Elisabeth Hasselbeck Looks Back at &x27;Wild&x27; 2007 Screaming Match with Rosie O&x27;Donnell on "The View" Angela AndaloroThu, March 5, 2026 at 7:49 PM UTC 0 Elisabeth Hasslebeck (left), Rosie O'DonnellCredit: Getty(2) Elisabeth Hasselbeck was one of the hosts of The View from 2003 to 2013 During the 20062007 season, Hasselbeck had an unforgettable onair argument with then cohost, Rosie O'Donnell Hasselbeck reflects on the spat during her appearance on The View's companion podcast, Behind the Table Elisabeth Hasselbeck may have made her return to The View, but she doesn't like to return to ...

Elisabeth Hasselbeck Looks Back at 'Wild' 2007 Screaming Match with Rosie O'Donnell on "The View"

Angela AndaloroThu, March 5, 2026 at 7:49 PM UTC

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Elisabeth Hasslebeck (left), Rosie O'DonnellCredit: Getty(2) -

Elisabeth Hasselbeck was one of the hosts of The View from 2003 to 2013

During the 2006-2007 season, Hasselbeck had an unforgettable on-air argument with then co-host, Rosie O'Donnell

Hasselbeck reflects on the spat during her appearance on The View's companion podcast, Behind the Table

Elisabeth Hasselbeck may have made her return to The View, but she doesn't like to return to her worst day there.

Hasselbeck, 48, recently spoke about an explosive day on the talk show in 2007, where she and co-host Rosie O'Donnell got into a heated verbal clash over O'Donnell's alleged lack of support for the troops during the Iraq War. Discussing the moment on The View's companion podcast, Behind the Table, Hasselbeck remembered it as a moment that "determined something."

"It's wild, that split-screen moment. It determined something. It determined who was coming back," she shared. "It was a stressful day. It's not a day that I love. It's a significant day because I can look back at it now with maturity and think my position would be the same."

Hasselbeck doubled down on not changing anything about the argument, briefly considering, "[I would've] maybe tried to be a little bit more physically calm, but I don't know. I was so passionate about the issue."

"For me, I think that I'm proud to have spoken on behalf of the military, and I'm proud that this is a program that allowed even that passion to be shared. It's ugly. It's not a fun thing to look at."

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Getting through the rest of that show and that day on set was difficult for Hasselbeck, who says, "I probably cried through the rest of the day."

"I feel like it created this awful human rift, and I'm not sure it's ever worth it for that. I do think we're created for unity. I don't think we're created to have discord, dissension. I think we're meant to have unity and connection. Even if I can't see like you see, I like to see where you see it from. I love to get someone's point of view on something and have love anyway, in that."

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Hasselbeck credits that moment with helping her land a job with Fox News, noting, "It's why I got hired at Fox, actually. Roger Ailes was like, 'I saw that, you're hired.' "

Discussion of the on-air spat arose in Oct. 2025, during an interview with Australian radio show Ricki-Lee, Tim Joel when O'Donnell claimed that former View producer Bill Geddie had staged the chaos

"Our producer [was] not an on-the-fly kind of guy," O'Donnell said. "He wasn't like, Mr. Let's-Go-To-a-Split-Screen.' That was prepared. The whole thing, I think, was a setup."

Rosie O'Donnell and Elisabeth Hasselbeck in 2006Credit: Mychal Watts/WireImage

Hasselbeck, 48, disagreed, tearfully firing back at O'Donnell's claims with several posts on her Instagram Stories. She asked O'Donnell to "stop the lying."

"And even maybe if you don't stop, I still forgive you. And it can just be so much more free, Rosie, if you can just stop. Stop the madness, stop the lying and just be free," she continued, later adding, "I really hope that you can be released from whatever this is that's causing you to cause such harm."

In her own response, O'Donnell shared that she is "full of freedom and joy" despite Hassebeck's concerns.

