The Vivienne's cause of death as RuPaul's Drag Race star makes final TV appearance

The Vivienne, who won RuPaul's Drag Race UK successful 2019 and aboriginal appeared connected Dancing On Ice, died astatine the property of 32 earlier this twelvemonth with their publicist confirming the bittersweet news

RuPaul’s Drag Race prima The Vivienne died earlier this twelvemonth and volition look connected TV contiguous successful 1 of their last recorded shows.

The Vivienne, commencement sanction James Lee Williams, won the archetypal bid of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK and came 3rd connected the 2023 variation of Dancing On Ice. Their publicist, Simon Jones, announced the bittersweet quality connected January 5, penning that The Vivienne was an "incredibly loved, warm-hearted and astonishing person".

In a station connected Instagram, the PR guru added: "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, member and uncle. They are truthful arrogant of the fantastic things James achieved successful their beingness and career."

On Thursday evening, The Vivienne volition look successful ITV comedy-drama bid G'wed. The post-humous quality sees the prima instrumentality connected the relation of a Liverpool nightclub owner. They spot quality Ted's comedic imaginable and offers him a spot astatine the club, portion besides showcasing their trademark humour.

How did The Vivienne die?

The Vivienne, who was calved successful Wales and aboriginal moved to Liverpool, was conscionable 32-years-old astatine the clip of their death. Their passing came conscionable days aft appearing connected TV implicit the festive season, starring connected a Christmas peculiar of the beloved BBC classical Blankety Blank.

The resistance icon's origin of decease is yet to beryllium announced publically and minimal details astir their tragic passing person been shared. "We volition not beryllium releasing immoderate further details. We delight inquire that James’s household are fixed the clip and privateness they present request to process and grieve," Simon Jones wrote arsenic helium announced his client's decease connected societal media.

It was reported that The Vivienne's assemblage was discovered by their devastated begetter and stepmother. Police antecedently confirmed they were called to an code successful Chorlton-by-Backford, adjacent Chester, astatine 12.22pm connected Sunday January 5 pursuing reports of a abrupt death.

"Their devastated dada raised the alarm and believed they had passed distant a time oregon 2 earlier being found," a root told the Sun. "James was owed to determination to a £400,000 location adjacent week, and had a vacation lined up. They were readying a circuit and truly had everything to unrecorded for."

Shortly aft sharing the quality of The Vivienne's death, Simon shared an further tribute to his precocious client. "These are words I ne'er ever wanted to write. Viv was a adjacent friend. a lawsuit and idiosyncratic I loved precise much," the PR adept penned successful a station connected his Instagram page.

"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-one has ever made maine laughter successful my beingness arsenic overmuch arsenic Viv did. Their comic genius and speedy wit was similar nary other."

The tribute continued saying: "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."

Who was The Vivienne?

Born James Lee Williams, the archetypal RuPaul's Drag Race UK victor revealed the meaning down their signifier sanction and however they chose their alter-ego's rubric before winning the BBC Three amusement successful 2020. The Vivienne besides competed connected an all-winners play of the RuPaul franchise successful the US successful 2022, the lone UK contestant for that series.

Speaking successful 2019 up of competing successful the archetypal bid of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, The Vivienne explained their sanction saying: "I emotion Vivienne Westwood and erstwhile I moved to Liverpool everyone utilized to telephone maine Vivienne arsenic I was caput to toed successful Westwood. So erstwhile I started doing resistance it was a earthy progression, but I didn’t privation 1 of those cheap, nasty, slutty resistance names truthful I thought of ‘The Vivienne’ and present she is, there’s lone 1 of them."

The Vivienne said of their resistance style: "My benignant is similar a Scouse woman who has travel into money, she moved to LA and blew it each and past she’s had to determination backmost to Liverpool. I similar to person a truly fierce look, but I similar to beryllium hilarious connected signifier truthful I’m benignant of an aged schoolhouse and the caller schoolhouse enactment unneurotic which I deliberation works. Comedy is decidedly my trump card. My favourite instrumentality successful resistance is my vocal impersonations truthful I bash everyone from Kim Woodburn, Cilla Black, Donald Trump – you sanction it, I’ll bash it – for the close price.”

The Vivienne landed successful the finale alongside Baga Chipz and Divina De Campo, with justice Graham Norton saying successful the last critique up of the victor being named that The Vivienne had "it all". After their breakthrough successful 2020, they went connected to look connected a fig of UK shows, including Dancing On Ice, Emmerdale, Celebrity Hunted and The Weakest Link.

The precocious prima was besides a rising prima successful the world of theatre and performed arsenic the Wicked Witch of the West successful a UK and Ireland circuit of The Wizard Of Oz musical, reprising the relation successful the West End astatine the Gillian Lynne Theatre past year. They were owed to beryllium backmost connected tour successful February performing successful the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang philharmonic successful the relation of the Childcatcher.

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