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Rita Baga

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Rita Baga is a French Canadian drag performer and one of the runners-up of Season 1 of Canada's Drag Race, alongside Scarlett BoBo.

On July 5, 2022, it was announced that Rita would be the host of Drag Race Belgique.

Rita would later return to compete on Canada's Drag Race: Canada vs The World Season 1.

Name Origin[]

"When I began, my name was Rita D’Marde. A year later, when I began working more at Cabaret Mado, Mado told me, “You need to change your name. I can’t put “marde” on my posters!” At the time, Madame Simone always called me Rita Baga. I liked the play on words, so I adopted that name."[4]

Track Records[]

Seasons Competed: Canada Season 1 Canada vs The World
Season 1
Ranking: 2nd/3rd Place
(Runner-Up) 		3rd/4th Place
Maxi Challenges Won: 3 (Eps. 1, 4, 6) 2 (Eps. 1, 5)
Mini Challenges Won: 1 (Ep. 9) 0
Times as Team Captain: 0 0
Times in Bottom Two: 2 (Eps. 8, 9) 1 (Ep. 3)
Episode Eliminated: Episode 10 Episode 6

Memorable Quotes[]

Canada's Drag Race Season 1[]

  • "Bonjour, hi! Say 'hello' to the queen of Montréal." (Entrance quote)
  • "Bonjour, je suis Rita Baga, trente-deux ans et je suis la queen supreme de Montréal."
  • "EMBRACE!"
  • "So, embrace this thick accent."
  • "Thank you, they all know I'm old now." (to Kiara)
  • "Kind? Kyne? I'll get it."
  • "It's in the Baga."
  • "I'm learning a new word today again, moose knuckles."
  • "Learning English and doing Drag Race at the same time."
  • "♪ Team L-E-M-O-N, ain't gonna make it to the end. Just come a little closer, can't you see we're getting hotter? Oh, yeah! We're the lemon pie destroyers! ♪" (verse in "Not Sorry Aboot It")
  • "I'm very grateful that we have this opportunity to do Drag Race, so finally, a Canadian can win Drag Race," (to Brooke Lynn Hytes)
  • "Non, rien de- *drops microphone* This will be my final act, thank you." (As Edith Piaf in the Snatch Game)
  • ”And I’m Anita Hotdog”
  • "Right now, I’m thinking about having a hot dog"
  • "I would like to say something, I think I'm a witch."
  • "C'est un nouveau jour dans le Werk Room, et je me sens vraiment sous-titré."
  • " ♪ Ah oui, c'est moi, Rita Baga, the French-Canadian diva. This chameleon will wear the crown, so it ain't the time to play sad clown. Runway killer, hot dog lover! Alien actress taking over! So bow down to your queen, let's make it clear. I came here to unite and, con-queer! Who will wear this crown? Baga, first time around. Who will wear this crown? Montreal, first time around. À qui la couronne? À nous, les francophones!  ♪" (verse in "U Wear It Well")

Canada's Drag Race: Canada vs The World Season 1[]

    • alien-like accent* "Alien actress taking over *her normal speaking voice* the world, baby!" (entrance quote)
  • "Are you ready for this Frenchie, cause I came back to Baga-tack. The tea is boiling, mes chéries. A mother of six knows how to act. I got out of my shell, and I'm willing to tell. I'm the gender bender, hot as Hell. The royal creature of Québec is killing this verse with respect. Made it mainstream where I came from, now I'm takin' the world by storm!" (verse in Bonjour, Hi)
  • "This is my final act. Thank you." (exit quote)

Trivia[]

