RuPaul Pays Tribute To ‘Drag Race UK’ Winner The Vivienne
deadline.comRuPaul has paid tribute to The Vivienne, the UK’s first Drag Race winner whose death was announced yesterday. RuPaul posted on Instagram this LA morning: “With a broken heart, I join the entire Drag Race universe in mourning the loss of The Vivienne—an incredibly talented queen and a lovely human being.” The Drag Race presenter’s post drew comments from ex-Drag Race UK stars including Baga Chipz and Danny Beard, the latter of whom said “you meant the world to her!” The Vivienne’s death aged 32 was announced yesterday by their publicist Simon Jones, who said “these are the words I never ever wanted to write.” No further details were made available and the family of The Vivienne, whose real name was James Lee Williams, asked for privacy.
The Vivienne rose to prominence in the UK drag scene in 2015 after being appointed UK Drag Ambassador for RuPaul’s Drag Race, later competing in and winning the first series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK in 2019 before returning once more to the universe in RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 7 (the first all-winners installment) in 2022.
The Vivienne was well-established in the UK drag scene, maintained a presence on YouTube, presented at awards shows and appeared on the likes of ITV’s Dancing on Ice.
In 2020, they were a narrator for BBC Three’s documentary Trump in Tweets, impersonating the president-elect. Others from the world of drag and beyond have paid tribute including Michelle Visage, the co-host of Drag Race.
