Remembering ‘phenomenal’ trailblazer The Vivienne as inquest opens into their death

Last month, fans of renowned resistance queen The Vivienne and chap stars of the amusement satellite were near devastated by the news of their death.

As the inquest into the decease of the trailblazing performer opens contiguous connected Wednesday February 12, we retrieve the bonzer interaction that they had successful their life, and admit however they volition proceed to beryllium celebrated for years to come.

On January 5, it was announced that the victor of the archetypal bid of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK had died astatine the property of 32.

The quality was confirmed by publicist Simon Jones, who wrote successful a statement: ‘It is with immense sadness that we fto you cognize our beloved James Lee Williams – The Vivienne, has passed this weekend.

‘James was an incredibly loved, warm-hearted, and astonishing person. Their household are heartbroken astatine the nonaccomplishment of their son, brother, and uncle.

‘They are truthful arrogant of the fantastic things James achieved successful their beingness and career. We volition not beryllium releasing immoderate further details.’

The connection concluded: ‘We delight inquire that James’s household are fixed the clip and privateness they present request to process and grieve.’

Cheshire Police said that officers were called to an code successful Chorlton-by-Backford adjacent Chester connected 12.22pm connected the Sundya, with a spokesperson telling Metro: ‘Police attended, investigated the circumstances of the decease of the 32-year-old antheral and concluded determination were nary suspicious circumstances. A record volition beryllium prepared for the coroner.’

Tributes were made by stars including Ariana Grande, Pussycat Dolls vocalist Ashley Roberts, The Vivienne’s erstwhile Dancing On Ice spouse Colin Grafton and RuPaul.

RuPaul’s tribute read: ‘With a breached heart, I articulation the full Drag Race beingness successful mourning the nonaccomplishment of The Vivienne’, hailing the precocious entertainer ‘an incredibly talented queen and a beauteous quality being’.

Williams’ ex-husband, David Ludford, paid tribute arsenic well, penning that his bosom ‘literally sank’ erstwhile helium received the telephone telephone informing him of the news.

Ludford, a wig hairstylist, said Williams ‘changed [his] beingness truthful much’ from the time they archetypal met successful August 2017 successful Gran Canaria. They joined successful 2019 earlier their amicable separation 4 years later.

‘We virtually clicked consecutive distant and we knew we (were) going to beryllium unneurotic for on time,’ Ludford wrote.

‘He made maine consciousness emotion and shown maine what it was truly similar to emotion someone. We virtually went done and did truthful overmuch together, it was similar a whirlwind and I wouldn’t person changed the clip we spent unneurotic for thing successful the world!’

Ludford added that they had ‘loved each different truthful much’ and hailed Williams arsenic ‘the biggest part’ of his beingness for a agelong time.

He concluded: ‘6 years is specified a agelong clip to walk 24/7 with you volition ever always person a spot successful my heart. Going to miss you much than radical volition ever cognize slumber choky angel.’

In 2023, The Vivienne became the archetypal resistance queen to ever instrumentality portion successful Dancing On Ice, reaching the last and finishing successful 3rd place.

Taking to Instagram, Colin admitted his words were written with an ‘extraordinarily dense heart’.

‘Viv was and is simply a existent icon successful each consciousness of the word, and inspired thousands of radical acold and wide with everything they did and accomplished,’ helium wrote. ‘They genuinely brought airy into each country they entered, and gave truthful galore radical anticipation wherever determination was none. I americium genuinely heartbroken,’ helium added.

Colin continued to say: ‘I volition everlastingly cherish our clip unneurotic connected and disconnected the ice, you volition everlastingly beryllium my Mary Poppins. I committedness to transportation your representation with maine successful everything I do.’

Grande besides shared her ain tribute to the prima via societal media, posting a representation of The Vivienne, who was fixed the sanction owing to their emotion of Vivienne Westwood clothing, on with 3 hearts.

Dancing On Ice justice Oti Mabuse remembered Williams, who volition beryllium receiving a posthumous grant astatine the Metro Pride Awards, for being a ‘phenomenal entertainer’ and ‘trailblazer’.

Mabuse said ‘some quality hits you harder than others and stops you successful your tracks’ aft the quality of Williams’ decease was announced

‘I perfectly loved the Viv,’ the erstwhile Strictly Come Dancing prima wrote alongside a representation of the brace connected Instagram.

‘A beauteous quality being, funny, kind, a trailblazer, originative and truthful warm.

‘You were specified an plus connected Dancing On Ice, 1 of the top connected Drag Race and conscionable a phenomenal entertainer connected surface and theatre.’

Williams antecedently said making it to the semi-final of the crystal skating contention meant a lot, ‘especially astatine a clip erstwhile resistance is nether attack.’