  • Rita started doing drag in 2007.[4]
  • Before appearing on Canada's Drag Race, Rita participated in "Ils de jour, elles de nuit", an Ici ARTV documentary series about drag queens, alongside Barbada de Barbades, Gaby, Lady Boom Boom, Lady Pounana, and Tracy Trash.[5]
  • Rita has a symmetrical track record.
  • Rita, along with Kiara, are both the fourth and fifth Francophone contestants to compete on Drag Race, after BeBe Zahara Benet, Miss Leona, and Nicky Doll.
  • Rita is the first contestant of Canada's Drag Race to ever win one, two, and three Maxi Challenges in a single season.
  • Rita is the third contestant in herstory to have won half of the Maxi Challenges by her sixth episode competing, after Baga Chipz and Gigi Goode. She was followed by Envy Peru on Drag Race Holland.
  • Rita is the first contestant to win two Design Challenges, and to be in the bottom two on a third (a Ball Challenge).
  • Rita competed on the first season of Celebrity Big Brother Quebec. She was evicted during week 4 by a 6-3 vote and placed 12th.[6]
  • Rita's feat of having both eliminated both Lemon and Jimbo in lip syncs, who both competed respectively in her season, was re-achieved by Pangina Heals in RuPaul's Drag Race UK vs The World in 2022, who sent them home by selecting their lipsticks on the challenges she won in.
  • On 5th July 2022, Rita was announced as the host of Drag Race Belgique.
    • She is the third contestant to become a host of an international Drag Race Franchise, following Brooke Lynn Hytes and Nicky Doll.
    • She is the first contestant to become a host of an international Drag Race Franchise after being on a non-American Season.
    • She is the first contestant to return to compete on Drag Race after being announced as a host, appearing on Canada's Drag Race: Canada vs The World Season 1.
  • She released her own fragrance called "Solaire" and "Lunaire".
  • Rita Baga is the third contestant in the franchise to win the first Maxi challenge on two different seasons, following Roxxxy Andrews and BenDeLaCreme.
  • Across the Canadian series, Rita has garnered the most challenge wins of any contestant, with five, and the most lip syncs, with six.
  • Rita is the first drag queen to be on the cover of Elle Quebec and to be associated with the L'Oreal brand.[7]
  • When she first started doing drag, she was heavily inspired by Lady Bunny, due to originally being a plus-sized queen.[8]
  • Rita hosted the coveted Tuesday nights in Cabaret Mado called "Haus of Baga".[9]
  • In 2021, Rita hosted a Just For Laughs Gala/Carte Blance with comedian Jean-Thomas Jobin.[10]
  • Rita started performing as Adele around 2011 and up until recently, she had an Adele segment at the last part of her Créature show.[11][12]
  • Rita won the Celebrity Big Brother Quebec edition of "Un Souper Presque Parfait (An Almost Perfect Dinner)" with a score of 39/40. She gave her CA$2000 prize to the LGBT+ Family Coalition. [13]
  • In 2018, Rita submitted her application to audition for RuPaul's Drag Race. She mentioned that even though she was not able to provide legitimacy to be able to work in the US due to lack of visa, she still went on to the final stage before the final selection of the cast. [14]
  • Rita revealed that there was an audition process to become the host of Drag Race Belgique, where she was up against other Drag Race alumni and Belgian drag queens, but was ultimately selected as the host.[15]
  • While in the middle of preparing for her participation in Canada's Drag Race: Canada versus The World and filming several other commitments such as La Drag en Moi, she received a call to audition to be a host of Drag Race Belgique.[14]
  • She mentioned in her book that for the hosting audition, she was sent a clip of a runway to analyze and comment on, as well as prepare her own script for an imaginary trailer announcing the season.[14]
  • Years before her hosting gig for Drag Race Belgique, she did her practical internship for her Human Relations baccalaureate in Brussels for a community organization. [14][16]
  • Rita received the confirmation that she was selected as host for Drag Race Belgique in between filming episodes 2 and 3 of Canada vs The World. [14][17]
  • Since October 2020, Rita is columnist on a show called "La semaine des 4 Julie" on Noovo.[citation needed]
  • Rita used to be a club kid.[citation needed]
  • Rita previously worked with Mocha Diva, and they are very good friends.[citation needed]
  • Rita gave her fellow season 1 contestant Kiara her first gig in Montreal, though Gabryelle gave her her first gig ever (in Québec City).[citation needed]
  • Rita has stated that she is referred to as "legendary" even though she's "not that old".[citation needed]
  • Rita has lip synced against all of the Canada’s Drag Race Season 1 queens who became winners (Lemon, Jimbo and Priyanka).
  • In both of her lip syncs for the world on Canada vs The World 1, she lip synced against a queen representing Drag Race UK
  • Rita is the only queen on Canada’s Drag Race to receive 3 wins.

