College basketball tip-off: Expert predictions for NCAA champion, conference winners, player of the year and more

College basketball tipoff: Expert predictions for NCAA champion, conference winners, player of the year and more Yahoo Sports Staff November 3, 2025 at 11:51 PM 0 College basketball is back with loads of intrigue for the 202526 season. Plenty of veteran talent returns to lead national title hopefuls Houston, Purdue and Florida. And an exciting new crop of freshman talent projects to challenge for national player of the year honors and lead teams like Duke, Kansas and upstart BYU into championship contention.

- - College basketball tip-off: Expert predictions for NCAA champion, conference winners, player of the year and more

Yahoo Sports Staff November 3, 2025 at 11:51 PM

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College basketball is back with loads of intrigue for the 2025-26 season.

Plenty of veteran talent returns to lead national title hopefuls Houston, Purdue and Florida. And an exciting new crop of freshman talent projects to challenge for national player of the year honors and lead teams like Duke, Kansas and upstart BYU into championship contention.

Yahoo Sports' college basketball experts Jeff Eisenberg, Dan Wolken, Ryan Young, Nick Bromberg and Jason Owens have made their predictions for the season for conference winners, National Player of the Year, national champion and more.

Conference champions

After a classic national semifinal that saw Houston rally past Duke to advance to the national championship game, our experts like both teams to return to contention in 2025. Duke and Houston are unanimous picks to secure conference titles this season.

Cooper Flagg is gone from Duke, as are fellow first-round draft picks Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach. But Duke has reloaded yet again with the nation's No. 1 recruiting class, featuring player of the year candidate Cameron Boozer, the son of Duke great and former NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer. Expect the Blue Devils to challenge for the ACC title, Final Four and beyond.

Houston returns three starters from last season's national finalist in Emanuel Sharp, Milos Uzan and Joseph Tugler, who are all preseason All-Big 12 selections. After falling just short shot of topping Florida for the national championship, the Cougars look ready to challenge for the title again.

Our experts weren't quite as bullish on Purdue, who returns NPOY candidate Braden Smith from last season's Sweet 16 team. But four out of five like the Boilermakers to win the Big Ten.

Reigning national champion Florida, which returns preseason All-American Alex Condon, was picked by three out of five panelists to win what projects as another dogfight at the top of the SEC. And, per our panelists, it's a two-way race between Rick Pitino's St. John's and Dan Hurley's UConn atop the Big East.

Who will be lifting the trophy in April? (Mallory Bielecki/Yahoo Sports) (Mallory Bielecki/Yahoo Sports)No. 1 seeds

Accordingly, the predicted No. 1 seeds for the NCAA tournament come from the above-mentioned conference champion picks. Houston and Purdue are unanimous No. 1 seed selections, while Duke, Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee and St. John's each got at least one vote to make the top line.

Neither of the panelists who picked UConn to win the Big East likes the Huskies to earn a No. 1 seed.

Coach most likely to get fired

A bloodbath is projected in the ACC, most notably in Chapel Hill, where alumnus Hubert Davis enters the season with perhaps the most pressure of any coach in the country.

Supported by Roy Williams to succeed him, Davis overcame a disappointing regular season in his 2021-22 debut to lead the North Carolina to a run to the Final Four and a win over Duke in the national semifinal before coming up short in the national title game against Kansas.

In the three seasons since, UNC has fallen from preseason No. 1 to out of the tournament and then failed to advance past the Sweet 16 in two straight campaigns. Davis' long leash will get considerably shorter if this top-25 team gets off to a slow start.

Virginia Tech's Mike Young and Syracuse's Jim Boeheim successor Adrian Autry are also among the picks to lose their jobs. Meanwhile, two of our panelists picked Bobby Hurley's 11-year run at Arizona State to conclude after two consecutive losing seasons and missing the NCAA tournament in five of the last six.

Mallory Bielecki/Yahoo Sports (Mallory Bielecki/Yahoo Sports)National Coach of the Year

On the other end of the coaching spectrum, there is no consensus among our experts for coach of the year. Michigan's Dusty May and Louisville's Pat Kelsey are projected to take their teams to the next level this season. Meanwhile, big things are expected from college coaching stalwarts Kelvin Sampson (Houston), Rick Barnes (Tennessee) and Pitino (St. John's).