The prima performed successful the aforesaid twelvemonth arsenic erstwhile EastEnders histrion Patsy Palmer, who said she was ‘lost for words’ and ‘deeply saddened’ successful a tribute.

‘You were truthful beauteous wrong and retired and I volition ne'er hide our experiences we shared during Dancing On Ice,’ she wrote.

‘We truly loved it each didn’t we. I got to conscionable your beauteous household and we laughed a lot.

‘I got to ticker you alteration your look successful your precise glam dressing country reflector and we cried with it each too.

‘You became an outstanding skater and truthful elegant too. We were each determination for each different and we each emotion you.’

Palmer shared pictures of the prima ‘in the heavy of it’ portion backstage astatine the competition, helping chap contestant Michelle Heaton get acceptable for the show.

Former Liberty X vocalist Heaton besides shared a bid of pictures with Williams from the show, captioning it ‘heartbroken.’

Screenwriter Russell T Davies wrote that, aft gathering a mates of times, helium recovered Williams to beryllium ‘absolutely delightful.’

‘And what a talent!’, helium declared. ‘On the cusp of graduating to West End stardom. What a world. Night, darling.’

Drag Race justice Michelle Visage described the performer arsenic ‘a beacon to truthful many’.

Alongside pictures of them together, Visage said she was ‘heartbroken’ and mislaid for words.

‘My darling @thevivienne_ we spell backmost to erstwhile I started coming implicit present to the UK. You were ever there, ever laughing, ever giving, ever connected point.

‘Your laughter, your wit, your talent, your drag. I loved each of it but I loved your relationship astir of all.’

Rylan Clark wrote connected X: ‘The quality astir The Vivienne is truthful sad. What an astonishing performer. Such a loss. Rest successful bid gorgeous xxx’

Drag Race UK prima Danny Beard wrote connected Instagram that determination is present ‘a portion missing’ pursuing Williams’ death.

‘Viv was a due entertainer, she made radical she didn’t cognize consciousness similar they were seen. I’ve ever admired that successful her. She connected with radical and that’s thing you can’t buy,’ they wrote successful portion of their message.

Jinkx Monsoon, who won the 5th play of RuPaul’s Drag Race successful 2013, said: ‘I don’t wholly person words. She has made her people successful our hearts and connected her stages.’

They added connected X: ‘It’s excessively soon for a curtain telephone but I cognize it’s a lasting ovation. I emotion you Viv.’

Following the announcement of Williams’ death, publicist Jones wrote successful a further statement: ‘These are words I ne'er ever wanted to write. Viv was a adjacent friend, a lawsuit and idiosyncratic I loved precise much.

‘From the infinitesimal I met them successful 2019 I knew we could make magic unneurotic and I became their manager. Their endowment was immense and the airy they brought to each country was astonishing.

‘No 1 has ever made maine laughter successful my beingness arsenic overmuch arsenic Viv did. Their comic genius and speedy wit was similar nary other.’

He continued: ‘I’m truthful arrogant and fortunate that Viv was specified a large portion of my beingness each time for the past 5 years.

‘It’s tragic that their vocation was lone conscionable beginning. In philharmonic theatre Viv had recovered a abstraction and vocation they loved, excelled and thrived in.

‘I americium heartbroken and devastated astatine this news. RIP my fantastic friend. You near america mode excessively soon.’

In his caption, Jones besides wrote: ‘Goodbye my beauteous person 💔.’

In 2015, The Vivienne took portion successful a one-day lawsuit judged by RuPaul, Katie Price and Jonathan Ross, wherever they were crowned the UK Drag Ambassador for RuPaul’s Drag Race.

They aboriginal competed and won the first UK bid of the world amusement successful 2019 and earlier competing again successful the all-stars variation successful 2022.

Williams besides ventured into theatre, starring arsenic The Wicked Witch of the West successful 2011’s The Wizard of Oz, a relation they aboriginal reprised successful the West End.

Additionally, The Vivienne showcased their unthinkable philharmonic talents via their debut EP, B**ch connected Heels, which was released successful 2022.

Their different TV credits see Channel 4’s Celebrity Hunted successful 2022 successful assistance of Stand Up to Cancer.

On Boxing Day, they appeared successful the festive peculiar of TV gameshow Blankety Blank.

The resistance performer was calved and raised in North Wales and moved to Liverpool astatine 16.

Got a story?

If you’ve got a personage story, video oregon pictures get successful interaction with the Metro.co.uk amusement squad by emailing america celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 oregon by visiting our Submit Stuff leafage – we’d emotion to perceive from you.

MORE: Varsity jumpers are each the craze – here’s what we’re buying to nail the preppy look

MORE: Bloom & Wild launches caller Valentine’s Day postulation of bouquets to ablution your loved one

MORE: ‘Peeping Toms lone get much superior erstwhile they’re fto disconnected with a caution’