"Honey, this wasn't about you or your character. It was about the truth of what happened, from my perspective. That's it," O'Donnell said.

"Hate to tell you, I don't really think about you that much until an interviewer asks me," she continued. "It's not like I'm walking around going, 'God, do you think Elisabeth will ever forgive me?' I'm not. So don't worry about me or my freedom or joy, and just enjoy your life, and I'm gonna do the same."

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Elisabeth Hasselbeck Looks Back at 'Wild' 2007 Screaming Match with Rosie O'Donnell on “The View”

Elisabeth Hasselbeck Looks Back at &x27;Wild&x27; 2007 Screaming Match with Rosie O&x27;Donnell on "...
New Photo - Journey setlist rocks hits, deep cuts. All the songs on the Final Frontier tour

Journey setlist rocks hits, deep cuts. All the songs on the Final Frontier tour Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAYThu, March 5, 2026 at 7:08 PM UTC 0 WASHINGTON – If this really is the end of Journey, the band is making sure fans get a fulfilling final trip. The Final Frontier Tour, which kicked off Feb. 28 and runs through July 2 with more dates expected for 2027, packs 23 songs into 2 ½hours. Though the band has shuffled elements of its set list during the first few shows – "Be Good To Yourself" opened the third date in Washington, D.C.

Journey setlist rocks hits, deep cuts. All the songs on the Final Frontier tour

Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAYThu, March 5, 2026 at 7:08 PM UTC

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WASHINGTON – If this really is the end of Journey, the band is making sure fans get a fulfilling final trip.

The Final Frontier Tour, which kicked off Feb. 28 and runs through July 2 with more dates expected for 2027, packs 23 songs into 2 ½-hours.

Though the band has shuffled elements of its set list during the first few shows – "Be Good To Yourself" opened the third date in Washington, D.C., while "Any Way You Want It" and "Faith in the Heartland" kicked off earlier shows – the songs have mostly remained the same regardless of order.

The sextet of founding member/guitarist Neal Schon, longtime keyboardist Jonathan Cain, singer Arnel Pineda, drummer Deen Castronovo, keyboardist Jason Derlatka and bassist Todd Jensen bound through beloved fist pumpers ("Any Way You Want It," "Don't Stop Believin'") and deep cuts ("La Do Da," "Mother, Father").

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Journey's Final Frontier tour will run through summer 2026 with more dates expected for 2027.

Pineda's vocals have lost some of their flexibility - he joined in 2007, proving that years of hitting notes mostly showcased by former frontman Steve Perry is a tough task – but he's given an assist from Cain, Derlatka and Castronovo on a handful of songs.

Schon, meanwhile, is the unwavering rock star on stage in shades and high-top sneakers, tossing out solos that burst with technical precision and guitar hero flash.

Here's what you can expect to hear at the show.

More: Journey thanks fans 'for all the years' on final tour

Journey Final Frontier Tour setlist -

"Be Good to Yourself"

"Stone in Love"

"Only the Young"

"Just the Same Way"

"Lights"

"When You Love a Woman"

"Escape"

"Who's Crying Now"

"Mother, Father"

"Suzanne"

"Wheel in the Sky"

"Faithfully"

"Feeling That Way"

"Anytime"

"Dead or Alive"

"Ask the Lonely"

"I'll Be Alright Without You"

"Open Arms"

"La Do Da"

"Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'"

"Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)"

"Any Way You Want It"

"Don't Stop Believin'"

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Journey setlist: All the songs on the band's Final Frontier tour

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Journey setlist rocks hits, deep cuts. All the songs on the Final Frontier tour

Journey setlist rocks hits, deep cuts. All the songs on the Final Frontier tour Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAYThu, March ...
New Photo - David Del Rio Hits Back at CBS Over 'Matlock' Firing – Lawyer Says He Has Bombshell Texts

David Del Rio Hits Back at CBS Over 'Matlock' FiringLawyer Says He Has Bombshell Texts Martin HolmesThu, March 5, 2026 at 1:12 PM UTC 52 David Del Rio and Leah Lewis Steve Wilkie / CBS; Robert Voets/CBS Matlock actor David Del Rio has initiated arbitration against CBS Studios after he was fired from the show following an allegation of sexual assault from his costar, Leah Lewis.