Each of our five picks for coach of the year has built a roster that could win a national championship.

National Player of the Year

There's also no consensus player of the year favorite, and that's reflected in our picks. Among those picks are three freshmen in Boozer, Kansas guard Darryn Peterson and BYU forward AJ Dybantsa.

Boozer's the projected anchor of a No. 6 Duke team with national title aspirations. The preseason projections aren't as high for No. 19 Kansas, but Peterson — a big-time scorer — is likewise expected to lead the Jayhawks as far as they'll go.

And Dybantsa is perhaps the most intriguing candidate. A dynamic two-way forward who could be the No. 1 pick in next year's NBA Draft, Dybantsa spurned blue-bloods Kansas, North Carolina and Duke to play for BYU. The Cougars are subsequently ranked No. 8 in the nation and carrying aspirations of challenging traditional powers in the national title race.

Purdue's Smith and Texas Tech forward JT Toppin are the veteran picks to challenge the freshmen for NPOY honors. Both are returning All-Americans on teams expected to compete for a championship.

Smith leads the preseason No. 1 Boilermakers after averaging 15.8 points and leading the Big Ten for a second straight season with 8.7 assists per game in 2024-25. Toppin returns to challenge for a second straight Big 12 Player of the Year award after averaging 18.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocks.

National champion

It's not unanimous. But our panel overwhelmingly likes Houston to finally break through for a national championship.

Sampson's Cougars have arguably been college basketball's most reliable performer over the last five seasons with five trips to the Sweet 16 and two to the Final Four, including last year's run to the championship game.

Houston's a consistent contender with a style centered on smothering defense and strong outside shooting that lends itself to March basketball. This roster that returns three starters should bring more of the same alongside plenty of March experience. Four of our five panelists like Houston to make its eighth Final Four and win its first NCAA title.

Duke, with its top-ranked recruiting class, is the fifth pick to win what would be Jon Scheyer's first championship as a head coach.

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November 03, 2025

College basketball tip-off: Expert predictions for NCAA champion, conference winners, player of the year and more

College basketball tipoff: Expert predictions for NCAA champion, conference winners, player of the year and more Yaho...

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Reports: Eagles trade for Dolphins DE Jaelan Phillips

Reports: Eagles trade for Dolphins DE Jaelan Phillips Field Level MediaNovember 4, 2025 at 2:13 AM 0 Oct 19, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Miami Dolphins linebacker Jaelan Phillips (15) celebrates after a tackle during the first half against the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken BlazeImagn Images (Ken BlazeImagn Images) The Philadelphia Eagles acquired edge rusher Jaelan Phillips from the Miami Dolphins in exchange for a thirdround pick in the 2026 draft, according to multiple reports Monday.

- - Reports: Eagles trade for Dolphins DE Jaelan Phillips

Field Level MediaNovember 4, 2025 at 2:13 AM

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Oct 19, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Miami Dolphins linebacker Jaelan Phillips (15) celebrates after a tackle during the first half against the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images (Ken Blaze-Imagn Images)

The Philadelphia Eagles acquired edge rusher Jaelan Phillips from the Miami Dolphins in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2026 draft, according to multiple reports Monday.

A deal for Phillips would make three defensive players added by the Eagles in the past two weeks. The Eagles had multiple third-round picks in the 2026 draft and will need to make a roster move to complete the deal, which requires an all-important physical considering Phillips has had season-ending Achilles and ACL injuries.

Eagles vice president Howie Roseman previously added cornerbacks Michael Carter (New York Jets) and Jaire Alexander (Baltimore Ravens) in separate deals, making good on his vow not to be content with where the Eagles stand at 6-2 and in first place in the NFC East.

"I'm the first one to admit we will make some mistakes," Roseman said last month. "But I promise you we're going to keep shooting. We're going to do our best to put together the best team that we possibly can."

Phillips, 26, was selected 18th overall in the 2021 draft. He is playing this season on his fifth-year option and can become a free agent in March. He recorded 26 sacks in 55 games (38 starts) with the Dolphins.

Phillips has three sacks this season and played for Philadelphia defensive coordinator Vic Fangio in 2023, when he held the same position in Miami.

