Yahoo Lifestyle The Vivienne Dies: ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race UK’ Season 1 Winner Was 32
The Vivienne, the inaugural winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, died January 5 in Cheshire, England. They were 32. Publicist and manager Simon Jones confirmed the news on Instagram.
“These are words I never ever wanted to write,” the statement read. “Viv was a close friend, a client and someone I loved very much. From the moment I met them in 2019 I knew we could create magic together and I became their manager. Their talent was immense and the light they brought to every room was astonishing. No one has ever made me laugh in my life as much as Viv did. Their comedic genius and quick wit was like no other.”
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“I’m so proud and lucky that Viv was such a big part of my life every day for the last 5 years,” Jones continued. “It’s tragic that their career was only just beginning. In musical theatre Viv had found a space and career they loved, excelled and thrived in. I am heartbroken and devastated at this news. RIP my wonderful friend. You left us way too soon.”
Jones said in an additional family statement (below) that The Vivienne, née James Lee Williams, was “an incredibly loved, warm-hearted and amazing person.” No further details will be made available at this time and Williams’ family asks for privacy and time to mourn.
— Simon Jones (@simonjonespr) January 5, 2025
The Vivienne rose to prominence in the drag scene in 2015, after being appointed the UK Drag Ambassador for the beloved reality series RuPaul’s Drag Race. They later competed in and won the first series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK in 2019, 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 the first drag performer to compete on Dancing on Ice in 2023, appearing as a contestant on Season 15, in which they finished in third place.
Last year, The Vivienne made their West End debut, reprising their role of the Wicked Witch of the West in a new revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 2011 production of The Wizard of Oz at the Gillian Lynne Theatre.
In a sprawling conversation with culture blog JaDar last year, The Vivienne delved into the personal significance of playing the role as a queer person who views the Emerald City as a metaphor for finding oneself, their experience with impostor syndrome and the “glamorous” update they give to the portrayal of the famed witch.
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“Never in my wildest dreams [did I imagine a career in theater],” the drag performer told the outlet. “It’s always something I wanted to do; I’m a big musical theatre geek anyway so any time I get to see a show on the West End, I’m there. You never knows the doors that are gonna be open. You always think, to be on the West End or something like that, you have to [have] years of training and everything else. But I kind-of did do years of training but it was just an unconventional way. You know, treading the boards for years, getting changes on bear barrels, and then doing big drag tours and touring the world, so that kind-of geared me up to it.”
Elsewhere in the interview, The Vivienne teased that they were developing a movie, keeping mum about the details but adding that “it’s a huge story that needs telling.” They also said they were approached “with a role that’s very iconic with an amazing writer” and was also trying to get that project off the ground.
“Gotta throw things at the wall and see what sticks, I suppose. Possibilities are endless, I suppose. Drag’s an amazing thing; you get to use every creative bone in your body so why not flex ’em?”
The Vivienne was well-established in the UK drag scene, maintained a presence on YouTube and presented at a couple of awards shows. In 2020, they were a narrator for BBC Three’s documentary Trump in Tweets, impersonating the president-elect.
Williams was born in Wales in 1992 and adopted the drag name because of a love for wearing Vivienne Westwood clothing. They moved to Liverpool when they were 16 to pursue drag.
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