David Del Rio Hits Back at CBS Over 'Matlock' Firing – Lawyer Says He Has Bombshell Texts

Martin HolmesThu, March 5, 2026 at 1:12 PM UTC

52

David Del Rio and Leah Lewis - Steve Wilkie / CBS; Robert Voets/CBS

Matlock actor David Del Rio has initiated arbitration against CBS Studios after he was fired from the show following an allegation of sexual assault from his costar, Leah Lewis.

"David Del Rio has initiated arbitration against CBS Studios to address false and misleading allegations that caused substantial professional and reputational harm," Shawn Holley, Del Rio's high-profile attorney, told TVInsider in a statement on Wednesday (March 4).

"At the arbitration, Mr. Del Rio will present real-time text communications and evidence that directly contradicts prior public characterizations of the interaction at issue," the statement continued. "This evidence was not fully considered before adverse employment action was taken."

Holley's statement concluded, "Mr. Del Rio looks forward to resolving this matter through the appropriate legal forum and has faith that a full evidentiary review will establish the truth and restore his professional reputation."

Del Rio, who played lawyer Billy Martinez on Matlock, was accused of sexual assault Lewis. CBS Studios investigated the alleged incident, which Lewis reported on October 2 and said took place on September 26. Following an internal investigation, Del Rio was fired and escorted off the Matlock set.

CBS reopened the investigation in December, interviewing more parties, including Del Rio and his lawyer, Holley. The network stood by its original decision to dismiss Del Rio.

According to TMZ sources, Del Rio "fully cooperated" with both the initial investigation and the reopened investigation, as well as submitted "documentary evidence supporting his position." The sources also said CBS re-characterized the claims from "sexual assault to unwelcome sexual conduct" following the investigation.

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Del Rio and his attorney, who has represented the likes of Kim Kardashian, Justin Bieber, and Lindsay Lohan, are expected to present "additional evidence," including text message exchanges, during the arbitration.

Lewis first spoke out about the incident in an October 10 Instagram post, in which she shared a photo of herself and her mom. "Mom is here. We're moving forward in love and strength," she wrote. "I'm in good hands. Thank you to everybody for any kind of support and care. Truly, we're moving forward in strength. Key word, strength. Let that be the takeaway."

Del Rio's wife, actress Katherine Del Rio, responded to Lewis' post at the time. In an Instagram Story, Katherine shared a close-up of Lewis' face, writing over it, "This is the most disturbing human being I have ever met."

She also shared a photo with her own mother, writing, "Mom is here. We are moving forward in love and strength after what Leah did to our family. Thank you all for the love and support!"

Filming on the second season of Matlock took a pre-scheduled hiatus following Del Rio's dismissal and resumed after Thanksgiving. The show returned on February 26, with Del Rio's character written out the series.

Matlock, Thursdays, 9/8c, CBS

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David Del Rio Hits Back at CBS Over ‘Matlock’ Firing – Lawyer Says He Has Bombshell Texts

David Del Rio Hits Back at CBS Over 'Matlock' Firing – Lawyer Says He Has Bombshell Texts Martin HolmesThu, M...
New Photo - Nickelodeon star Carlos PenaVega says his stillborn baby and Charlie Kirk are 'more impactful' af...