The Eagles are currently on a bye week and visit the Green Bay Packers next Monday.

Edge rushers for the Eagles this season have a combined 5.5 sacks in eight games.

In addition to Phillips, Brandon Graham is expected to be active for Week 10 against the Packers. Graham came out of retirement last month after Za'Darius Smith unexpectedly retired. Nolan Smith (triceps) is on injured reserve.

--Field Level Media

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Reports: Eagles trade for Dolphins DE Jaelan Phillips

Reports: Eagles trade for Dolphins DE Jaelan Phillips Field Level MediaNovember 4, 2025 at 2:13 AM 0 Oct 19, 2025; Clevel...

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Jannik Sinner replaces Carlos Alcaraz at No. 1 with the year-ending top spot still uncertain

Jannik Sinner replaces Carlos Alcaraz at No. 1 with the yearending top spot still uncertain ANDREW DAMPFNovember 3, 2025 at 8:27 PM 0 1 / 3France Tennis Paris MastersItaly's Jannik Sinner celebrates after winning the final match of the Paris Masters tennis tournament against Canada's Felix AugerAliassime in Paris, Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena) ROME (AP) — It's not just Grand Slam titles that Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have taken turns collecting this year. The top two tennis players are also trading the No. 1 ranking back and forth.

- - Jannik Sinner replaces Carlos Alcaraz at No. 1 with the year-ending top spot still uncertain

ANDREW DAMPFNovember 3, 2025 at 8:27 PM

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1 / 3France Tennis Paris MastersItaly's Jannik Sinner celebrates after winning the final match of the Paris Masters tennis tournament against Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime in Paris, Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

ROME (AP) — It's not just Grand Slam titles that Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have taken turns collecting this year.

The top two tennis players are also trading the No. 1 ranking back and forth.

Sinner officially returned to the top spot in the ATP rankings on Monday following his Paris Masters victory — replacing Alcaraz, who had held the honor for nearly two months.

But due to the rankings' math and rules, Alcaraz will return to No. 1 next Monday.

The Italian and the Spaniard are separated by so few points now — Sinner leads with 11,500 points to Alcaraz's 11,250 — that it will come down to their performances at the upcoming ATP Finals in Turin to determine who ends the year at No. 1.

Points dropping off

While neither Sinner nor Alcaraz are playing this week — except for when the ATP Finals start on Sunday — the reason the rankings will change again next Monday is because that's the day when the points from each player's performance at last year's finals drops off.

Sinner next week will lose the 1,500 points he earned from winning the finals last year, while Alcaraz will lose only the 200 points that he earned after failing to advance from the group stage.

So next Monday, the rankings will read: Alcaraz 11,050 and Sinner 10,000.

And there's zero possibility for any other player to move into the top two spots anytime soon since No. 3 Alexander Zverev (5,560 points), No. 4 Taylor Fritz (4,735) and No. 5 Novak Djokovic (4,580) trail far behind.

Sinner and Alcaraz have amassed their huge points totals by winning — among other tournaments — all four of this year's majors.

Sinner won the Australian Open. Then Alcaraz beat Sinner in an epic French Open final. Sinner got some revenge by beating Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final. And then Alcaraz beat Sinner again for the U.S. Open trophy.

ATP Finals seedings

Making matters more complicated is that Alcaraz will be seeded No. 1 for the finals — even though he won't be ranked No. 1 entering that tournament.

That's because the finals uses another rankings system — the "Race to Turin" that takes into account only points accumulated in the calendar year.

Alcaraz leads Sinner by more than 1,000 points in the Race rankings.

Sinner lost ground in both systems during a three-month doping suspension near the start of the year.

Year-ending scenarios

Sinner needs to win the ATP Finals and hope Alcaraz doesn't reach the final to secure the year-end No. 1 for a second consecutive year.

Alcaraz needs to win three matches at the finals to finish 2025 atop the rankings for the second time in his career. Alcaraz became the youngest player to finish a year at No. 1 when he achieved the feat as a 19-year-old in 2022.

As for the WTA rankings, Aryna Sabalenka has already secured the year-ending No. 1 spot.

Sinner enters Turin on a 10-match winning streak after titles in Vienna and Paris, will be playing on his favorite surface — an indoor hard court — and can expect loud support from his home fans at the finals.

