Jewels Sparkles. (Screenshot via “RuPaul’s Drag Race”/YouTube.)
TAMPA BAY | Local drag entertainer Jewels Sparkles will compete on the 17th season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” scheduled to premiere Jan. 3 at 8 p.m. on MTV.
The network announced the competition’s latest cast Dec. 4, “ru-vealing” 14 queens who will vie for the title of “American’s Next Drag Superstar” and a cash prize of $200,000. Sparkles, who has entertained audiences at popular LGBTQ+ hotspots like Cocktail, Southern Nights Tampa and more, was among them.
“Out of drag, this youthful queen has a sweetness and an innocence, and is a self-described ‘ditzy clumsy bimbo,’” MTV announced. “But don’t be fooled — Jewels intends to enter the competition with intention and strategy. With influences that range from Ariana Grande to Priscilla Presley, to her Puerto Rican and Cuban heritage, you’d be foolish to underestimate this talented doll as merely a ‘look queen.”
“Nothing a lil’ Jewels Sparkles can’t fix,” the “Drag Race” social media channels also shared.
MTV released a special “Meet the Queens” spot in conjunction with their announcement. Sparkles introduced herself by reflecting on her drag origins, the scene in Tampa and excitement for “Drag Race” season 17.
“I was an Instagram girl when I first started doing drag — that’s why I picked Jewels, because jewels are things that don’t really have a purpose, besides being pretty and gorgeous and shiny,” she shared. “But … over time, you’ve gotta give the full fantasy. You’ve gotta give a show. So I’ve learned to sparkle.”
Sparkles likened Tampa Bay’s drag scene to “So You Think You Can Dance,” reflecting on high energy found amongst the area’s entertainers. She said she is “so happy I grew up in that environment because it taught me to … really learn how to give a show.”
The “Drag Race” premiere will see Sparkles and her 13 competitors — including two others from Florida, Miami’s Lucky Starzzz and Fort Lauderdale’s Suzie Toot — compete in “Drag Queens Got Talent.” The latest season will also bring back a “gag-worthy ‘Rate-A-Queen’ scoring system, but with an all-new twist.”
“I am America’s Next Drag Superstar because we haven’t had a Latina winner in a very long time … we need Latinas with a crown on,” Sparkles also said of a potential win. “There hasn’t been a Puerto Rican winner of ‘Drag Race.’ It would be so major to represent Puerto Rico and be the la Latina queen that I know Puerto Ricans deserve.”
Cocktail was among those to congratulate Sparkles after the casting announcement. The venue encouraged supporters to help cheer her on during forthcoming “Drag Race” viewings at The Wet Spot, starting in January:
Southern Nights Tampa also congratulated her:
Watermark has reached out to Sparkles for additional comment and will update this story should it be received. Learn more about her in MTV’s “Meet the Queens” feature and view the next “Drag Race” season’s trailer below:
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” season 17 will premiere Jan. 3 at 8 p.m. on MTV. For more information, follow the series on X, Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Facebook “for all the latest tea.”
