"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 Record(s)[]
Rita Baga
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)
"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[]
"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)
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 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.
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.
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]
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]
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]