Alcaraz goes to Italy coming off a loss to Cameron Norrie in his Paris opener and has often struggled when playing indoors.

Auger-Aliassime, Musetti still trying to qualify

The other players to qualify for the finals — which features the top eight of the Race — so far are: Zverev, Djokovic, Ben Shelton, Fritz and Alex de Minaur.

Paris finalist Felix Auger-Aliassime and Lorenzo Musetti are still battling for the final spot, with Musetti needing to win a tournament in Athens this week to move ahead of the Canadian and qualify for the elite event in his home country.

It's also unclear, though, if Djokovic plans to play the finals at a point in his career where he has said he's focusing almost exclusively on the majors.

Djokovic, who withdrew from the finals last year, is playing in Athens this week.

If Djokovic withdraws, both Auger-Aliassime and Musetti would qualify for the finals.

The draw for the finals is slated for Thursday — when it could still be uncertain who the last qualifier is.

___

Andrew Dampf is at https://ift.tt/38bapwj

___

AP tennis: https://ift.tt/N8RfF5E

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Published: November 03, 2025 at 05:28PM on Source: BERRY MAG

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Jannik Sinner replaces Carlos Alcaraz at No. 1 with the year-ending top spot still uncertain

Jannik Sinner replaces Carlos Alcaraz at No. 1 with the yearending top spot still uncertain ANDREW DAMPFNovember 3, 2...

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Season 8 queens spill tea on Kimonogate, Bob coaching Naomi ahead of the AllStars Snatch Game, and a hilarious offcamera moment with RuPaul on the runway. Bob the Drag Queen, Naomi Smalls say even more kimonos nearly plagued Drag Race season 8 Kimonogate Season 8 queens spill tea on Kimonogate, Bob coaching Naomi ahead of the AllStars Snatch Game, and a hilarious offcamera moment with RuPaul on the runway. :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/JoeyNolfiauthorphotoba4923fec03a4027868306485696ef41.jpg) Joey Nolfi is a senior writer at .

Season 8 queens spill tea on Kimonogate, Bob coaching Naomi ahead of the All-Stars Snatch Game, and a hilarious off-camera moment with RuPaul on the runway.

Bob the Drag Queen, Naomi Smalls say even more kimonos nearly plagued Drag Race season 8 Kimonogate

Season 8 queens spill tea on Kimonogate, Bob coaching Naomi ahead of the All-Stars Snatch Game, and a hilarious off-camera moment with RuPaul on the runway.

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

August 20, 2020 11:00 a.m. ET

Remember Kimonogate from *RuPaul's Drag Race* season 8? It was an iconic fashion moment, but for all the wrong reasons. Now, alums Bob the Drag Queen and Naomi Smalls have joined *EW's BINGE* podcast to spill secrets on the hilarious affair — like the fact that there were almost an additional two kimonos sashaying down the runway.

"What they didn't show you was that two girls who'd been eliminated also brought kimonos," says Bob, who ultimately won the week's *Snatch Game* maxi challenge and Madonna-inspired runway, which caused a stir among the judging panel after most queens opted to recreate the pop icon's Japanese-inspired look from the "Nothing Really Matters" music video. "I think Naysha [Lopez] and Cynthia [Lee Fontaine brought them as well]. We all knew about Kimonogate before Kimonogate, because, once you get in the Werk Room, you're like, 'What did you bring for Madonna.... there were six girls holding up kimonos and I was like, yikes!"

Bob also claims Chi Chi DeVayne hadn't prepared a Madonna look in advance of the episode because, as the season 8 winner tells *BINGE* hosts Joey Nolfi and Jillian Sederholm, she didn't think she'd last through episode five of the competition. "Chi Chi made her outfit there that day, or she didn't make one at all. I think we asked what she brought for Madonna snd she was like 'Girl, I ain't bring notting.... I didn't know I was gonna make it this far!' So she made that cone bra in the Werk Room that day!"

Another garment that turned heads on the season 8 runway was Fontaine's mesh running shorts, which she wore atop a pair of roller skates (and under a cowgirl hat) for one of the worst-received ensembles in the show's history.

"My brain just gets transported back to red basketball shorts," Smalls says of recalling her time on season 8. "What they didn't show on TV were those shorts, she covered up the Nike checkmark with rhinestones!"

