The Vivienne was the first winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK in 2019. Their presence allowed the world to witness British drag. James Lee Williams (known as The Vivienne) was a Welsh drag queen who competed in the first season of Drag Race UK, the seventh season of Drag Race All Stars and was the first drag performer to compete on Dancing on Ice. Vivienne also released music, and acted on stage; most notably as the Wicked Witch of the West.

Williams was given the drag name ‘The Vivienne’ because they were famously known for wearing Vivienne Westwood clothing. They used the pronouns they/them and identified as gay. In December 2019, they married David Ludford in a gay nightclub ‘Heaven’. Williams struggled with drug addiction throughout their life and praised the work of the Armistead Centre in Liverpool for their rehabilitation.

The star was found dead in their bathroom on the 5th January. The body of the 32-year-old was found in Chorlton-by-Backford near Chester. Police have opened the inquest into their death following a post-mortem examination revealing an ‘unnatural cause of death’. A vigil was held on the steps of St George’s Hall in Liverpool, where hundreds gathered to pay their respects to the star. The Vivienne’s legacy will live on for a long time, and the star will be remembered for their vibrancy, charm, and the ways that they broke barriers, and brought drag to the mainstream.

RuPaul commented on the tragedy ‘With a broken heart, I join the entire Drag Race universe in mourning the loss of The Vivienne’.