RuPaul's Drag Race season 5

The fifth season of RuPaul's Drag Race began airing on January 28, 2013, with a 90-minute premiere episode, and ended on May 6 of the same year. The winner of season five headlined Logo's Drag Race Tour featuring Absolut Vodka, won a one-of-a-kind trip, a lifetime supply of Colorevolution Cosmetics, and a cash prize of $100,000. Santino Rice and Michelle Visage returned as judges at the panel.

The theme song playing during the runway every episode is "I Bring the Beat", while the song playing during the credits is "The Beginning". Both songs are from RuPaul's album Glamazon.

This is the first-ever series in the show's history to feature a double elimination or a double sashay between two contestants, Honey Mahogany and Vivienne Pinay. It is also the first series to feature a queen, Coco Montrese, lip-sync for their life four times and send 3 people home. This is also the first series where RuPaul allowed fans to vote for a winner.

The winner of the fifth season of RuPaul's Drag Race was Jinkx Monsoon, with Alaska and Roxxxy Andrews being the runners-up, and Ivy Winters being crowned season 5's Miss Congeniality by fans.

Contestants


Ages, names, and cities stated are at time of filming.

Notes:

Lip syncs
Legend: {{legend|lightblue|The contestant was eliminated after their first time in the bottom.}} {{legend|lightgreen|The contestant was eliminated after their second time in the bottom.}} {{legend|lightpink|The contestant was eliminated after their third time in the bottom.}} {{legend|tomato|The contestant was eliminated after their fourth time in the bottom.}}

Guest judges
Listed in chronological order:


 * Camille Grammer, television personality
 * Mike Ruiz, photographer
 * Kristen Johnston, actress
 * Juliette Lewis, actress and singer
 * Coco Austin, model
 * Paulina Porizkova, model and actress
 * Chaz Bono, writer and activist
 * Travis Wall, dancer
 * Julie Brown, actress-comedian
 * Downtown Julie Brown, actress and MTV VJ
 * La Toya Jackson, singer
 * The Pointer Sisters (Anita and Ruth), girl group
 * Leslie Jordan, actor
 * Jeffrey Moran, Absolut Vodka marketing/branding executive
 * Aubrey O’Day, singer
 * Joan Van Ark, actress
 * María Conchita Alonso, singer/songwriter and actress
 * Jamie-Lynn Sigler, actress and singer
 * Clinton Kelly, fashion stylist
 * George Kotsiopoulos, editor and fashion consultant
 * Marg Helgenberger, actress
 * Bob Mackie, fashion designer

Special guests
Guests who appeared in episodes, but did not judge on the main stage:

Episode 4:
 * Nick Lazzarini, dancer and winner of So You Think You Can Dance Season 1

Episode 5: Episode 6:
 * Ian Drew, Entertainment Director of Us Weekly
 * Lucian Piane, composer and record producer

Episode 7:
 * Deven Green, comedian and musician
 * Nadya Ginsberg, comedian, actress, and writer
 * Bruce Vilanch, writer and actor

Episode 9:
 * Wilmer Valderrama, actor

Episode 11:


 * Davina Foxx, drag queen expert
 * Kiera Grice, Mountain Dew Rep

Episode 12: Episode 13: Episode 14:
 * Gloria Allred, lawyer
 * Mathu Andersen, make-up artist and photographer
 * Candis Cayne, actress and performance artist
 * Latrice Royale, contestant on season 4 and All Stars 1
 * Willam, contestant on season 4
 * Sharon Needles. winner of season 4
 * Paula Abdul, singer, dancer, and actress (via video message)
 * Latrice Royale, "Miss Congeniality" of season 4 and contestant on All Stars 1

Reception
The overnight ratings for the fifth-season premiere of Rupaul's Drag Race reinforced the show's position as Logo's juggernaut. "Monday night's 9PM season five premiere of RuPaul's Drag Race worked the ratings runway, averaging a .8 rating in the P18-49 demo. This number represents a 33% increase over Logo's previous top-rated season premiere (fourth-season premiere of RuPaul's Drag Race) and clocks in as the highest-rated season premiere in Logo history.

Additionally, the 90-minute premiere tallied 565,000 total viewers tuning in to meet the new cast of 14 drag queen hopefuls who will fight it out to be crowned "America's Next Drag Superstar". The fifth-season premiere night of RuPaul's Drag Race and companion series RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked delivered over 1.3 million viewers.

Furthermore, RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked was the most-watched premiere ever averaging 291,000 total viewers and a .5 rating P18-49. On social media platforms for premiere night, RuPaul's Drag Race and Untucked showed a 136% increase in social activity versus the fourth-season premiere – this includes tweets, Facebook posts and Get Glue check-ins.