"When she put the shorts on, I remember specifically Naomi looking at me across the room, *me* of all people, like, I was like girl, I don't know, girl!" Bob says with a laugh, adding that the eventual Miss Congeniality winner could've saved herself from critiques of doom if she'd simply worn the rest of the outfit she had with her. "Cynthia is interesting, she had this top, like a chiffon or taffeta top, if I recall correctly, and she had these taffeta pants or some kind of outfit to go on the bottom, but she just didn't put it on, and I don't know why!"

But, as Bob says, Fontaine wasn't the only queen who opted for athleisure on the main stage.

"It is a known fact that RuPaul's dresses are in two chunks. Sometimes she'll work the runway and take off all of her padding and put on some sweatpants and Ugg slippers and walk around the studio. Everyone knows this. RuPaul gets out of drag from the waist down to sit behind the table, which I would, too!" Bob fondly recalls of the long hours RuPaul puts in while wearing multiple hats (and gowns) on set. "We cut for break.... one day RuPaul just got up and said 'I just want you motherf---ers to know I'm still in full drag!' so she gets up and starts runwaying across, back and forth, in front of the stage.... we started cheering and clapping because it was really funny!"

Finally, Smalls wraps the season 8 recap with another warm memory of RuPaul from the finale.

"I always think about when we had to do our finale walk situation with Ru down the runway, and we had to hold her hand and stand next to her," explains Smalls. "I remember my first thought was, it was my first time standing next to her in full drag, and I was like, 'Oh, we're like the same height! Perfect, you don't have that on me!'"

*EW's BINGE* podcast on *RuPaul's Drag Race* — available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you find your favorite shows — returns next Thursday with Peppermint and Sasha Velour for a full season 9 recap on Lady Gaga's guest appearance and that time a PA accidentally forgot Pep at the holding hotel. Check out our ongoing collection of *Snatch Game Fantasy* podcast segments as well to hear eliminated queens perform characters they never got the chance to play on their original season.

**Related content: **

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- EW's Binge Podcast Episodes

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Published: November 03, 2025 at 05:20PM on Source: BERRY MAG

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November 03, 2025

Bob the Drag Queen, Naomi Smalls say even more kimonos nearly plagued Drag Race season 8 Kimonogate

Season 8 queens spill tea on Kimonogate , Bob coaching Naomi ahead of the AllStars Snatch Game, and a hilarious offcamera mo...

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EW's BINGE podcast welcomes season 11 winner and Miss Congeniality to spill all the behindthescenes secrets on that time West snapped on Ariel Versace, Branjie, mean magicians, and the struggles queens of color face after the show. Yvie Oddly and Nina West hilariously recall when congeniality cracked on Drag Race season 11 EW's BINGE podcast welcomes season 11 winner and Miss Congeniality to spill all the behindthescenes secrets on that time West snapped on Ariel Versace, Branjie, mean magicians, and the struggles queens of color face after the show.

EW's BINGE podcast welcomes season 11 winner and Miss Congeniality to spill all the behind-the-scenes secrets on that time West snapped on Ariel Versace, Branjie, mean magicians, and the struggles queens of color face after the show.

Yvie Oddly and Nina West hilariously recall when congeniality cracked on Drag Race season 11

EW's BINGE podcast welcomes season 11 winner and Miss Congeniality to spill all the behind-the-scenes secrets on that time West snapped on Ariel Versace, Branjie, mean magicians, and the struggles queens of color face after the show.

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

September 11, 2020 2:12 p.m. ET

Drag is magic. But it's also tragic if you're Ariel Versace on the receiving end of a hilarious pop off in the midst of Wig Gate.

*RuPaul's Drag Race* season 11 winner Yvie Oddly and Miss Congeniality Nina West stopped by the most recent episode of *EW's BINGE* podcast to tell hosts Joey Nolfi and Jillian Sederholm about a particularly testy, unaired moment that saw the latter queen — regarded as one of the kindest, gentlest souls in the RuGirl family — losing it in the middle of the season's most peculiar controversies.

