⁠"Not as easy" RuPaul’s Drag Race star Onya Nurve opens up about the breakneck pace of filming 

As RuPaul’s Drag Race prepares to crown its Season 17 champion, finalist Onya Nurve has pulled back the curtain on the reality of competing in TV's most fabulous competition.

"I didn't know it was going to be so hard," Nurve exclusively told Us Weekly ahead of the Friday, April 18, finale.

Elaborating:

"We all do drag part-time or full-time outside of the show. It's like drag boot camp. It's like drag two-a-days. It is longer, it is more intense and it's not as easy as it looks. I think that was the biggest surprise for me."

This candid confession reveals what viewers at home rarely see: the grueling pace behind the glitz and glamour. Since debuting in 2009, RuPaul’s Drag Race has transformed from a cult favorite to an Emmy-winning juggernaut, spawning international versions and live tours while making household names of its contestants.

But as the show's production values have soared, so have the demands placed on competitors. All four finalists—Onya Nurve, Sam Star, Lexi Love, and Jewels Sparkles—shared similar stories about the unexpected challenges of filming under pressure, likening the experience to an Olympic sport that tests not just creativity but mental fortitude.

The final four comment on what it’s actually like being on RuPaul’s Drag Race

For RuPaul’s Drag Race contestants who've spent years watching the show from home, the actual experience proves eye-opening. Sam Star discovered the show's title held more truth than she imagined.

"When it's called RuPaul's Drag Race, I didn't realize that that is so accurate, that it's so fast," she explained to Us Weekly.

Elaborating:

"You don't have time to think, really. Your first idea is your only idea, 'cause there's no time to think for the second idea."

This revelation has changed how she views past contestants she once critiqued from her couch.

"It seems so easy, and I was definitely the girl who sat at home and read everybody down and was like, 'Girl, why would you do that?' But now doing it, I get it," Sam admitted.

The confessional moment concluded with a public apology:

"So everybody at home, I'm sorry for reading y'all. The former girls, I get it now. It was very hard."

RuPaul’s Drag Race finalist Lexi Love expanded on the athletic comparison, explaining that success requires more than just fashion sense or performance skills.

"It's very regimented. It's a surprise. And the girls really are — they say we're like the Olympics of drag. Those girls are Olympians. It takes a mental fortitude to do this," Lexi told Us.

This mental game separates contenders from champions, according to Jewels Sparkles, who emphasized how the pressure forces contestants to rely on instinct rather than careful planning.

She elaborated further:

"It's an instinct game. It's whoever's best at following their instincts, because that's all you have in there."

This faster-than-expected pace explains why even talented performers sometimes falter during challenges that seem straightforward to viewers at home.

The journey from fan to contestant represents a humbling transition that many RuPaul’s Drag Race alums experience. Sam's confession about once being quick to judge reflects a common pattern—contestants often enter the competition believing they've mastered it through observation, only to discover hidden challenges.

This season of RuPaul’s Drag Race's finalists now share a "new respect" for past competitors, as Jewels put it. Their testimonials serve as a reminder that reality television, despite its name, often presents a carefully edited version of events that smooths over the frantic behind-the-scenes reality.

Season 17’s famous Snatch Game

Despite the challenges, Season 17 of RuPaul’s Drag Race produced memorable moments, including a standout Snatch Game episode where Onya claimed victory with her Eddie Murphy impression.

"I am dying to get an [Instagram] follow from Eddie Murphy, a message from Eddie Murphy," she told Us Weekly.

Similarly, Sam hopes her impersonation of QVC personality Kim Gravel might lead to a real-world connection:

"If you do see this, Kim, I love you. Please reach out to me because we have to collab. The kids would love it. And I was a huge fan of your show. Still a huge fan of the QVC line!"

These celebrity impressions highlight how Drag Race can launch new opportunities for contestants, creating connections between drag artists and the broader entertainment world.

For those watching at home and dreaming of their own Drag Race journey, Onya's words serve as both a warning and an invitation: it may not be as easy as it looks, but the challenge is precisely what makes it worth doing.

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The Season 17 finale of RuPaul’s Drag Race aired on April 18, 2025, on MTV.