BeBe Zahara Benet is the drag name of Nea Marshall Kudi Ngwa, a performer, former male model, Season 1 winner of RuPaul's Drag Race, and one of the contestants of All Stars 3, where she placed 3rd/4th. She was born in Cameroon and later moved to the United States in her teens.
Name Origin
The name "BeBe" randomly popped up in her mind while driving and she has stuck with it since, saying it represents her American side. "Benet" represents her French side. "Zahara" came after she went to Las Vegas and was in awe of the beautiful scenery, which reminded her of Cleopatra and the Sahara desert. She also wanted a name that connected her to her African roots and flowed well with "BeBe Benet".[citation needed]
RuPaul's Drag Race
| Statistics | Season 1 | All Stars 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Ranking: | 1st Place (Winner) |
3rd/4th Place |
| Maxi Challenges Won: | 2 (Eps. 3, 6) | 2 (Eps. 5, 6) |
| Mini Challenges Won: | 0 | 0 |
| Times as Team Captain: | 0 | 0 |
| Times in Bottom: | 1 (Ep. 5) | 1 (Ep. 7) |
| Episode Eliminated | N/A | Episode 8 |
Memorable Quotes
RuPaul's Drag Race Season 1
- "I bring a lot of international influence, and right now I really feel like I'm ahead of the game."
- "I want to win this because there is pride and dignity in what we do. Dressing up for a living does not make us less of a man."
- ♪ "Face, face, face, I give face, beauty face, you can't take? It's ok, watch my body go insane! Everyone keeps looking at me, you know I am Sarah P, If you wanna come for me and you feel the need, come right now now and walk the beat!" ♪ (BeBe's verse in "Cover Girl")
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 3
- "Mother, another day; another slay. Who's first?" (to RuPaul)
- "I'm not going to read Morgan McMichaels, life already has." (BeBe's reading Morgan)
- "Everybody, I'm the only African here. But why does it look like with Kennedy Davenport you can sponsor her for 30 cents a day?"(BeBe's reading Kennedy)
- “Mother, she looks homeless.” (In the Reading is Fundamental mini challenge about Thorgy Thor)
- "Hahaha, bitch you got jokes!"
- "Paramedics! Paramedics, make sure she's okay because I was not ready!" (reacting to Aja's dip in the Variety Show)
- "Miss Thorgy drew the...a very like, you know, a picture of what the...*laughs*...she drew a picture!"
- "That's the gag of the season."
- "So RuPaul, when are we going to FUCK?" (as Grace Jones on All Stars 3's Snatch Game)
- "Oooh, the drama in the pageant!"
- "Bitch, I'm a performah!"
- (Tearfully) "I am going to send Aja home."
- "Rrrrra-ka-ta-ti-ti-ta-ta, yeah, I'm pussy, bitch! Ooh la la la la la la, c'est bon, c'est bon! Do-go-choco-la-ta-la, you can't take my snatch, drag it up, wild it up, give me more, bring it to the ball!" (BeBe's verse in "Drag Up Your Life")
- "Who's Ornacia? I don't know who that is."
- "Mirror, mirror on the wall I'm the fiercest of them all Face, face, face, body and all Another day, another slay Meow meow, savage beauty Steppin' out on a mission Get fierce, stay ready The OG's back for another crown" (BeBe's verse in "Kitty Girl")
Trivia
- She is the first...
- ...winner on RuPaul's Drag Race. America's first Drag Superstar.
- ...queen to hail from Africa, from Cameroon.
- ...black contestant to win RuPaul's Drag Race.
- ...queen to win 2 ball challenges on 2 separate seasons.
- ...international queen to win a regular Drag Race season.
- ...winner to compete in an All Stars season.
- After winning, BeBe moved from Minneapolis to New York City.
- BeBe has been doing drag since 2001.[citation needed]
- She is the only winner to earn a $20,000 cash prize, the lowest cash prize in series history.
- Bebe shares her birthday with Chad Michaels.
- Coincidentally, they both won the first season of two separate RuPaul's Drag Race series.
- As the winner of Season 1, she was given a featured cameo in the music video for RuPaul's song "Cover Girl (Put The Bass In Your Walk)". The version of the song featuring Bebe was included in RuPaul's 2009 album, Jealous of My Boogie - The RuMixes.
- According to BeBe, she never received her prize of $5,000 worth of MAC Cosmetics, though did receive everything else in the prize package.[citation needed]
- On both seasons she competed in, she won 2 main challenges, placed high once, and was up for elimination once at the final 5.
- She lip-synced alongside both Kalorie Karbdashian-Williams and Miz Cracker during the Season 10 finale.
- Aja revealed on Trinity The Tuck's Podcast 'Werk' that BeBe had chosen Trixie's lipstick in Episode 6 of All Stars 3.
- BeBe is on "Drag Me Down the Aisle" together with Drag Race-alumni Jujubee, Thorgy Thor, and Alexis Michelle.
- BeBe has a movie about her called "Being BeBe", which premiered at the Tribeca Festival from June 19th to June 23rd.