Carlos and Alexa PenaVega's fourth child, Indy Rex, was stillborn in 2024. Nickelodeon star Carlos PenaVega says his stillborn baby and Charlie Kirk are 'more impactful' after their deaths Carlos and Alexa PenaVega's fourth child, Indy Rex, was stillborn in 2024. By Sharareh Drury March 5, 2026 2:05 p.m. ET Leave a Comment :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/CarlosPenaVegaAlexaPenaVega03052627dbb3d6154e84618b22939fb73f6e272.jpg) Carlos and Alexa PenaVega on 'The Upload'. Credit: The Upload with Brooke Taylor/YouTube Carlos and Alexa PenaVega are opening up about the loss of their daughter.

Carlos and Alexa PenaVega's fourth child, Indy Rex, was stillborn in 2024.

Nickelodeon star Carlos PenaVega says his stillborn baby and Charlie Kirk are 'more impactful' after their deaths

Carlos and Alexa PenaVega's fourth child, Indy Rex, was stillborn in 2024.

By Sharareh Drury

March 5, 2026 2:05 p.m. ET

Leave a Comment

Carlos and Alexa PenaVega on 'The Upload'

Carlos and Alexa PenaVega on 'The Upload'. Credit:

The Upload with Brooke Taylor/YouTube

Carlos and Alexa PenaVega are opening up about the loss of their daughter.

Appearing on *The Upload* with hosts Brooke Taylor and Pastor Mark Evans, the *Big Time Rush* actor and *Spy Kids* star reflected on their grief after their fourth child, Indy Rex PenaVega, was stillborn in April 2024, and what they've learned from that experience.

Looking back on their loss, Alexa mentioned how they knew of another couple who had lost their 10-year-old son named Taven. "Walking through that experience with them... was so heartbreaking and hard. We were just wrecked for them. We were like, 'How are you guys going through this?'" Alexa shared. "Now, I look at it all so differently."

Carlos added how the loss of their friend's son had "a waterfall effect," and similarly, their daughter Indy has made a larger impact after death. "I think what's been amazing is that Taven, and then even our Indy, and then even recently, Charlie Kirk. Like these guys, their lives have been so much more impactful after," Carlos said, referencing the Turning Point co-founder who was shot and killed on Sept. 10, 2025, while speaking at a campus event at Utah Valley University.

Carlos and Alexa PenaVega in 2023

Carlos and Alexa PenaVega in 2023.

Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty

"I look at my life, and I go if this ceiling were to... if that were to fall on me right now and I'm gone... I want to make sure whatever happens to me, that when I do go, man, it would be awesome that my life is as impactful, if not more, afterwards," Carlos continued.**** The couple announced the loss of their daughter via Instagram in 2024, writing "There are never the right words to say when it comes to loss."

"After a beautiful and peaceful delivery our daughter 'Indy' was born at rest," the PenaVegas wrote on Instagram. "It has been a painful journey. But in the pain we have found peace. God continues to comfort and hold us in his arms. The prayers from the community around us have been so sustaining in this difficult season."

Carlos and Alexa PenaVega on 'Dancing With the Stars' season 21

Carlos and Alexa PenaVega on 'Dancing With the Stars' season 21.

Adam Taylor/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty

Alexa and Carlos PenaVega announce stillbirth of their daughter: 'It has been a painful journey'

Actors Carlos PenaVega (L) and Alexa PenaVega (R) visit Hallmark Channel's "Home & Family" at Universal Studios Hollywood on February 07, 2020 in Universal City, California.

Alexa PenaVega says 'Dancing With the Stars' is hard on spouses

Alexa and Carlos PenaVega

Alexa and Carlos share three children together, the first of whom was born in 2016.

The couple has starred in several films together, including* Mr. Manhattan*, a streaming movie for the faith-based platform Great American Pure Flix, as well as a number of Hallmark movies, including *Get Him Back for Christmas*, *Love in the Limelight*, *Never Too Late to Celebrate*, and *Enchanted Christmas*.**

Watch Carlos and Alexa PenaVega's full interview in the video above.**

- Celebrities & Creators

- Celebrity Babies & Pregnancies

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Source: "EW Celebrity"

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Source: Celebrity

Published: March 5, 2026 at 03:00PM on Source: PRIME TIME

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Nickelodeon star Carlos PenaVega says his stillborn baby and Charlie Kirk are 'more impactful' af...