"Wig Gate was such a big thing for our season," West said, as Oddly chimed in about the "so stupid" moment that, in the simplest of terms, sort of (but then later sort of didn't) involve various queens being accused of stealing Versace's wigs after her elimination. Tensions flared up over the confusion when the previously eliminated queens returned to the Werk Room for the perennial makeover challenge. "I completely lost my cool. All of those girls came back on my elimination episode," West recalls. "At this point, I was really raw. I had a feeling that this just might be my time, I was like, I think I'm going home. It was right when those girls walked in, and Ariel looked over at my station and she goes, 'That's my wig!' and I completely lost my s---. I don't think there were any cameras on me. I was like, I don't know why she would accuse me of stealing, I don't need to steal! Ariel and I have obviously talked about it since, because I popped off as the most Nina West pop off I've ever done."

Oddly also remembers the moment with a laugh, mimicking West's tone as she delivered a fatal, verbal blow to Versace after the accusation: "You cut her off immediately like, 'No, no, no, no, sweetie! That's *my* wig. It, unfortunately, *looks* like it's styled like one of your wigs!'"

Elsewhere on the episode, Oddly discusses an update on her overall health and the status of her Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, what her hot dad has been up to in quarantine, the difficulties queens of color face after graduating from the show, and another tense moment with that dreaded magician who guest-starred on the magic show challenge episode.

Listen to the full episode above.

*EW's BINGE* podcast on *RuPaul's Drag Race* — available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you find your favorite shows — returns next Thursday for its final *Drag Race* episode, featuring Jaida Essence Hall, Crystal Methyd, Jackie Cox, and Heidi N Closet for a wild season 12 recap. Check out our ongoing collection of *Snatch Game Fantasy* podcast segments as well to hear eliminated queens perform characters they never got the chance to play on their original season.

***Sign up for **********'s free daily newsletter****** to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.***

**Related content: **

- Monét X Change and Eureka admit there were almost more *Drag Race* season 10 finale reveals

- Sasha Velour, Peppermint kiki on Lady Gaga's unaired *Drag Race* season 9 moments

- Bob the Drag Queen, Naomi Smalls say even more kimonos nearly plagued *Drag Race* season 8 Kimonogate

- EW's Binge Podcast Episodes

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November 03, 2025

Yvie Oddly and Nina West hilariously recall when congeniality cracked on Drag Race season 11

EW's BINGE podcast welcomes season 11 winner and Miss Congeniality to spill all the behindthescenes secrets on that time...

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The queens stop by EW's BINGE podcast to discuss Lady Gaga's sweet backstage moment, Valentina's mask, and that time Pep was Home Alone'd. Sasha Velour, Peppermint kiki on Lady Gaga's unaired Drag Race season 9 moments The queens stop by EW's BINGE podcast to discuss Lady Gaga's sweet backstage moment, Valentina's mask, and that time Pep was Home Alone'd. :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.

The queens stop by EW's BINGE podcast to discuss Lady Gaga's sweet backstage moment, Valentina's mask, and that time Pep was Home Alone'd.

Sasha Velour, Peppermint kiki on Lady Gaga's unaired Drag Race season 9 moments

The queens stop by EW's BINGE podcast to discuss Lady Gaga's sweet backstage moment, Valentina's mask, and that time Pep was Home Alone'd.

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

August 27, 2020 6:23 p.m. ET

For its big break after moving season 9's premiere from queer-focused network Logo to VH1 back in 2017, *RuPaul's Drag Race* supersized its guest-judging roster by welcoming Lady Gaga into the Werk Room to help facilitate the transition. Now, three years later, gal pals Sasha Velour and Peppermint have reunited on* EW's BINGE* podcast for a sweet recollection of their time spent backstage soaking up Mother Monster's excellence.

"Lady Gaga seemed to do something unusual and make it a point to come back and connect with us. It seemed as though she was genuinely touched that we had put so much into these tribute looks to her," Peppermint tells hosts Joey Nolfi and Jillian Sederholm, referencing the season 9 opener's debut challenge, which asked the 13 competing queens to recreate famous looks from Gaga's career. "When she came back into the [Werk] Room, she *really* came back with some constructive feedback and criticism, but that was preceded by a nice, pretty good conversation. A very honest conversation about what it's like to be a queen and how she identifies with us and how closely she feels connected to us, and that was something I didn't expect.... now it's like, oh, every single episode when a star comes, here's their walk back, but that was the first time I remember that happened."