Gallery
Paper Magazine Photo-Spread - July 2009 (Drag Race Prize)
L.A. Eyeworks Advertising Campaign (Drag Race Prize)
All Stars 3 Mini Promo
All Stars 3 #TeamBeBe Promo
All Stars 3 Mini Trailer
Season 1 Looks
Promo Look (Best Drag)
Promo Look (Best Drag)
Promo Look (Drag Race)
Entrance Look
Confessional Look
Drag On A Dime Look
Girl Group Look
Dressed To Impress Look
Queens of All Media Look
Makeover Look
Executive Realness Look
Swimsuit Look
Evening Wear Look
Finale Drag Look
Reunion Look
Season 5 Looks
Finale Look
Season 8 Looks
Past Winner Photoshoot Look
Finale Look
All Stars 3 Looks
Promo Look
Entrance Look
Variety Show Look
VH1 Divas Look – Diana Ross
RuDemption Look – Entrance Look (S1; E1)
Wigs on Wigs on Wigs Look
Wigs on Wigs on Wigs Reveal
Snatch Game Look – Grace Jones
Flower Power Look
Soup Can Look – ZaZa Soup d'arachide Peanut Soup
Studio 54 Look
Episode 5 LSFYL Look
Kitty Girls Group Look – Jungle Kitty
Episode 6 LSFYL Look
Red For Filth Look
Kitty Girl Remix Look
Best Drag Look
LSFTC Look
Season 10 Looks
Finale Look
Videos
Filmography
Television
| Year | Series | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | RuPaul's Drag Race: Season 1 | Winner |
| 2010 | RuPaul's Drag Race: Season 2 | Episode: "The Main Event Clip Show" (Special guest) |
| 2011 | RuPaul's Drag U | Episode: "Nominated by Loved Ones" Episode: "Mama Mia, I Need Help" |
| 2013 | RuPaul's Drag Race: Season 5 | Episode: "Reunited!" Episode: "RuPaullywood or Bust" (Archive footage) |
| 2014 | Transformations | Episode: "BeBe Zahara Benet" |
| 2016 | RuPaul's Drag Race: Season 8 | Episode: "Keeping It 100" (Special guest) Episode: "Grand Finale" |
| 2018 | RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars: Season 3 | |
| 2018 | Hey Qween! | DragCon L.A. 2018 (Special) |
| 2018 | RuPaul's Drag Race: Season 10 | Episode: "10s Across the Board" (Archive footage) Episode: "Grand Finale" |
| 2019 | Drag Me Down The Aisle |
Music Videos
| Year | Song | Song Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | "Cover Girl" | RuPaul | Cameo |
| 2009 | "I'm The Sh*t" | BeBe Zahara Benet | |
| 2010 | "Cameroon" | BeBe Zahara Benet | |
| 2014 | "Face" | BeBe Zahara Benet | |
| 2017 | "Fun Tonite" | BeBe Zahara Benet | |
| 2017 | "Get Fierce (Lose Yourself)" | BeBe Zahara Benet | |
| 2018 | "Jungle Kitty" | BeBe Zahara Benet | |
| 2018 | "Little Drummer Boy" | BeBe Zahara Benet | |
| 2020 | "Banjo" | BeBe Zahara Benet | |
| 2020 | "Body On Me" | BeBe Zahara Benet |
Discography
EPs
| Year | Work | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | "Kisses & Feathers " | |
| 2020 | "BROKEN ENGLISH" |
Singles
| Year | Work | Album | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | "I'm The Shit" | ||
| 2010 | "Cameroon" | ||
| 2012 | "Give That Body 2 The Music" | ||
| 2012 | "Dirty Drums" | ||
| 2014 | "Face" | ||
| 2017 | "Fun Tonite" | "Kisses & Feathers" | |
| 2017 | "Starting A Fire" | "Kisses & Feathers" | |
| 2017 | "Get Fierce (Lose Yourself)" | "Kisses & Feathers" | |
| 2018 | "Dirty Drums / Cameroon All Stars Mix" | ||
| 2018 | "Jungle Kitty" | ||
| 2020 | "Banjo" | "BROKEN ENGLISH" | |
| 2020 | "Body On Me" | "BROKEN ENGLISH" |
Appearances
| Year | Work | Artist | Album | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | "Cover Girl" | RuPaul | "Jealous Of My Boogie - The RuMixes" | Rap |
| 2018 | "Drag Up Your Life" | RuPaul Feat. The Cast of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, Season 3 | ||
| 2018 | "Kitty Girl" | RuPaul Feat. The Cast of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, Season 3 | ||
| 2018 | "Little Drummer Boy" | BeBe Zahara Benet | Christmas Queens 4 |
Social Media
| Winner | BeBe Zahara Benet |
|---|---|
| Runners-Up | 2nd: Nina Flowers (Miss Congeniality) • 3rd: Rebecca Glasscock |
| Other Queens | 4th: Shannel • 5th: Ongina • 6th: Jade • 7th: Akashia • 8th: Tammie Brown • 9th: Victoria "Porkchop" Parker |
| Judges | RuPaul • Santino Rice • Merle Ginsberg |
| Pit Crew | Emanuel Palmer • Max "The Body" Philisaire |
| Winner | Trixie Mattel |
|---|---|
| Runners-Up | 2nd: Kennedy Davenport • 3rd & 4th: BeBe Zahara Benet & Shangela |
| Other Queens | 5th: Morgan McMichaels • 6th: BenDeLaCreme (Quit) • 7th: Aja • 8th: Chi Chi DeVayne• 9th: Milk • 10th: Thorgy Thor |
| Judges | RuPaul • Michelle Visage • Carson Kressley • Ross Mathews |
| Pit Crew | Jason Carter • Bryce Eilenberg |