Carlos and Alexa PenaVega 's fourth child, Indy Rex, was stillborn in 2024. Nickelodeon star Carlos PenaVega says h...
New Photo - EW's BINGE of Community is now available as a podcast

With Community now on Netflix, creator Dan Harmon and stars Joel McHale, Alison Brie, and more are walking us through the cult classic sitcom. EW's BINGE of Community is now available as a podcast With Community now on Netflix, creator Dan Harmon and stars Joel McHale, Alison Brie, and more are walking us through the cult classic sitcom. By Derek Lawrence :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/derek160e1b72b3389c74b8ca03743731e346949.jpg) Derek Lawrence is a former associate editor at . He left EW in 2022. EW's editorial guidelines May 21, 2020 9:00 a.m.

With Community now on Netflix, creator Dan Harmon and stars Joel McHale, Alison Brie, and more are walking us through the cult classic sitcom.

EW's BINGE of Community is now available as a podcast

With Community now on Netflix, creator Dan Harmon and stars Joel McHale, Alison Brie, and more are walking us through the cult classic sitcom.

By Derek Lawrence

Derek Lawrence

Derek Lawrence is a former associate editor at **. He left EW in 2022.

EW's editorial guidelines

May 21, 2020 9:00 a.m. ET

*Community* cast on a podcast!

If all the recent *Community* content wasn't enough for you, then you're in luck, because EW's *BINGE* of the NBC cult classic has been released as seven podcast episodes, which are all available now.

With the comedy finally landing on Netflix, hosts Chancellor Agard and Derek Lawrence launched a video series in which they went through the entire run via in-depth analysis of each season and Zoom interviews with the cast and creator.

Beginning with a series primer featuring Dan Harmon, each episode focuses on a particular season and includes untold stories and hilarious memories from stars Joel McHale, Alison Brie, Gillian Jacobs, Danny Pudi, Yvette Nicole Brown, Jim Rash, and Ken Jeong.

Community

In addition to the delight of hearing from our favorite Greendale alums, the biggest highlight to come out of the *BINGE* of *Community* was Jacobs' interview sparking the idea of the cast launching a giveaway of special props and experiences for charity. Part of the #UnitedAtHome series, fans can make a donation for their chance to win a guest spot on Jeong and McHale's podcast, a private Zoom conversation with the cast, and more. Open through June 1, head over to Prizeo's *Community* page to enter.

And you can subscribe to *BINGE* on iTunes or wherever you listen to podcasts.

**Related content:**

- EW is binging *Community* with the cast and creator: Watch the first episode now

- Joel McHale reflects on *Community* season 1: 'I would've sawed off a pinkie to do it'

- Ken Jeong and Yvette Nicole Brown talk *Community* season 2: 'Is every episode going to be like this?'

by Chancellor Agard

ZvF4pJa8_400x400

Chancellor Agard

Chancellor Agard is a former staff writer at **. He left EW in 2022.

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Source: "EW Comedy"

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Source: Comedy

Published: March 5, 2026 at 01:19PM on Source: PRIME TIME

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EW's BINGE of Community is now available as a podcast

With Community now on Netflix, creator Dan Harmon and stars Joel McHale, Alison Brie, and more are walking us through the cul...
New Photo - EW's BINGE podcast sashays to season 5 with RuPaul's Drag Race icons

Beginning July 2, Drag Race icons Bianca Del Rio, Shangela, Raja, Latrice Royale, Alyssa Edwards, and more take EW back through every season. EW's BINGE podcast sashays to season 5 with RuPaul's Drag Race icons Beginning July 2, Drag Race icons Bianca Del Rio, Shangela, Raja, Latrice Royale, Alyssa Edwards, and more take EW back through every season. :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/JoeyNolfiauthorphotoba4923fec03a4027868306485696ef41.jpg) Joey Nolfi is a senior writer at . Since 2016, his work at EW includes RuPaul's Drag Race video interviews, Oscars predictions, and more.

