‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Final Four on Growth, Gowns and Grit: ‘We Already Made It’

The road to the RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 17 finale has been one of wild challenges and shifting dynamics. Now, after months of lip-syncs and legendary shade, the final four queens—Onya Nurve, Lexi Love, Sam Star and Jewels Sparkles—are preparing to step onto the runway one last time, ready to claim the crown.

In an exclusive interview with Newsweek, the finalists opened up about their emotional journeys, fan reactions, behind-the-scenes moments and what they’ve learned along the way. These are queens who have turned pain into punchlines, pressure into polish, and personal growth into fierce artistry.

For Onya Nurve, whose track record dominated the season, reaching the finale was more than just a competitive milestone. “You’ve already made it. You’re already a winner,” she said. “This is just one more opportunity out of the 14 or 15 that we’ve already had to show the judges that you’re worthy for the crown.”

A Moment to Savor, Not Survive

The mood among the top four is celebratory, but it’s not without reflection. Lexi Love said that what stuck with her most wasn’t a specific performance, but the very beginning of it all: walking into the Drag Race workroom for the first time. “That moment that it actually happened, it became real,” she told Newsweek. “Forever ingrained as my proudest, crowning, shining moment.”

Sam Star, the self-proclaimed pageant girl of the bunch, took a different route—meticulously rehearsed and choreographed—but even she leaned on trust. “You had your choreography, you knew your lyrics,” she said, but ultimately, “you just believe in yourself and sort of have a trust fall into the universe.”

Jewels Sparkles, the narrator of the season, said she came into the finale with a mix of nerves and gratitude. “I’m so hard on myself when it comes to stuff like this,” she said. “But I looked at it like, this is my last time that I can show the world who Jewels Sparkles is.”

The Highs, the Lows, and the Snatch Game That Sealed It

For Onya, who racked up more challenge wins than any other contestant this season, one episode stood out: Snatch Game. “It was the one that, going into the show, I wanted to do well at,” she told Newsweek, grinning. “Plus, Suzie Toot was there and she just thought she was gonna knock it out of the fire, girl. So that was another reason to do well.”

Lexi’s biggest emotional arc may have involved her polarizing dynamic with Suzie, a rivalry that became one of the season’s key storylines. But looking back, she said she’s made peace with it. “Apparently some people on the internet don’t get a kick out of it, but it’s not really for them anyway,” she said. “I have nothing but love for her.”

Sam, who faced a major stumble late in the season, said hitting the bottom wasn’t just humbling—it was galvanizing. “It definitely lit a fire under me because it was do or die, and I did not want to go home,” she said. “I think I was a victim of that moment, but I’m glad that people got to see me perform that Diana Ross song… drama, elegant gown, all of it.”

Conflict, Redemption, and a New Perspective

Not every moment sparkled. Jewels said she regrets how she handled an early spat with Onya—one of the first flare-ups of the season. “It could have been handled with an easy conversation,” she admitted. “But me being the person I am, in a new situation, all stressed and riled up, I decided to be chismosa instead of being mature.”

Onya laughed off the perception that she was the season’s villain, though she understands how editing may have contributed to that. “You’d think I was some crazy villain trying to ruin everyone’s life,” she told Newsweek. “But I think my sisters can agree, that’s only one part of me. I’m actually nice too—I’m just a Gemini.”

Jewels had her own public image to contend with, especially after her now-infamous roast performance. Fans accused her of being too harsh. “People thought I was being like, extra malicious and scary and beastly,” she said. “That did not sit well with me, because that’s just not who I am.”

Still, when asked about the controversy of Arrietty stealing Jewels’ jokes during that same challenge, Jewels didn’t hesitate to set the record straight—with her trademark humor. “Those jokes were terrible,” she said. “She did me a favor by stealing them. She made sure she had the worst roast of the night. I had the second worst. At least mine was not the worst.”

From Final Looks to Lifelong Lessons

As the queens prepare for their final runway, each of them carries more than just new wigs and wardrobe tricks—they’re bringing new versions of themselves.

Sam said the transformation went deeper than aesthetic polish. “It really allowed me to be more confident in being myself,” she said. “And I think I’m prettier now. You have to do a little more blending, sweetie—especially on HDTV.”

Lexi described her post-show mindset as more open. “I’m no longer as tainted by maybe my past perception of myself,” she said. “I just have a wider lens now, and it’s a lot nicer.”

Jewels, who has been on tour since filming wrapped, said her understanding of drag has changed fundamentally. “Before, it felt like it was fun,” she said. “Now I’m seeing the business side of it. There’s so much more than what happens onstage.”

But it was Onya who summed up the post-Drag Race reality best. “There’s nothing else for me to prove,” she said. “Being a finalist on RuPaul’s Drag Race is never going to leave my resume. So now? I can have f****** fun.”