Pittsburgh’s punk princess of drag, Lydia B. Kollins, has stomped her way back into the Drag Race workroom, and this time, she’s here to win.
That’s right. Team Butthole rises again.
After making waves, memes, and a minor cultural revolution on RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 17, Lydia is back for All Stars 10, an unprecedented return before her original season had even aired. Her re-entry into the Drag Race universe is not only one of the boldest comebacks in franchise herstory, but a fierce reminder that drag doesn’t have to be polished to be powerful.
If you missed Lydia’s original season… first of all, how dare you? But here’s the rundown.
She burst into Season 17 with a Beetlejuice look, a punk-rock sensibility, and an instantly iconic middle name: Butthole. While other queens gave high glamour, Lydia gave absurdity, anarchic charm, and full-throttle storytelling. Her artistic vision was messy, risky, and often misunderstood, but her perspective? Singular.
Whether performing a puppet-based talent show that dove into existential dread or delivering a roast set that left the judges gagging, Lydia proved she had more than just jokes. She had soul. Even when she tangled herself in her own look during her final lip sync, she exited like a true diva: memorable, unbothered, and deeply weird.
And Pittsburgh showed up HARD. Bars across the city echoed with cheers.
The new Tournament of All Stars format splits the 18 queens into three brackets, and let’s just say: Lydia’s bracket is stacked. With heavy-hitters like Tina Burner, Mistress Isabelle Brooks, and Nicole Paige Brooks, competition is fierce. But chaos is Lydia’s comfort zone and in Episode 4, she finally gets her moment.
In a single-look design challenge where queens had to incorporate eight absurd materials into one cohesive outfit, Lydia delivers a neon-and-zebra 1980s fantasy that the judges describe as “aspirationally stupid and chic as fuck.” Print that on a tote bag, honestly. It’s the payoff fans have been waiting for, a Butthole who’s still unhinged, but now with a sewing machine and a strategy.
If you thought Season 17’s disco lip sync against Arrietty was a fluke, think again.
In All Stars 10, Lydia goes up against Tina Burner in “Love Sensation,” and honey, she burns the Burner. Lydia thrives in the chaos of a disco track, bringing her signature theatrical absurdity with newfound polish. If the judges wanted to see a growth arc, Lydia gave them a whole series.
Lydia’s return isn’t just a personal comeback. It’s a radical act.
She represents the queens who sew their own looks in cramped apartments. The ones who live in dive bars. The ones who make art that’s a little strange, a little raw, and a lot queer.
Her drag isn’t about perfection; it’s about perspective. Her existence on All Stars 10 challenges the idea that only glamazon polish deserves a crown. What Lydia brings is vision. Humor. Authenticity. And most of all: heart.
Lydia’s run is more than a competition moment; it’s a cultural moment for Pittsburgh drag. Her return is a victory for the DIY artists, the camp queens, the queer weirdos who keep this city’s nightlife alive.
Will she make the finals? Will she survive the bracket battles? Will she get tangled in her outfit again?
Who cares?
Lydia Butthole Kollins has already won in the ways that matter. She’s told her story: wild, unfiltered, and full of fire.
We’ll be watching. We’ll be screaming. And we’ll be chanting that name once more.
