey in the past).

✨ “Two words: Vicki Vivacious,” Michael says in the cold open, as the other two finalists immediately burst out laughing upon remembering her Mini-Untucked antics with DeDe. It’s for this reason, among others, that I’m glad we’re spared another reunion with the eliminated queens in this Mini-Untucked. Best to let the queens who made it this far get a chance to bask in their victory.

✨ In her sit-down chat with Ru, Michael talks about how the northeast rallies around their own, citing Cheryl Cole as an example of a regional superstar. What does Ru say in response? He makes a “Fight for This Love” reference! The absolute taste! Make it a lip sync song, Ru!

✨ Claudimar Neto is the choreographer for the “Spotlight” video—and he recognizes Tomara! Apparently he’s choreographed her before. Their interaction is super sweet and cute.

✨ The queens quickly toot-and-boot some looks from the season. Their choice for best: Banksie’s leopard print look. The worst? Miss Naomi Carter’s design challenge look. Agree with them on both, I think!

✨ I would be fine completely abandoning speeches to our younger selves at this point (especially if we’re going to get another question after them), but I’ll admit, seeing 10-year-old “Thomas” is a laugh riot. “Stop dressing like Vicky Pollard!” Tomara implores her younger self.

✨ “That’s Danny Beard, off the telly!” Very fun to see Danny back for the crowning, the first to do the hand-off solo since UK’s inception. (All three champions came back for last season’s finale, since their previous potential appearances were impaired by COVID restrictions.) Danny looks great in houndstooth, and gets a throne to sit on as the champion is crowned. Question for y’all: Did anyone watch The After Shave, Danny’s aftershow? I never tuned in, and didn’t hear any buzz about it. Curious if we missed out on a gem.

✨ God, wasn’t this fun? After the absolutely miserable experience that was All Stars 8, I really needed UK Season 5. Despite having to edit a whole queen out of the early season, this run of episodes was a joy from start to finish. Thank you, as always, for joining us on this journey and reading these recaps and rankings. For those watching Canada’s Drag Race, we’ve got a bit more journey to go—and for those who are waiting for the next American season, we’ll see you in 2024!

RuPaul’s Drag Race UK may be all wrapped up, but Canada’s Drag Race is just getting started! New episodes stream Thursdays at 9 p.m. EST on WOW Presents Plus in the U.S. and on Crave in Canada. You can subscribe to our drag newsletter, Wig!, for exclusive Drag Race content delivered straight to your inbox every Tuesday afternoon.