Beginning July 2, Drag Race icons Bianca Del Rio, Shangela, Raja, Latrice Royale, Alyssa Edwards, and more take EW back through every season.

EW's BINGE podcast sashays to season 5 with RuPaul's Drag Race icons

Beginning July 2, Drag Race icons Bianca Del Rio, Shangela, Raja, Latrice Royale, Alyssa Edwards, and more take EW back through every season.

Joey Nolfi, senior writer at

Joey Nolfi is a senior writer at *. *Since 2016, his work at EW includes *RuPaul's Drag Race* video interviews, Oscars predictions, and more.

EW's editorial guidelines

June 11, 2020 3:00 p.m. ET

The level of podcasting excellence? Far too much!

EW's *BINGE* podcast — the show that takes you behind the scenes of the most addictive shows and movies best consumed in indulgent portions — is back to get jiggy and wiggy with the first 11 seasons of *RuPaul's Drag Race. *

Because all first-time-in-drags baby queens need proper lessons in how to beat their mug and walk in heels, series icons like BeBe Zahara Benet, Raven, Jujubee, Latrice Royale, Alyssa Edwards, Bianca Del Rio, Adore Delano, Trixie Mattel, Katya, and more will guide hosts Joey Nolfi and Jillian Sederholm through all of the series' best moments (and they might serve some never-before-spilled tea from production, too). Also on board for the journey are former rivals Shangela and Raja, who appear together on EW's *BINGE* for their first joint interview since their season 3 run ended one decade ago.

Along the way, other *Drag Race* alums like Yuhua Hamasaki, Nina West, Vivacious, and more will host hilarious mini-segments on seasonal fashion, wigs, and a recurring *Snatch Game* fantasy section that features early-eliminated queens gunning for redemption in character as the celebrities they never got to play on the show's fan-favorite impersonation challenge.

So, throw on your cha-cha heels and click-clack your way through season 5 of EW's *BINGE* podcast when it returns on Thursday, July 2. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you find your favorite podcasts, and preview all the good tea on the horizon in the trailer below.

**Related content: **

- Werkin' Girls: Nothing can stop RuPaul's all-star queens

- See RuPaul's *All-Stars 5* queens' sickening, self-shot cover photos

- Tip your queens and kings: How coronavirus closures are upending the drag industry

- RuPaul's Drag Race Fandom

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Published: March 5, 2026 at 01:19PM on Source: PRIME TIME

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EW's BINGE podcast sashays to season 5 with RuPaul's Drag Race icons

Beginning July 2, Drag Race icons Bianca Del Rio, Shangela, Raja, Latrice Royale, Alyssa Edwards, and more take EW back thr...
New Photo - Drag Race's BeBe and Ongina reveal the truth behind season 1's infamous filter

OG queens reveal the truth behind the infamous filter and how Ongina might've indirectly caused Akasia's runway fall. Drag Race's BeBe and Ongina reveal the truth behind season 1's infamous filter OG queens reveal the truth behind the infamous filter and how Ongina might've indirectly caused Akasia's runway fall. :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/JoeyNolfiauthorphotoba4923fec03a4027868306485696ef41.jpg) Joey Nolfi is a senior writer at . Since 2016, his work at EW includes RuPaul's Drag Race video interviews, Oscars predictions, and more. EW's editorial guidelines July 2, 2020 9:00 a.m.

OG queens reveal the truth behind the infamous filter and how Ongina might've indirectly caused Akasia's runway fall.

Drag Race's BeBe and Ongina reveal the truth behind season 1's infamous filter

OG queens reveal the truth behind the infamous filter and how Ongina might've indirectly caused Akasia's runway fall.