Gallery[]

Canada's Drag Race Season 1[]

Canada's Drag Race Season 1 Looks[]

Canada's Drag Race: Canada vs The World Season 1[]

Canada's Drag Race: Canada vs The World Season 1 Looks[]

Drag Race Belgique Season 1[]

Drag Race Belgique Season 1 Looks[]

Drag Race Belgique Season 2[]

Drag Race Belgique Season 2 Looks[]

Videos[]

Canada's Drag Race Season 1[]

Canada's Drag Race: Canada vs The World Season 1[]

Filmography[]

TV[]

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2020 Canada's Drag Race (Season 1) Self Contestant, Placed 2nd/3rd
2020 La semaine des 4 Julie Self Columnist
2020 Bonsoir, bonsoir! Self Columnist
2021 Big Brother Célébrités Self Contestant
2021 Madam Lebrun Self
2021 Qui sait chanter? Self Panelist
2021 Sans rancune Self
2022 Un Souper Presque Parfait (Season 13) Self Contestant
2022 Canada's Drag Race: Canada vs The World (Season 1) Self Contestant, Placed 3rd/4th
2023-present Drag Race Belgique Self Host/Judge
2023 Chanteurs Masqués Lion Contestant, Placed 3rd

Web Series[]

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2020 Rosalie : La comédie musicale Self

Discography[]

Singles and EPs[]

Year Title Notes
2016 "Fashionista"
2020 "Something Spiritual"

Appearances/Features[]

Year Title Notes
2020 "Not Sorry Aboot It" by The Cast of Canada's Drag Race, Season 1
2020 "U Wear It Well" by RuPaul feat. The Cast of Canada's Drag Race, Season 1
2022 "Bonjour, Hi! (Touché Version)" by The Cast of Canada's Drag Race: Canada vs The World

External Links[]

References[]

  1. ↑ Profile of ritabagaz | Instagram
  2. ↑ (FR) Post by L'otre zone | Facebook — May 27, 2019
  3. ↑ (FR) Post by ritabagaz | Facebook — May 27, 2019
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Canada’s Drag Race contender Rita Baga | MTL — February 1, 2020
  5. ↑ (FR) VIls de jour, elles de nuit: En direct de l’univers des drag queens | YouTube — March 21, 2017
  6. ↑ Celebrity Big Brother Wikipedia | Wikipedia
  7. ↑ About-Rita Baga
  8. ↑ The Pit Stop S1 E7 | Trixie & Alyssa Edwards Kiki | Canada's Drag Race
  9. ↑ Haus of Baga: Rita Baga is back in the house
  10. ↑ Rita Baga et Jean-Thomas Jobin, un duo insolite qui promet (Rita Baga and Jean-Thomas Jobin, an unusual duo that promises)
  11. ↑ Rita Baga: Irresistible Creature
  12. ↑ Un imitateur veut recontrer Adele | Le Journal de Montreal
  13. ↑ "She’s a winner, baby!" | Facebook
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 Baga, R. (2023). Une paillette à la fois.
  15. ↑ Rita Baga talks about hosting Drag Race Belgique | YouTube
  16. ↑ « Drag Race Belgique » : « La francophonie est mon cheval de bataille », assure l’animatrice Rita Baga | 20minutes.fr
  17. ↑ Seizoen 10, aflevering 6: Interviews with Pangina Heals, Rita Baga, Maddy Morphosis, and Jaida Essence Hall at Drag Con UK 2023 | Pruikentijd - Een Drag Race Podcast (14:30 mark)

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