Velour adds that Gaga "insisted on it, because there was even a moment when the producers were kind of like, trying to get her to wrap it up, because she had hand-written notes about each and every one of us, and she went through, took her time, and gave individual feedback to each of us sitting right there. They were like, 'Ok, we've got to get back to filming!' And she was like, 'No, I'm going to finish this!'"

While Gaga clocked the queens' true colors backstage, *EW's BINGE* podcast playfully clocked Velour on a recycled season 9 fashion: A black leather corset the eventual season winner used to create Gaga's look from the "Applause" music video, and later repurposed for the Madonna-themed runway later in the season: "Listen, that was a $70 corset from Orchard Street Corsets, my favorite Orthodox Jewish corset shop in New York City," Velour says with a laugh (Pep, a fellow New York queen, hilariously butts in: "They know all the girls!"). "They don't always carry everything in every size, so that was the black corset they had when I was shopping.... it worked for both of those. And, up until this moment, no one has ever called me out on it before!"

While Velour and Peppermint also reflect on some of season 9's more serious issues — like Peppermint breaking barriers for transgender representation on a mainstream platform, secrets about their epic finale lip-syncs, and rallying around Nina Bo'Nina Brown after Valentina's infamous elimination — the pair fondly looks back on a hilarious instance when Peppermint was accidentally left behind at the hotel where the queens stay during production.

"You're in there until someone comes and gets you," Peppermint says, chucking as she recalls the story. "Long story short, [they] never came back and got me.... I crept out of my room, went down the hall.... I went to each queen's room and knocked and no one else was there. I went back to my room and waited. This was a couple of hours.... they ended up coming back and getting me!"

She holds no hard feelings against the show for the genuine mix-up, and speculates that it came down to simple math: "This was episode 2 or 3, and Cynthia Lee Fontaine had just [returned to the competition], and I think at that point [the drivers] counted us like kids in a van with a headcount. There were 13 people on episode 1, and there were 14 on episode 2 when Cynthia came back, so then the person who was there the first day who drove us with 13 counted 13 again [after the episode 1 elimination] and just drove off, not realizing now there's an added person. So I got left behind!"

"This is literally the plot of *Home Alone*!" Velour says. "It's like *Drag Race Home Alone*," Peppermint laughs.

*EW's BINGE* podcast on *RuPaul's Drag Race* — available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you find your favorite shows — returns next Thursday with Monét X Change and Eureka for a backwards sashay into a season 10 recap on knee injuries, sponge dresses, and the important conversation on race in the fandom started by The Vixen. Check out our ongoing collection of *Snatch Game Fantasy* podcast segments as well to hear eliminated queens perform characters they never got the chance to play on their original season.

***Sign up for **********'s free daily newsletter****** to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.***

**Related content: **

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Original Article on Source

Source: "EW EW"

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Source: EW

Published: November 03, 2025 at 05:20PM on Source: BERRY MAG

#ShowBiz#Sports#Celebrities#Lifestyle

byAlpha World

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November 03, 2025

Sasha Velour, Peppermint kiki on Lady Gaga's unaired Drag Race season 9 moments

The queens stop by EW's BINGE podcast to discuss Lady Gaga's sweet backstage moment, Valentina's mask, and that ...

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Sesame Street's new season: Bubba Wallace, Netflix and a whole lot of chickens

Sesame Street's new season: Bubba Wallace, Netflix and a whole lot of chickens MARK KENNEDYNovember 3, 2025 at 8:01 AM 0 This image released by Sesame Workshop shows muppet characters Elmo, left, Grover, second left, and Abby, right, from the "Sesame Street" episode "Elmo Runs the Race." (Zach Hyman/Sesame Workshop via AP) NEW YORK (AP) — New home. Some format changes. Same monsters. "Sesame Street" launches its 56th season on Nov. 10 with NASCAR champion Bubba Wallace as a guest, a slightly tweaked format and a new way to watch — via Netflix.