Joey Nolfi, senior writer at

Joey Nolfi is a senior writer at *. *Since 2016, his work at EW includes *RuPaul's Drag Race* video interviews, Oscars predictions, and more.

EW's editorial guidelines

July 2, 2020 9:00 a.m. ET

Few things in life are as immediately clear as RuPaul's cover girl beauty, but fans had a memorably difficult time literally seeing that — or much of anything at all — through what appeared to be a glob of vaseline smeared across the camera throughout the filming of *RuPaul's Drag Race* season 1.

OG queens BeBe Zahara Benet — who walked away with the Emmy-winning series' inaugural prize — and fan-favorite competitor Ongina recently stopped by EW'S *BINGE* podcast to lovingly recap their season 1 journey through the future ratings juggernaut's fabulous fledgling waters and that infamously blurry camera lens as part of Mama Ru's debut crop of contenders vying for what would become the most coveted crown in queer television history.

"It seems like every two seconds they had to change some lighting thing," Benet affectionately jokes of season 1's aesthetic, which she tells *BINGE* cohosts Joey Nolfi and Jillian Sederholm was a recurring point of comedy for the first group of girls to face off on *Drag Race*. "[It was] that filter!" Ongina continues. "They had to keep changing the plastic layer they kept adding to the camera! They had a man with different color cellophanes. We were just sitting there!"

Benet remembers that the group had no idea the season would end up playing on national television as if it was being broadcast through a cloud of mist, which fans have adoringly come to love as one of the show's most memorable artistic choices across its 11-year history.

"We didn't even know what it was. When we looked at the final product we were like, oh, they sure blurred our faces, honey, we must not have been that cute!" she quips.

RuPaul's Drag Race

Mathu Andersen/Logo

Before the show went on to score gold with the Television Academy and morph into a global phenomenon on VH1, queer-focused network Logo shepherded the series into existence on a much smaller budget than it has now, which resulted in what appeared to be a tiny runway Benet and Ongina claim was easier to navigate than fans suspect. That wasn't the case for season 1 competitor Akashia, however, who fell atop the stage after getting tripped up on a gorgeous ballgown.

"It seemed like she was very down and very sad. What I remember from that day is she had asked me [to help her pick] between two outfits," explains Ongina. "She showed me the gown which she wore, and then she was showing me another hoe outfit. I was like, 'You should probably wear a gown this time because you've been a hoe the last few outfits you've worn.' I'm not saying it was *my* fault she fell, obviously that was her fault because she couldn't walk in a gown, but maybe I added to that!"

Ongina maintains that she made the call as a genuine move to help Akashia, who'd already landed in the bottom twice leading up to that point. Benet backs up the sentiment, speculating that the magic of season 1 stems from a lack of knowledge about how the show operated, so there was no secret plotting or back-stabbing like we see on today's televised pageants.

"Whether you hate or love us, we were very genuine," Benet stresses. "We didn't have blueprints to say 'I want to be the bitch' or 'I want to be this,' we were just who we were.... nobody came with some preconceived notion or strategy!"

Listen to Benet and Ongina's full interview on EW's *BINGE* podcast — which recaps one season of *RuPaul's Drag Race* per episode — above. New episodes premiere every Thursday with new queens (including Bianca Del Rio, Trixie Mattel, Katya, and more), so subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you find your favorite podcasts.

**Related content: **

- Werkin' Girls: Nothing can stop RuPaul's all-star queens

- *Drag Race* icon Ongina might've quit *All-Stars 5*, but she's here to stay

- Ongina on upping her $100 season 1 outfit budget for *All-Stars 5* return

- RuPaul's Drag Race Fandom

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Published: March 5, 2026 at 01:19PM on Source: PRIME TIME

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Drag Race's BeBe and Ongina reveal the truth behind season 1's infamous filter

OG queens reveal the truth behind the infamous filter and how Ongina might've indirectly caused Akasia's runway ...

 

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