The Vivienne credited beloved ex-husband with getting him sober before sad split
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The Vivienne's life changed forever when they met their ex-husband. The iconic drag queen, who rose to fame on RuPaul's Drag Race UK in 2019, sadly died aged 32 over the weekend, the star's publicist confirmed on Sunday evening. PR guru Simon Jones said The Vivienne, real name James Lee Williams, was an "incredibly loved, warm-hearted and amazing person".
The star was the first drag queen to compete in Dancing On Ice and came third in the 2023 series. They also had their own BBC series, The Vivienne Takes on Hollywood, and cameoed on ITV soap Emmerdale. The Vivienne is survived by their loved ones, including heartbroken ex, David Ludford.
David, who runs a company selling wigs for drag queens called Drag Helmet Wigs, shared a touching tribute on Facebook shortly after the news broke online. He wrote: "This man changed my life so much from the day we first met in August 2017 in Gran Canaria!!" He said they "clicked straight away" and had a "whirlwind" relationship.
David said James made him "feel love" and showed him "what it was really like to love someone". He added: "You will always have a place in my heart. Going to miss you more than people will ever know. Sleep tight angel." David and James were the first couple to tie the knot at London's famous gay club, Heaven, in December 2019.
At the time, James wrote on Instagram: "This has been the most amazing day. I cannot thank @Jeremy_Joseph (club owner) enough. You've made it amazing." David was a constant support for James throughout The Vivienne's busy drag career, and the star credited him with helping them overcome a drug addiction and getting sober.