- - Sesame Street's new season: Bubba Wallace, Netflix and a whole lot of chickens

MARK KENNEDYNovember 3, 2025 at 8:01 AM

0

This image released by Sesame Workshop shows muppet characters Elmo, left, Grover, second left, and Abby, right, from the "Sesame Street" episode "Elmo Runs the Race." (Zach Hyman/Sesame Workshop via AP)

NEW YORK (AP) — New home. Some format changes. Same monsters.

"Sesame Street" launches its 56th season on Nov. 10 with NASCAR champion Bubba Wallace as a guest, a slightly tweaked format and a new way to watch — via Netflix.

"There you are, hi," Elmo invites viewers at the top of the show. "Elmo so happy to see you."

The popular children's staple will be offering an 11-minute main story at the top — up from 9 minutes last year — and a few new segments mixed with favorite returning ones.

"In the history of 'Sesame Street,' we've always reinvented in some sort of way over our last 56 years," says Sal Perez, the executive producer. "We're always looking for ways to modernize — have the look and feel of the show feel really engaging for kids today."

The 11-minute main story in the first episode involves Elmo, Abby and Zoe having three kinds of races in the neighborhood, joined by an alarming amount of puppet chickens and Wallace offering sideline commentary.

First up is a sprint with a chicken on each of their backs — "poultry in motion," Wallace offers — then a race with a chicken on a spoon and, last, a sack race with chickens also in the sack. Elmo gets discouraged when he doesn't win initially but soon realizes that he didn't have lunch so is low on fuel, the lesson of the day.

"I just love when we get to bring celebrities to 'Sesame Street' because they bring their own flavor, they bring their own point of view and experience. And so much of that Elmo racing episode was just heightened by Bubba being there," says head writer Halcyon Person. (Miley Cyrus is also an upcoming guest.)

Person says expanding the main story even by a few minutes gives her and her team more runway to add elements she thinks connects with kids.

"That extra two minutes may not seem like much for our audience, but it allows us to have a song in every episode which we know our audience loves," says Person, whose credits include "Dee & Friends in Oz" and "Karma's World."

"We get to have even more animation, even more comedy, more time for physical humor. We know when kids are laughing, they're learning. So, we just love when we can get them laughing so that our salient messaging can come through loud and clear, too."

Netflix and the fourth wall

The deal with Netflix is a game-changer for "Sesame Street" since the streamer gives it a worldwide reach — the new season will be streamed in 30 languages — while keeping it on its long-standing home, PBS and the PBS app, at the same time. Episodes will be available on both Netflix and PBS on the same day.

"The partners themselves have been amazing and really supportive and allowing us to do what 'Sesame Street' does," says Perez. "They know that we've got a history of knowing how to produce content. So, they've really just been supportive and elevating the brand."

"Sesame Street" will also lean into breaking the fourth wall, with creatures turning to the viewer and perhaps confessing their feelings or asking for advice.

"I think this season, we wanted to just play that up and make it really an expected feature of the show — the characters are not just talking to you, but they're really pulling you in," says Person.

"This is just another way to really build that relationship and make children feel like they're a part of the action, that none of what's happening in the story could happen without them and that our characters really need them."

Segments like "Cookie's Foodie Truck" and "Abby's Magic Beasties" will make the transition, and there's the introduction of a new one — the animated "Tales from 123," which takes viewers into the apartment building where the furry monsters live.

"This gave us an opportunity to get a peek inside. You have our amazing cast of characters living in an apartment building, with Elmo and Tango having really physical comedy adventures throughout, really zany adventures," says Perez.

In the inaugural "Tales from 123," Elmo wants to meet Grover for a playdate, but both get mixed up, so they go in elevators and race up staircases until Tango saves the day. Finally reunited, they naturally play hide-and-seek.

It's like a backstage pass to "Sesame Street" and, of course, one gruff monster will be complaining. "No New York apartment could be complete without Oscar as the superintendent," says Perez.

Original Article on Source

Source: "AOL Entertainment"

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Source: Entertainment

Published: November 03, 2025 at 03:36PM on Source: BERRY MAG

#ShowBiz#Sports#Celebrities#Lifestyle

byAlpha World

in

November 03, 2025

Sesame Street's new season: Bubba Wallace, Netflix and a whole lot of chickens

Sesame Street's new season: Bubba Wallace, Netflix and a whole lot of chickens MARK KENNEDYNovember 3, 2025 at 8:01 ...

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